Letter from the Chair
Fall is here and with it, a new academic calendar year for the Food and Resource Economics Department! As we embark on this new year, we are excited to reflect on our achievements and look forward to the developments ahead.
This newsletter edition features our recent accomplishments, ongoing research, and extension work, as well as profiles of some of our new department members.
I am thrilled to announce the three new hires we have made across our faculty and staff. This summer, we were joined by Trey Gifford, our new undergraduate advisor. His fresh perspective and enthusiasm are already making a positive impact.
Hope Nelson has also joined our department in a newly developed position to serve as the Academic Program Specialist dedicated to our Master of Agribusiness program and departmental events like our annual Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference. With her dedication, we are looking forward to being able to expand in-person networking events for students and alumni. This includes planning special activities to connect our online MAB students with faculty, staff, and our alumni and industry partners.
Down at the Tropical Research and Education Center, Dr. Malek Hammami has joined the faculty as an assistant professor of Food and Resource Economics. He has already spent a few years getting to know IFAS in a Post-Doc position under Dr. Zhengfei Guan, and we look forward to seeing him continue to bring his economic expertise to our South Florida stakeholders in this new role.
Finally, after successfully completing his Ph.D. program at U.C. Davis in the Spring, Dr. TJ Anderson has joined our department as an assistant professor, focusing on marine resources. His strong interdisciplinary research program will be a great complement to our existing strengths in natural resource economics and fisheries. We are happy to welcome TJ back to UF – he completed his undergraduate degree here, where he once interned with Professor Chuck Adams!
I am always proud to see the strong presence of our department amongst the presenters and award winners at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) annual meeting, and this year was no different. Congratulations to Misti Sharp on receiving the AETR article of the year award, and Audrey Rizk on receiving the award for Outstanding Master’s Thesis. Audrey was supervised by Dr. Ariel Singerman at IFAS’s Citrus Research and Education Center. Our undergraduate students also had a strong presence, competing at Quiz Bowl and in the student paper competition. The Ag. Econ Club even was presented with 2nd Place in the Creative Club Competition for their Halloween event!
Finally, congratulations to all our Summer 2024 graduates! Your hard work has paid off, and we look forward to watching your post-college career thrive. Please stay connected by joining our LinkedIn group and emailing us at fre@ifas.ufl.edu to join our alumni listserv.
Whether you are a long-standing or recent alumnus, we encourage you to get more involved by mentoring students, speaking to classes, or participating in other opportunities. Please reach out to us at fre@ifas.ufl.edu if you are interested.
I extend my sincere gratitude to each member of our community for your unwavering dedication and contributions to the success of the Food and Resource Economics Department. Your hard work and commitment are truly appreciated and make a significant difference.
Warm Regards,
Lisa House
Research & Extension Highlights
- Derek Farnsworth, in partnership with Texas A&M, hosted a free business-planning, tax management workshop for farmers and ranchers at UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade.
- Kimberly Morgan published a new EDIS Article offering strategies to help farmers who sell directly to customers.
- Environmental Economist Weizhe Weng participates in Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Scholars Program
- Conner Mullally began three-year term as editor for Applied Economic and Perspectives and Policy
- Di Fang begun USDA-NIFA-SCRI funded project on Muscadine Grapes
F.R.E. Lunch Podcast
In June, the department launched its new podcast - FRE Lunch! Once a month, we'll be releasing a short 15-20 minute episode highlighting research from our faculty and students. It's a great way to stay connected and learn about the latest exciting work happening in FRE.
Catch up on our first five episodes below, and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform to make sure you never miss an episode!
Applied Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting
The stories linked below share just a few of the exciting highlights of FRE's participation in and achievements at this year's annual meeting.
- Meri Hambaryan, Kelvin Amon, and Chenxi Hu placed third in the Case Study Competition
- The Ag. Econ Club placed second in the Creative Club Competition
- Misti Sharp was awarded the Applied Economics Teaching Resource (AETR) Article of the Year
- Roberto Koeneke showed off his leadership as chair of the Graduate Student Section (with Meri Hamabayran serving as past chair!)
Fresh Faces in FRE
We have welcomed four new members to our faculty and staff: Dr. TJ Anderson, Dr. Malek Hammami, Hope Nelson and Trey Gifford.
- Dr. TJ Anderson joined the University of Florida as Assistant Professor of Food and Resource Economics
- Dr. Malek Hammami joined the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) as an assistant professor in food and resource economics
- Trey Gifford joined our staff as new undergraduate advisor for food and resource economics.
- Hope Nelson graduated from our MAB program and has joined our staff as an academic programs specialist.
Faculty Promotions
Dr. Jaclyn Kropp achieves full professor status
Jaclyn Kropp, who joined the University of Florida in August 2012, was promoted to full professor this summer. This is a well-deserved recognition of her scholarly pursuits in the field of agricultural policy and finance, and her leadership in engaging the next generation of agricultural and applied economists.
Dr. Christa Court receives tenure, promoted to associate professor.
Dr. Christa Court has been promoted to associate professor, a well-deserved recognition of her impactful work since joining our department in 2016. Court, who specializes in regional economics, uses her expertise to carry out interdisciplinary research and extension work in her role as Director of the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP).
Remembering Dr. Clyde Kiker
It is with great sadness that we announce the recent passing of Dr. Clyde Kiker, professor emeritus and long-time faculty member, friend, colleague and mentor to many in his 33-year-long tenure within the University of Florida (even longer if you count his time as a student). Dr. Kiker shaped our natural resource and environmental economics program into what it is today, and left a profound impact on all who were lucky enough to cross his path.
Summer 2024 Graduates
This summer, we were elated to celebrate the 12 graduates across our degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Successfully completing any higher education program is a momentous accomplishment. We look forward to watching proudly as these newly minted alumni take the skills they have learned throughout their time in our programs into their careers.
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