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Chad E. Hart is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Iowa State University (ISU), specializing in agricultural economics and international trade policy. His research focuses on WTO agricultural commitments, crop insurance, biofuel policy, and commodity market dynamics. Hart holds a Ph.D. (1999) and B.S. (1991) in economics from ISU and Southwest Missouri State University, respectively. He has served in roles at ISU’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) and the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), examining trade policies and energy-agriculture intersections. Hart has received notable awards, including the CALS Dean’s Citation (2020) and Exemplary Faculty Mentor Award (2016). His work bridges academic research and practical extension, addressing issues like trade disputes, commodity pricing, and agricultural sustainability. Hart’s insights frequently inform USDA outlook reports and policy analyses, with a focus on Iowa’s agricultural economy. Labs/Teams: Active in CARD and FAPRI, contributing to interdisciplinary research on agricultural policy and market dynamics.

• Agricultural Economics
• Financial Economics
• International Trade Policy
• +5 more

Elinor Benami is an **Assistant Professor** in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department at Virginia Tech. She holds affiliations with the VT Remote Sensing & Global Change Center, the Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture, and Stanford’s RegLab. Her research focuses on environmental and development economics, leveraging satellite imagery and machine learning to enhance disaster financing and environmental compliance. She earned a B.A. from UNC Chapel Hill, a Ph.D. from Stanford University, and a postdoc at UC Davis. **Research Interests**: Climate risk management, agricultural resilience, remote sensing applications, and policy design for sustainable agriculture. Current projects include NASA-funded work on Moroccan irrigation and drought financing, and evaluating U.S. environmental compliance using AI. **Awards/Grants**: Led a $650K NASA Harvest grant, part of a $80M climate-smart agriculture initiative, and received the VT Early Career Scholarly Impact Award Nominee. Active in policy, including advising the EPA on environmental compliance algorithms. **Teaching**: Courses include 'Remote Sensing in Social Sciences', 'Climate Risk Management', and 'Environmental and Sustainable Development Economics'. Mentors students at all levels, emphasizing computational skills and social impact. **Affiliations**: NASA Harvest, VT Remote Sensing IGEP, and the Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture. Collaborates with global institutions on drought financing and satellite data applications.

• Environmental Economics
• Development Economics
• Agricultural Economics
• +3 more

Dermot J Hayes is the Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences and holds the Pioneer Hi-Bred International Chair in Agribusiness at Iowa State University's Department of Economics and Ivy School of Business. His expertise spans agricultural economics, financial economics, and international trade policy with a focus on commodity markets, farm policy, and China's agricultural impacts. Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Berkeley (1986 and 1982). Research Interests: Includes U.S. farm policy, international trade dynamics, agribusiness strategies, crop insurance, financial derivatives, and China's role in global commodity markets. His work emphasizes policy analysis, market resilience, and emerging challenges like disease outbreaks (e.g., African Swine Fever). Awards: AAEA Fellow (2007), AAEA Enduring Quality Award (2006), and J.H. Ellis Teaching Award (2005). His research on food safety auctions remains influential. Consulting: Since 1995, he has advised the National Pork Producers Association on trade economics. His work informs policy debates on tariffs, trade deals, and market disruptions. Labs & Collaborations: Engaged with Iowa State's interdisciplinary initiatives on agriculture-environmental nexus and bioenergy systems.

• Agricultural Economics
• International Trade Policy
• Commodity Markets
• +5 more

Mark Skidmore is a tenured Professor and Morris Chair in State and Local Government Finance and Policy at Michigan State University (MSU), with a joint appointment in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics and the Economics Department. He serves as a Resident Fellow and Interim Director of MSU Extension's Center for Local Government Finance and Policy. His research focuses on public finance, regional economics, and the economics of natural disasters, with particular emphasis on property taxation, fiscal decentralization, and disaster vulnerability. Educations: Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado and University of Washington, respectively. Roles: Tenured Professor, Morris Chair, and Interim Director of the MSU Extension Center. His research explores the interplay between government policies and economic development, including studies on property tax reforms, regional development strategies, and the societal impacts of natural disasters. Notable projects include analyses of Detroit's property tax challenges and Michigan's drinking water infrastructure needs. He has also contributed to policy discussions on tax increment financing, fiscal stress in municipalities, and the economic effects of climate change. Skidmore has received the 2017-18 AFRE Excellence Awards and has led grant-funded research, such as the USDA grant on rural price inflation. His work bridges academic research with practical policy solutions, emphasizing equitable taxation and resilient urban planning. He teaches courses on public sector budgeting and applied microeconomics at the graduate level. He has advised numerous students on theses and dissertations, though specific advisee names are not listed here. His collaborations include projects with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Sustainable Michigan Endowed Project.

