Taylor earned a Ph.D. in Economics from North Carolina State University, a Master of Economics from Duke University, and a Bachelor in Economics from University of North Carolina at Asheville. 

Taylor’s research focuses on policy evaluation and the valuation of natural resources and the environment. She is president of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, and has recently served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board, and the North Carolina Task Force for the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Her research has received funding from a variety of sources including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation, and she has been the principal investigator for $2.5 million in grants. She was a recipient of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship and an American Council on Education Fellowship.

The announcement from Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts dean, Jacqueline J. Royster stated that “Georgia Tech is confident that her incredible range of experience in administration, sponsored research, and teaching will make her an invaluable leader and collaborator for colleagues in Economics, as well as in schools throughout the Ivan Allen College and across the Institute. We are delighted that Taylor will be joining us.”