Paul Burkett

About Paul Burkett

Paul Burkett (May 26, 1956 – January 7, 2024) was an American economist, educator, and musician known for his writings on ecological Marxism. He published numerous works on eco-socialism, including collaborations with scholars John Bellamy Foster and Martin Hart-Landsberg. Burkett taught at Syracuse University, Auburn Correctional Facility, the University of Miami, and Indiana State University. Burkett also performed jazz saxophone under the moniker PapaPatty, named in honor of his late son Patrick. Burkett and his twin brother Patrick were born in Wyandotte, Michigan, to parents William Loyd Burkett and Dorothy Whalen Burkett. After attending Wyandotte Roosevelt High School and Kalamazoo College, Burkett went on to earn his Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Syracuse University in 1984. Burkett died from complications of acute myeloid leukemia at his home in Terre Haute, Indiana, on January 7, 2024, at the age of 67.