Value of Membership

You can learn more about the value of an AAEA membership by reading the information below. You can join AAEA today using one of our online forms or our downloadable PDF form.

Julie Caswell chatting with fellow attendees at the 2008 AAEA & ACCI Joint Annual Meeting, which was held in Orlando, Florida.

Networking Opportunities

Networking is essential to building a professional reputation. AAEA membership offers a way to establish and maintain both professional and personal contacts within the agricultural and applied economics field. AAEA offers specialized sections with focused interests and opportunities to serve with colleagues on committees. Members of the Association meet each summer at the AAEA Annual Meeting and each winter at the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) Annual Meeting to present research, attend general sessions, and interact socially. The AAEA Annual Meeting attracts over 1,000 agricultural and applied economists from around the world. Other announcements in the AAEA newsletter highlight opportunities for involvement in regional projects and more intimate settings.

Outstanding Publications

AAEA membership includes electronic subscriptions to AAEA’s two outstanding journals, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE) and the Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy (AEPP) for which a non-member subscription is $419 per year. AAEA also publishes an online peer-reviewed magazine, Choices, and occasional Policy Issues for readers interested in the policy and management of food and agriculture, natural resources and the environment, and rural communities.

In addition, the bi-monthly AAEA newsletter, The Exchange, is disseminated only to members. It contains a wealth of announcements and information about professional opportunities, submission deadlines, and news about academic departments and members. This information has exceptional value for professional development because it leads to involvement in professional meetings and other opportunities.

AAEA President Otto Doering presents the Quality of Research Award to AAEA members Aaron Smith and Colin Carter, both of University of California, Davis.

Professional Recognition

Professional success depends on professional recognition. AAEA takes pride in recognizing outstanding contributions at the AAEA Annual Meeting. As an AAEA member, you are eligible to win Teaching, Extension, Policy Contribution, Communication, Research Discovery, and Publication of Enduring Quality awards that recognize your work. Outstanding Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation awards honor graduate students and provide incentives for exceptional graduate student research. AAEA also recognizes a small group of professionals each year who have made outstanding continuous contributions as Fellows of the Association.

Scholarship Enhancement

AAEA offers opportunities for members to receive funding to support their research and professional development. The AAEA Trust supports programs to increase membership, enhance member involvement, and stimulate new fields of endeavor for AAEA. Graduate students and young professionals can apply for travel grants to help offset the cost of attending the AAEA Annual Meeting. The McCorkle Scholarship supports graduate student work on applied research within the subject matter area. Additional opportunities are available throughout the year.

Two members discussing a Poster at the 2008 Joint Annual Meeting.

Reputation Building

Reputation building for most professional economists comes through focused visibility in a target group. AAEA’s membership is small enough to permit making memorable and lasting impressions on fellow economists at meetings, but large enough to make impressions on nationally and internationally recognized professionals who can serve as outside reviewers for professional work and successful promotion and tenure cases. Reputation is advanced through opportunities to propose and present research findings to peers and colleagues in AAEA sessions at both the AAEA Annual Meeting and ASSA Annual Meeting. Members are encouraged to propose presentations and sessions for these meetings and to submit manuscripts for publication in AJAE, AEPP, Choices, and Policy Issues.

Shape the Future

AAEA has continually adapted over nearly 100 years to serve the needs of its members. Members have the opportunity to shape the future of AAEA by electing officers, serving as leaders of sections, or participating on committees that determine the content of meetings, the professional achievements honored with awards, and a host of other critical matters. Specialized sections organize and develop individual areas of expertise. Service in these capacities also contributes to networking and professional reputation.