• Public Finance Policy
• Government Finance and Policy
• Economic Development
• +3 more

David R. Just is a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. He holds a Ph.D. (2001) and MS (1999) from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA (1998) from Brigham Young University. His research focuses on behavioral economics, examining how environmental and psychological factors influence economic decisions, particularly in food choices and agricultural contexts. His work on school lunch programs and low-cost behavioral nudges has been widely recognized. He co-directs the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs. Key research interests include the application of behavioral insights to public health, consumer decision-making, and agricultural policy. His studies often combine field experiments with econometric analysis to address real-world challenges, such as improving food accessibility and sustainability. His work has been featured in prominent media outlets and has influenced policy initiatives in food systems and nutrition. Roles: Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Co-Director of Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs. Education: Ph.D. and MS in Agricultural and Resource Economics (UC Berkeley), BA in Economics (BYU). Research: Behavioral economics, food policy, agricultural decision-making, and sustainable practices. Affiliations: Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

• Behavioral Economics
• Public Health Nutrition
• Agricultural Economics
• +3 more

Eunchun Park serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas, concurrently holding the position of Director of the Experiment Station (DREX). A specialist in Bayesian spatial statistics and econometrics, his research focuses on agricultural risk analysis with particular emphasis on crop insurance mechanisms and financial commodity markets. His methodological expertise addresses critical data scarcity challenges in federal crop insurance premium calculations through advanced spatial modeling techniques. Dr. Park's academic foundation includes: Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University (2017) M.S. in Food and Resource Economics from Korea University (2013) B.S. in Food and Resource Economics from Korea University (2010) His research program centers on extreme price and yield risk quantification in agricultural commodities, employing sophisticated Bayesian modeling frameworks to overcome data limitations in spatial risk assessment. Current work develops innovative approaches for measuring catastrophic risks in crop production systems and refining insurance rating structures through spatial smoothing of yield densities. This research bridges theoretical econometric advances with practical applications for risk management tools used by farmers and policymakers. Analysis of Dr. Park's recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory in spatial risk modeling for agricultural insurance systems, with increasing focus on prevented planting coverage factors, commodity market volatility around information releases, and climate-related production risks. His work demonstrates methodological progression from theoretical Bayesian frameworks toward actionable risk assessment tools, particularly through the application of kriging techniques to non-normal yield distributions and extreme event modeling. Dr. Park's scholarly contributions have been recognized through: Outstanding Contribution to Applied Risk Analysis Award (2020) from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award (2018) from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award (2018) from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association While specific details of current advisees and grant funding are not provided in available materials, his active publication record in top agricultural economics journals suggests an ongoing mentorship role for graduate students and potential involvement in externally funded research initiatives related to agricultural risk management. His work on spatial smoothing techniques and extreme risk modeling likely informs collaborative projects with agricultural extension services and federal risk management agencies. No specific laboratory facilities or dedicated research teams are mentioned in the available documentation, though his methodological expertise suggests collaboration with spatial statistics and agricultural risk modeling groups within the university's research infrastructure.

• Risk Analysis
• Commodity Futures and Options
• Crop Insurance
• +3 more

John Bovay is an Associate Professor and Kohl Junior Faculty Fellow in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech. He leads the department's Extension program and focuses on food and agricultural policy, particularly environmental and health impacts. His roles include membership in the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council's Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (2024–2026) and Chair of the AAEA Specialty Crop Economics Section (2024–2025). Education: Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Davis (2014), B.A. in Mathematics and Politics from Washington and Lee University (2007). His research integrates economic analysis of public policies, including food safety inspections, climate-smart agriculture, SNAP participation, and food waste. Notable projects include a USDA-NIFA grant (2022–25) on vegetable on-farm loss and a study on GMO labeling laws. Teaching includes a Ph.D. course on empirical market and policy analysis with Anubhab Gupta. Selected Awards: Southern Agricultural Economics Association Emerging Scholar (2021), Distinguished Young Alumnus (2017). Outreach efforts emphasize Extension programs like the 'Virginia Sustainable Farms and Agribusiness Education Initiative' and leadership in Virginia Cooperative Extension's Agribusiness Management & Economics team. Grants include the USDA's Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance and I2GROW initiatives.

