I am an Assistant Professor in the College of Agriculture at California State University, Chico. I teach Agricultural Policy and Agribusiness Management.
I received my Ph.D. at the University of California at Davis in September 2015. My primary research interests are empirical questions at the intersection of agricultural economics and environmental and natural resource economics. My dissertation examines several economic aspects of disease management for Verticillium wilt, primarily in a localized context, using econometric and economic modeling. In my dissertation, I analyze the decisions and strategies of growers making long-term investments to manage disease when they have difference incentives. My results affirm that fumigating with methyl bromide and planting broccoli are effective control options, and that they require long-term investments for future gain. However, renters are not rewarded for fumigating with methyl bromide or planting broccoli, even though these control methods benefit for future renters, thus leading to an intertemporal externality between short-term growers. The long-term decision-making of long-term growers yields higher average welfare per grower-month and more use of the control options, likely due to differences in the incentives faced by owners versus renters, differences in the degree to which the intertemporal externality is internalized by owners versus renters, the severity of Verticillium wilt, the effectiveness of control options, rental contracts, and a longer planning horizon.
Currently, I am continuing to develop that research while beginning a new line of research on global tomato diseases that builds and expands on my bioeconomic modeling experience while also incorporating global trade economics.
I received my Ph.D. at the University of California at Davis in September 2015. My primary research interests are empirical questions at the intersection of agricultural economics and environmental and natural resource economics. My dissertation examines several economic aspects of disease management for Verticillium wilt, primarily in a localized context, using econometric and economic modeling. In my dissertation, I analyze the decisions and strategies of growers making long-term investments to manage disease when they have difference incentives. My results affirm that fumigating with methyl bromide and planting broccoli are effective control options, and that they require long-term investments for future gain. However, renters are not rewarded for fumigating with methyl bromide or planting broccoli, even though these control methods benefit for future renters, thus leading to an intertemporal externality between short-term growers. The long-term decision-making of long-term growers yields higher average welfare per grower-month and more use of the control options, likely due to differences in the incentives faced by owners versus renters, differences in the degree to which the intertemporal externality is internalized by owners versus renters, the severity of Verticillium wilt, the effectiveness of control options, rental contracts, and a longer planning horizon.
Currently, I am continuing to develop that research while beginning a new line of research on global tomato diseases that builds and expands on my bioeconomic modeling experience while also incorporating global trade economics.
Photo of tomato test plots by Christine Carroll.