You may register for a pre- or post-conference workshop while registering for the annual meeting or by calling the AAEA Business Office at (414) 918-3190. If you are registering only for a pre- or post-conference workshop or would like to add a workshop or luncheon after you register, please download the registration form and submit with payment to info@aaea.org or fax the form to the AAEA Business Office (414) 276-3349.
Registration will open in March; registration is required for all workshops. Additional details for each workshop coming soon
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
(Note: will depart prior to 1:00 pm)
The 2023 BEER pre-conference workshop is on Saturday July 22 from 1:00-5:00 pm. We will visit three craft breweries in Washington DC: Atlas, Other Half, and DC Brau. At each brewery, we will conduct Q&A with the brewer and/or owner while sampling flights of the beers. The focus of our conversations this year is understanding the impact COVID-19 had on craft breweries, the strategies each operation undertook during this challenging period, and the lessons learned during the lockdown and aftermath. We will be traveling from location to location via Uber vouchers.
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Marriott Marquis
Brief Description:The workshop will focus on practical applications of numerical methods to the formulation, solution, and analysis of stochastic dynamic optimization models. The workshop will introduce participants to the MATLAB CompEcon Toolbox developed to accompany “Applied Computational Economics and Finance”, a book by Mario J. Miranda and Paul W. Fackler.
Relevance to AAEA Members/Meeting Attendees: Methods of computational economics provide an extensive toolkit that can be used in research in all field of agricultural and applied economics. Potential areas of application include but are not limited to agribusiness, agricultural finance, resource economics, firm-level decision making, risk management etc.
Attendees required to bring laptop.
Agenda
Presenters: Dmitry V. Vedenov, Texas A&M University and Mario J. Miranda, The Ohio State University
Tentative Program
| Time | Activity | Details |
| 7:30 am - 8:00 am | Registration | Coffee, tea, and bagels |
| 8:00 am - 9:45 am | Session 1 | Linear and nonlinear equations, numerical integration and simulation |
| 9:45 am - 10:00 am | Break | Coffee, tea, and light snack |
| 10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Session 2 | Function approximation methods and intro to collocation |
| 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch | on your own |
| 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Session 3 | Dynamic programming theory, economic applications 1 (practical session) |
| 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm | Break | Coffee, tea, and light snack |
| 3:15 pm - 5:00 pm | Session 4 | Economic applications 2 (practical session) |
Participation Limits: We are planning on a maximum of 30 participants. Based on the previous experience, we expect the demand at or near full capacity.Workshop Outline
9:30 am – 4:30 am
Marriott Marquis
Brief Description:While economists recommend using market incentives, there is the widespread use of regulation to achieve agricultural and environmental resource management objectives. We propose to hold a workshop to explain this reality using multiple vantage points including, political economy, irreversibility, and supply chain perspectives. With these perspectives in mind, we will overview the policy choices of environmental and agricultural policies in the US, followed by a roundtable and a public discussion.
Relevance to AAEA Members/Meeting Attendees:Concerns about climate change, the environment, food security and resilience, and the agricultural sector's economic viability have led to various government interventions. The proposed workshop will offer alternative explanations to these policy choices, where the presenters are distinguished association members.
| Time | Speaker |
| 9:30 am - 10:00 am | Gal Hochman |
| 10:00 am - 10:30 am | Richard Sexton |
| 10:30 am - 11:00 am | Thomas Hertel |
| 11:00 am - 11:30 am | Stefanou Spiro |
| 11:30 am - 11:45 am | Coffee break |
| 11:45 am - 12:15 pm | Catherine Kling |
| 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm | TBD |
| 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm | Lunch: USDA (Lunch is provided) |
| 1:45 pm - 2:15 pm | Johan Swinnen |
| 2:15 pm - 2:45 pm | Rudy Nayga |
| 2:45 pm - 3:15 pm | David Zilberman |
| 3:15 pm - 3:45 pm | Madhu Khanna |
| 3:45 pm - 3:55 pm | Coffee Break |
| 3:55 pm - 4:30 pm | Round table |
8:45 am – 5:00 pm
Marriott Marquis
Brief Description of Topic:
The workshop will involve presentations of completed and work in process of projects funded within the period of 2019-2020 by NIFA’s Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) competitive research programs in agricultural and resource economics. The four AFRI economics programs represented are: (1) the Economics, Markets, and Trade (EMT) and (2) the Environmental & Natural Resource Economics (ENRE) programs; (3) Rural Economic Development; and (4) Social Implications for Emerging Technologies. Project directors whose projects are completed or near-completed will present papers outlining their research endeavors and findings. Projects that are in early stages will present posters outline their project objectives, methods, and anticipated results.
