Education
- Ph.D., Agricultural Economics - University of Illinois, 2001
- M.S., Agricultural Economics, University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada), 1996
- Exchange Scholar - International Christian University (Tokyo, Japan), 1984
- B.A., Economics - Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines), 1983
Research Interests
- Agricultural Finance: Analysis of lenders' risk rating systems and risk management strategies; application of migration framework to farm credit risk analysis
- Agribusiness Management: Analysis of farmers' financial structure decisions and business strategies for financial growth, risk management and debt repayment
- Risk Management: Alternative behavioral modifications of expected utility-mean variance framework; myopic loss aversion studies.
Extension/Outreach Activities
- Farm financial management, including farm business planning, record-keeping, financial analysis
Awards, Honors and Professional Appointments
- Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society in Agriculture’s 2007 Award for Junior Achievement in Research
- 2014 Faculty Diversity Award, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia.
Selected Outstanding Paper Awards
- 10th Anniversary Best Paper Award (Energies Journal), ““Ethanol, Corn, and Soybean Price Relations in a Volatile Vehicle-Fuels Market.” February 2018. (with Zibin Zhang, PhD)
- Outstanding Conference Paper: “The U.S. Immigrant Farm Workers’ Relative Access to Health Services” International Conference on Business & Information, Nagoya, Japan, July 2016 (with Tianyuan Luo, PhD)
- Outstanding Conference Paper: “Is There Gender Bias in Federal Farm Lending Decisions?” International Conference on Business and Information, Seoul, South Korea, July 2008 (with Uthra Raghunathan, MSc)
- Outstanding Journal Article Award for 2000 (Review of Agricultural Economics), “Lease Pricing for Farm Real Estate.” American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, August 7, 2001
- Outstanding Faculty Member, given by the Graduate Student Association of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2005-2006
- Team Adviser, UGA Graduate Agribusiness Case Study Team, 2nd Place (2012), Honorable Mention (2016, 2010, 2009), Finalist (2008) in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) annual competitions
- Adviser, AAEA Graduate Extension Competition, 1st Place (2015), 2nd (2017), 3rd (2016, 2014)
- Major Professor, Outstanding Master's Thesis Award
- Uthra Raghunathan, American Agricultural Economics Association, 2009
- Mark M. Byrd, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, 2006
Research and Scholarship Awards
- University of Georgia Faculty Research Foundation Award (competitive research grant) for Junior Faculty Members, 2002
- Colvin and Agricultural Finance Program Fellowships, Dept. of Agricultural & Consumer Economics, University of Illinois (1999-2000)
- Departmental SODEN Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence given by the Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph (1995)
Other Positions
- Editor, Journal of Agribusiness (2014-2015), Co-Editor (2009-2013)
- Editorial Council member, Journal of Agricultural & Applied Economics (JAAE): 2003-2006
- Member, Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award Committee, American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA), 2007-2010
- Outstanding Doctoral (Ph.D.) Dissertation Award Committee, Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA), Member (2007-2008), Chairman (2008-2009)
- Editor, The Georgia Economic Issues Newsletter, 2007-2008
- Treasurer, Agricultural Economics Association of Georgia, 2005-2008