holds a Ph.D.  and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and degrees in Agricultural Sciences and Economics from the University of Naples, Italy.

He  has widely published on a variety of topics of theoretical and applied research concerning  economic development, real option theory, climate change impact,  and the evaluation of risk and uncertainty.

He is presently Professor of Economic Policy and Member of the Board of the CEIS Economia Foundation  at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Member of the Governing Council of the Italian Institute of Statistics, ISTAT, Economic Policy Consultant for the World Bank and Managing Director ,  Real Options International, Washington D.C.

He has been a Senior Economist with the World Bank, President of the Italian  Institute for Economic Planning, Member of the National Planning Board, Senior Adviser of the Parliamentary Budget Committee,  and President of the Foundation of the Salerno Saving Bank. With a wide experience in designing, monitoring and evaluating major investment projects funded by national and international organizations, he is an expert in planning, project evaluation and private sector financing with extensive international advisory experience (World Bank, FAO, IDB, UNIDO, and several country governments and NGO’s).