Relevance to AAEA Members/Meeting Attendees:
The AFRI economics programs are competitive grants with the ability to fund only 15-20% of submitted proposals. A successful submission must be of high intellectual merit and provide broader impacts in terms of advancing the discipline, addressing important policy issues, or informing economic behavior and decision-making. The presented papers will illustrate the quality of research funded by AFRI and present variety new research addressing topics of interest to the AAEA members.
Intended Audience:
The attendees will consist of project and co-project directors, both those with completed and ongoing projects. Ideally, the workshop will attract an audience of individuals who have not submitted proposals to AFRI or those who have submitted proposals but have not been successful in receiving an award. For that audience, it is hoped that the workshop will provide a sense of the type and quality of research that is funded. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for junior faculty to talk with experienced project directors about their views and experience with proposal submission and create an opportunity for both new and experience individuals to network and foster new research collaboration.
| Time | Topic |
| 8:45 am - 9:00 am | Welcome - Charlotte Tuttle, National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 9:00 am - 10:30 am | Economics, Markets, and Trade |
| 10:30 am – 10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 am - 12:00 pm | Rural Economic Development |
| 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Lunch - on your own |
| 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm | Flash Talks - (3-5 minute talks) |
| 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm | Break |
| 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm | Environmental and Natural Resource Economics |
| 4:00 pm | Feedback, Discussion, and Closing |
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Marriott Marquis
Brief Description:The objective of the workshop is to provide an overview of the trade data generated by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). This includes, but not limited to, the Foreign Agricultural Trade of the U.S. data, State Trade Data, and Agricultural Trade Multipliers.
Relevance to AAEA Members/Meeting Attendees:The focus will be on why this data is generated and how it is used to inform policymakers and the public. At the end of the workshop attendees will have a solid understanding of ERS’s data availability, how to access it, and how to potentially collaborate on joint research projects with ERS
$200 stipend available for graduate students and early career professionals (read below)
Organized by
Ekaterina Stoliarova (Arizona State University), Shijun Gao (Tufts University)
Program:
This workshop aims to provide guidance for new AAEA members and young scholars on productive conference participation and integration into the research community. It will allow junior scholars to learn “tips and tricks” for attending conferences from scholars of different career stages and with different backgrounds, ask relevant questions, connect with their peers, learn more about resources available at the AAEA, and introduce themselves to more experienced colleagues in an informal, welcoming setting. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for more proficient AAEA members to meet new colleagues and exchange ideas for future collaborations.
The topics discussed will include:
Schedule
4:00 pm – 4:15 pm: Welcome and Introduction (Carola Grebitus, Arizona State University)
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Panel discussion including Q&A with
5:30 pm – 5:45 pm: Introducing AAEA annual meeting code of conduct and resources (Norbert Wilson, Duke University)
5:45 pm – 6:00 pm: Introducing AAEA mentoring program (Zoe Plakias, Western Washington University)
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Interactive Networking reception
Registration Fee is $20, including beverages and snacks at the networking reception. Pre-registration is required.
Workshop stipends: Thanks to the AAEA Trust we are able to provide 20 graduate students and early career professionals with $200 travel stipends each! To apply, complete the application form and include one paragraph (no more than 200 words) explaining why you should be considered for the stipend and two questions that in your opinion should be asked from the panelists to Mary Annen mannen@aaea.org. Subject: “Workshop $200 Stipend.” Deadline for submissions is May 31, 2023.
Intended Audience: All AAEA members, with a particular focus on new members and young scholars like Ph.D. students and MS students.
For more information, please contact Ekaterina Stoliarova (estolyar@asu.edu)
Additional details coming soon
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Marriott Marquis
Brief Description:Workshop’s attendees will have the opportunity of hearing the perspectives of the editors of leading agricultural economics journals on what constitutes an article in health and nutrition that clears the bar for publication. This workshop is particularly beneficial to early career researchers navigating the tenure and promotion process. Although there is a growing number of applied economic research in interdisciplinary journals, how these publications are perceived during the tenure process in agricultural economics departments appears to be an idiosyncratic process. This workshop invites speakers who serve as department Chairs to share their views on how to best balance research outputs. Additionally, a panel of agricultural economists who have successfully published their research in both economics and non-economics journals, will share their experience on what factors have affected their publication strategy, and how publishing in non-economic journals has impacted their research trajectory. The last panel will ask researchers from government agencies to evaluate how interdisciplinary research is used for policy making
Relevance to AAEA Members/Meeting Attendees:
Applied economists’ toolbox is well suited to study the incentives can alter behaviors affecting individuals’ health, such as the decision to consume a specific diet. However, the level of rigor and sophistication that is often asked by economics (including ag economics) journals to clear the publication bar, can be at odds with one’s work reaching a wide audience, its impact, and, in some cases, the likelihood (and timing) of getting published. Thus, it has become increasingly common to see agricultural and applied economists publishing their health and nutrition research in non-economics outlets. This may however come with some trade-offs, which include lower recognition and visibility within the profession / peers, and challenges to maintain a disciplinary identity which, in turn, may result in difficulties in landing a specific position or in career advancements.