• Agricultural Economics
• Food Policy
• Environmental Economics
• +4 more

Roderick M. Rejesus is a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His work focuses on applied production economics, agricultural risk management (including crop insurance and safety-net policies), and economic impacts of agricultural technologies. He teaches ECG 741: Agricultural Production and Supply in Fall semesters. Education: Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2001) Research Interests: Dr. Rejesus examines policy-driven agricultural practices such as soil health management and cover crops, their resilience to climate extremes, and their economic implications. His work integrates empirical analysis of crop insurance mechanisms, yield risk, and environmental sustainability. He evaluates conservation programs (e.g., no-till practices) and their effects on land values and erosion. His studies often address global challenges like climate change and food security, with projects in the U.S., Philippines, and other regions. Recent Research Trends: His articles emphasize climate-smart agriculture, crop insurance dynamics under extreme weather, and policy incentives for sustainable practices. Key themes include quantifying yield sensitivity to environmental factors (e.g., warming temperatures), analyzing soil health benefits, and modeling production risk in agricultural systems. Advising & Grants: While specific grants or advisees are not listed, his role as an Extension Specialist suggests involvement in applied research partnerships with farmers and policymakers. His work often involves collaborative projects with international institutions. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with North Carolina State’s Extension programs and interdisciplinary teams focused on agricultural economics and policy.

• Agricultural Economics
• Risk Management in Agriculture
• Crop Insurance Policies
• +4 more

Jane Frankenberger is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Purdue University, specializing in environmental and natural resources engineering. She holds a B.A. in Physics from St. Olaf College, an M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. Her career includes eight years working in Africa (DRC and Senegal) and roles at the U.S. EPA and USDA. Currently, she serves as the Extension Water Quality Coordinator, leading projects on watershed management, drinking water protection, and TMDL compliance. Her research focuses on agricultural drainage, water quality, and climate change adaptation in drained landscapes. She teaches a graduate course on GIS applications and has contributed to over 100 peer-reviewed articles, emphasizing nutrient reduction strategies and drainage management. Education: B.A. Physics, St. Olaf College M.S. Agricultural Engineering, University of Minnesota Ph.D. Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Cornell University Key Roles: Extension Water Quality Coordinator Lead of water quality projects in Indiana Author of extension publications on watershed management Research Interests: Her work addresses watershed management, conservation drainage practices, and climate resilience in agricultural systems. She develops models to assess the effectiveness of conservation practices and integrates geospatial tools for decision-making. Recent studies focus on nitrate dynamics in tile-drained systems and climate change impacts on crop yields. Publications highlight trends in drainage water management, nutrient load reduction, and interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable agriculture. Her work bridges engineering, ecology, and policy to improve water resource management at local and global scales. Grants and collaborations include USDA-NIFA projects on transforming drainage research and international initiatives in Peru and Colombia. She emphasizes stakeholder engagement through workshops and outreach programs to enhance community-driven water management solutions.

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Quality Management
• Watershed Management
• +4 more

Yong Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on applied econometrics, Bayesian methodologies, machine learning, and agricultural policy with emphasis on crop insurance and risk management. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guelph (2016), preceded by dual M.S. degrees in Economics and Agricultural Economics from Yunnan University and the University of Guelph, respectively, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Yunnan University. His research explores econometric techniques for agricultural policy evaluation, including causal inference methods and behavioral economics applications. Recent work analyzes climate change impacts on crop yields, the efficacy of insurance subsidies, and the integration of weather data into risk assessment models. Liu’s publications demonstrate a strong focus on improving crop insurance mechanisms through statistical innovations like Bayesian model averaging and spatial-temporal forecasting. His academic contributions span theoretical advancements in density estimation and practical applications in agricultural finance. While no specific awards or grants are listed, his active publication record indicates sustained research engagement in agricultural economics and quantitative methods.

