TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The National Academy of Sciences today (Friday, Jan. 10) named Dr. Walter Enders of The University of Alabama a co-recipient of its 2003 Award for Behavioral Research Relevant to the Prevention of Nuclear War.

Enders is the Lee Bidgood Chair of Economics and Finance in UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration’s department of economics, finance and legal studies. The other co-recipient, Dr. Todd Sandler, is the Robert R. and Kathryn A. Dockson Professor of International Relations and Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The NAS award is a prize of $20,000 awarded every three years for basic research in any field of cognitive or behavioral science that advances understanding of issues relating to the risk of nuclear war.

“This is a very significant achievement,” said Dr. Walter S. Misiolek, professor of economics and interim dean of the UA business school. “This is yet another indication that our faculty is truly world-class and second to none. To be recognized for research that is of benefit to all mankind is the goal of every researcher but one that few attain. This is extraordinary.”

Enders and Sandler were chosen “for their joint work on transnational terrorism using game theory and time series analysis to document the cyclic and shifting nature of terrorist attacks in response to defensive counteractions,” according to the announcement by the NAS.

“Todd Sandler and I are thrilled to be recognized by the nation’s most prestigious body of research scientists. Since my arrival at The University of Alabama, I have found the support for this type of basic research to be world-class,” Enders said.

“The award will help to bring our research findings regarding the fight against terrorism to the attention of the policy making community. From our first paper written over 10 years ago, we strongly believed that the use of behavioral and statistical models is directly applicable to the behavior of transnational terrorists,” Enders said. “Terrorists act as rational agents in that they try to make the best use of their scarce resources, including weapons, personnel and funds.

“Unless counter-terrorist policies are strategically designed to incorporate these rational responses of terrorists, even the best counters to terrorism often have unintended negative consequences. We are hopeful that our research leads to the implementation of more effective decision making on the part of our policy makers.”

Dr. Billy P. Helms, professor of finance at UA and head of the department of economics, finance and legal studies, said Enders’ recognition by such a prestigious organization as the National Academy of Sciences underscores the importance of conducting research that is relevant in today’s environment.

“Even as we speak, our government is wrestling with the question of how to handle North Korea’s insistence that it can resume nuclear weapons production and resume building its weapons stockpile, “ Helms said. “To conduct research that makes the world a safer place is an incredible accomplishment.”

The award was established by a gift of William and Katherine Estes and has been presented since 1990. The National Academy of Sciences selected 18 individuals to receive awards honoring their outstanding scientific achievements. The awards will be presented on April 28 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., during the Academy’s 140th annual meeting.

President Abraham Lincoln signed The National Academy of Sciences into being on March 3, 1863, at the height of the Civil War. As mandated in its Act of Incorporation, the NAS has, since 1863, served to "investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art" whenever called upon to do so by any department of the government.
Enders received his bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Toledo and a doctorate in economics from Columbia University.

Enders has published numerous research articles in such journals as the Review of Economics and Statistics, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and the Journal of International Economics. He has also published articles in the American Economic Review (a journal of the American Economic Association), the Journal of Business and Economic Statistics (a journal of the American Statistical Association) and the American Political Science Review (a journal of the American Political Science Association). Enders’ “Applied Econometric Time-Series” is the leading book in the field. He has formal editorial responsibilities for three different journals in the area of international economics and has served as a policy advisor to Ukraine.

The Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, founded in 1919, has been consistently ranked among the top business schools in the nation. The undergraduate program is currently 45th in the U.S. News and World Report rankings and the Culverhouse School of Accountancy is ranked 19th nationally by the CPA Personnel Report.