Tentative Schedule (panelists subject to change)
| Time Block | Topic | Proposed Panelists |
| 7:30 am – 8:00 am | Registration -Continental breakfast available |
|
| 8:00 am – 8:30 am | Welcome and Introduction | Alessandro Bonanno or Di Fang |
| 8:30 am – 9:30 am | Panel 1 – The editors’ perspective. Editors of AJAE, AEPP, JAAEA and Food Policy will discuss their perspective on publishing / accepting / rejecting research in health and nutrition, and what, in their opinion, makes applied econ health / nutrition research relevant for an ag/econ journal. | Alessandro Bonanno (AEPP) Tim Beatty (JAAEA) Marc Bellemare (AJAE) Holly Wang (Food Policy) |
| 9:30 am – 10:00 am | Q/A and Open discussion | |
| 10:00 am – 10:30 am | Short Break -Coffee and Tea will be served | |
| 10:30 am – 11:30 am | Panel 2- From Early Career decisions to PNT. The panel (comprised of department heads / members of the profession with an established track records of letter writing) will discuss how non-disciplinary publications in health and nutrition outlets can affect how a CV is perceived by potential employers, promotion and tenure committees, and external letter writers. | Hayley Chouinard Lisa House Jayson Lusk Rudy Nayga |
| 11:30 am – 12:00 pm | Q/A and Open discussion | |
| 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | Luncheon – Keynote Speaker: Ellen Meara; Professor of Health Economics and Policy, Health Policy and Management, Harvard University Lunch provided |
|
| 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | Panel 3 - Publishing in Non-Economics outlets: Deliberate choice vs. pivoting. A panel of applied economists with a record of publishing in both Ag-Econ and Public Health / Nutrition/ Medical journals will discuss factors determining their decisions to choose a type of outlet instead of another, when to pivot, differences in positioning / writing the hurdles that they have faced when publishing in non-economics outlets and how they have overcome them. | George Davis Di Fang Craig Gundersen Travis Smith Parke Wilde |
| 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm | Short Break - Coffee and Tea will be served | |
| 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Panel 4 – The Federal Agencies’ Perspective. The panelist will discuss how health and nutrition research is valued and used by non-academics, and the incentives to publish in disciplinary vs. non-disciplinary outlets. | Andrea (Andi) Carlson Christian Gregory Sandra Hoffman Lisa Mancino Kakoli Roy |
| 4:00 pm – 4:30 | Q/A and Open discussion | |
| 4:30 pm | Closing statement | Alessandro Bonanno / Di Fang |
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Marriott Marquis
Instructors: Sujit Ghosh (NC State) and Austin Ford Ramsey (Virginia Tech)
Description: The Bayesian paradigm provides a natural and practical way for building complex analytical models by expressing the joint model as a sequence of simpler conditional models. This course will first introduce general notions of Bayesian inference and computational methods and then expand to more complex models that have recently emerged as a result of the current literature in machine learning. Models will be illustrated through practical applications to various real case studies in applied economics avoiding much of the theoretical underpinnings. Participants with basic knowledge of statistical and econometric inferential frameworks will find the course useful in expanding their toolkit. Popular topics in agricultural and applied economics such as generalized linear models, discrete choice models, and latent variable models will be covered along with Bayesian machine learning (BML) methods, which naturally incorporates regularization using specific choices of prior distributions. One major advantage of BML is that it can readily handle data irregularities (e.g., missing or censored values) using posterior predictive distributions. The concepts and methods discussed will be demonstrated using R, but can be carried out using other statistical software. Lecture materials, references, data sets, and example code will be distributed electronically to workshop participants.
Agenda (tentative):
7:30 AM Registration
8:00 AM Session 1: Introduction to Bayesian Inference and Computational Methods
9:45 AM Break
10:00 AM Session 2: Applications of Bayesian Inference in Agricultural Economics
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Session 3: Bayesian Machine Learning Methods
3:00 PM Break
3:15 PM Session 4: Applications of Bayesian Machine Learning
5:00 PM End
May 17, 2023
May 25, 2023
June 29, 2023