• Applied Econometrics
• Bayesian Econometrics
• Machine Learning
• +4 more

Dr. Emily Burchfield is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Emory University, where she leads the FACES (Food, Agriculture, Climate, Environment, and Sustainability) Lab. Her research integrates social and environmental data to study agricultural sustainability, with projects focused on land use change, climate adaptation, and rural livelihoods. She holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Vanderbilt University and MA in Economics from the University of Louvain. Her work examines how agricultural systems adapt to climate change, the characteristics of productive and resilient farming, and drivers of cultivation and conservation behavior. Dr. Burchfield's research combines geospatial analysis with qualitative methods to understand agricultural transitions at multiple scales. Recent publications explore crop diversification, agricultural data practices, and rural livelihoods. Her group develops computational tools for agricultural analysis and collaborates with farming communities to support sustainable transitions.

• Agricultural Systems
• Land Use Change
• Climate Adaptation
• +4 more

Anton Bekkerman is a Professor in the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems at the University of New Hampshire, serving as Associate Dean for Research and Director of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Economics from North Carolina State University and a B.B.A. from Loyola University Maryland. His research spans agricultural marketing, price forecasting, policy analysis, and risk management, with specific expertise in: Commodity price dynamics (grain and fertilizer markets) Agricultural insurance and policy design Farm decision-making and risk analysis Spatial economic modeling Recent publications examine quality-based wheat pricing, biofuel policy impacts on fertilizer markets, crop insurance distributions, and economic dimensions of pest management. His work integrates economic theory with empirical analysis of agricultural systems. Dr. Bekkerman leads research initiatives addressing agricultural sustainability and economic resilience in changing climates.

• Agricultural Economics
• Commodity Markets
• Price Forecasting
• +2 more

Gee Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics & Probability and the Department of Mathematics at Michigan State University. His work bridges actuarial science with advanced statistical and machine learning methodologies, focusing on practical applications for insurance risk modeling. PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Associate (ASA), Society of Actuaries His research centers on insurance loss modeling for rate-making and loss reserving, multivariate insurance coverage optimization, dependence structure analysis, and integrating machine learning into actuarial frameworks. Current projects include deep neural networks for claim prediction, unstructured data analysis, and multivariate coverage optimization. Recent publications highlight trends in crop insurance modeling (2025), regularization techniques (2024), multivariate risk retention strategies (2023), textual data analysis (2022), copula regression (2022), and reinsurance game theory (2022). Earlier works explore shrinkage methods, word embeddings, longitudinal claims, healthcare data, and deductible ratemaking. Gee Lee supervises MS and PhD students in actuarial science. Former advisees include Leonard Korreshi (2024), Qiaozhen Qian (2023), and Scott Manski (2020, co-advised). He also supports undergraduate research through MSU’s REU program and directed study courses.

• Actuarial Science
• Insurance
• Risk Management
• +3 more

Taro Mieno is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, specializing in precision agriculture and water resource economics. His work bridges agricultural policy, spatial econometrics, and environmental sustainability. University: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department: Agricultural Economics Academic Rank: Associate Professor Research Interests: Precision agriculture and variable rate technologies Groundwater economics and drought resilience On-farm experimentation and data-driven decision making Agricultural policy and environmental externalities Machine learning applications in agronomic optimization Soil-water interactions and resource management Email: tmieno2@unl.edu

• Precision Agriculture
• Water Resource Management
• Groundwater Economics
• +7 more

Yu (Yvette) Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University, affiliated with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She holds dual Ph.D.s in Economics (Texas A&M University, 2010) and Biology (Duke University, 2004), and a B.S. in Life Sciences from Peking University (1998). Her research focuses on behavioral and experimental economics, food economics, applied econometrics, and environmental economics. She has been recognized with awards such as the Uma Lele Mentor Award (2023) and contributed to editorial roles at major journals like Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy . Her work addresses critical issues like consumer behavior in food markets, pandemic impacts on global food systems, and policy interventions for sustainable agriculture. Recent studies include analyzing incentive programs to curb brain drain and evaluating the effects of climate change on crop yields. She has advised numerous graduate students and collaborates across disciplines to address complex economic challenges. Education : Ph.D. in Economics, Texas A&M University, 2010 Ph.D. in Biology, Duke University, 2004 B.S. in Life Sciences, Peking University, 1998 Her research intersects agriculture, environment, and policy, with a focus on empirical methods and real-world applications. Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to food security, pest management, and consumer preferences for sustainable products.

• Behavioral Economics
• Experimental Economics
• Food Economics
• +6 more