Pittsburgh on Demand Issue 3

Deadlines for Meeting Presentations Almost Here

If you had a submission accepted for presentation in Pittsburgh, there are several deadlines coming soon that you’ll want to keep in mind. First, all AAEA presenters need to make sure they are a 2011 AAEA member and registered for the Joint Annual Meeting. Also, all Selected Papers and Posters need to be submitted to AgEcon Search. The deadline for both of these requirements is May 3, 2011. If you miss this deadline, unfortunately, your submission will need to be withdrawn.

Presenters

All presenters, speakers, and panelists at the Joint Annual Meeting will need to be a 2011 AAEA member and registered for the meeting by May 3. This requirement is stipulated by the AAEA Executive Board in the AAEA Operating Policies. If you are a presenter and have any questions about this, or are having someone else present in your place, please contact Kristen Wright at kwright@aaea.org.

AgEcon Search

AAEA has a partnership with AgEcon Search allowing content from the Joint Annual Meeting to be posted online for those who are interested in learning more about a presentation at the Joint Annual Meeting. For Selected Papers, a full version of each paper should be uploaded; for Posters, a PDF of the Poster should be uploaded. You can visit the Presenters section to learn more.

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Young Professionals Get Their Own Reception on Sunday

Being new to the profession can make attending the Joint Annual Meeting a little intimidating. AAEA is working to make things easier in Pittsburgh for our graduate student and young professional members by inviting them to a special reception to be held on Sunday.

The reception will give you the chance to meet and make connections with other attendees while enjoying some complimentary appetizers. Representatives from AAEA sections and AAEA Fellows will also be invited to the reception. This is just one part of AAEA’s new focus on young professionals, so keep your eyes out for similar initiatives in the future.

You also can see what else you may be interested in attending at the Joint Annual Meeting by visiting the Events page.

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Workshops Help You Learn More on Key Topics

If you’re interested in diving deeper into certain subjects while in Pittsburgh, you should check out the workshops taking place before and after the Joint Annual Meeting. These workshops, which all take place on Saturday, Sunday, or Wednesday, include sessions on: computational economics, economics and child nutrition programs, early career development, data needs for local food and farm recreation, as well as the annual extension tour.

More information about each of the workshops is available below. You can register for any of them (for an additional fee) when registering for the 2011 Joint Annual Meeting.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Applied Computational Economics

This is a ticketed event. The cost to attend is $85.
Saturday, July 23, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

This workshop will provide an overview of the rapidly developing field of computational economics. It will focus on practical applications of numerical methods to the formulation, solution, and analysis of stochastic dynamic models in economics and finance, with emphasis on nonlinear dynamic optimization models.

The workshop will be based on the award-winning graduate course currently taught by Professor Miranda at The Ohio State University and will cover material presented in his textbook with Paul W. Fackler, Applied Computational Economics and Finance, MIT Press, 2002.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Economics and Child Nutrition Programs

This is a ticketed event. The cost to attend for professionals is $65 and for students is $35.
Saturday, July 23, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm

This workshop will showcase emerging issues and creative policy solutions in nutrition and food programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Women, Infants, and Children, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The workshop will include presentation of both invited and selected papers. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. George Loewenstein, the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Economics and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Early Career Development

This is a ticketed event. It is free to attend, but you must register for it in advance on the meeting registration form.
Sunday, July 24, 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

This workshop, jointly sponsored by NAREA & AAEA, is intended to provide early career scholars with the opportunity to develop skills that are crucial to succeeding in professional positions in agricultural and resource economics. The 2011 program will include a welcome, presentations on best practices in grant writing, making presentations, and manuscript writing, and networking opportunities:

Post-Conference Tour: Agricultural and Food Industry Tour

This is a ticketed event. The cost to attend is $60.
Wednesday, July 27, 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

Since 2002, the Extension Section has organized an agricultural education tour as part of the Annual Meeting. This year the tour will be offered as a post-conference event on Wednesday, July 27. This bus tour, accompanied by area Extension economists, will visit several food and farm industry attractions in the Pittsburgh area. While some stops are still being finalized, some of what you’ll discover includes:

• A family fruit orchard that expanded to produce, nursery, furniture, and gift sales; added horse management lessons; and built a natural food store with nutritional counseling for customers with specific health needs—all adding more family to the operation
• Food processing, Steel City style
• Giant Eagle’s flagship for their “Market District” grocery concept inspired by the open-air markets of Europe and offering unique culinary, dining and shopping experiences for those with true passion for food, yet approachable for non-foodies.
• Discussions with grocery leaders on cross marketing food and fuel, and new store formats that put fresh and local back in the neighborhoods
• Mining natural gas from the Marcellus Shale. Landowners and educators introduce the challenges of contracting and addressing economic, operational, and environmental issues as part of this fast-moving energy alternative