معرفی
Beda Emilia Tjernstrom serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University. She maintains an adjunct position as Senior Research Fellow at Monash University (April 2025-November 2027) and previously held academic positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Sydney, and Monash University. Her professional network includes membership in CGIAR's Independent Advisory and Evaluation Function (2024) and chairing Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) (2016).
Her educational background includes a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Davis (awarded September 2015) and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Colby College (awarded June 2006).
Tjernstrom's research centers on development economics with specific focus on technology adoption dynamics in agricultural, energy, and small firm contexts. Her work emphasizes heterogeneity in decision-making and policy outcomes to inform effective policy design. Current projects investigate solar energy adoption by small businesses, climate adaptation strategies, and agricultural market competition. She co-founded AfriqAir, a research network that has deployed over 50 air quality sensors across 11 African countries.
Her publication record shows consistent scholarly output since 2008 with notable recent contributions in 2021-2025 examining agricultural productivity constraints, belief updating in farming decisions, technology adoption economics, and environmental monitoring. Her work demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between economics, environmental science, and development studies.
- 40 for 40 Award (2018)
- Best Publication Award (2022)
- Dean's Award for Excellence in Research by an Early Career Researcher (2022)
- Outstanding Article Award (2020)
- Taylor Hibbard Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching (2018)
Tjernstrom actively collaborates with public and private sector partners to deliver and evaluate sustainable economic growth solutions. Her AfriqAir initiative represents a significant research team effort focused on environmental monitoring across Africa. Media coverage of her work on bundled agricultural programs (April 2025) reached multiple news outlets, policy sources, and generated substantial academic engagement.
