Ag Econ-O-Gram

Vol. 10, No. 9
June 6, 2008

SEMINARS
"Don't Follow Them -They're Lost" by Richard Bawden, Ph.D. The National Food Safety & Toxicology Center of Michigan State University announces the 2008 Robert Leader Endowed Lecture, Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. at the University Club.  The seminar is free and open to the university.

AWARDS
Best Presentation Award to L. Donnet, D. Weatherspoon, and J.P. Hoehn, for “Price Determinants in Top Quality E-Auctioned Specialty Coffees,” at the meeting of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, June, 2007.

Daniel Mooney will be awarded an AAEA Honorable Mention in the M.S. Best Thesis competition for his thesis on "The Economic Impact of Disease-Resistant Bean Breeding Research in Northern Ecuador."  Dan's major professor and thesis supervisor was Scott Swinton. 

PERAKIS RECOGNIZED FOR MALI IMPACTS
Graduate student Sonja Perakis was recently recognized by the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance with a Service Impact Award for her volunteer work with an Opportunities Industrialization Centers International farmer to farmer project in Mali 2006 and 2007. 

PUBLICATIONS
Bitsch, Vera and Nicole J. Olynk. 2008.  “Risk-Increasing and Risk-Reducing Practices in Human Resource Management:  Focus Group Discussions with Livestock Managers.” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 40 (April, 1), 185-201.

Ferris, Jake and Satish Joshi "Agriculture as a Source of Fuel, Prospects and Impacts, 2007 to 2017", in Biofuels, Food & Feed Tradeoffs .Farm Foundation, USDA Rural Development and the USDA's Office of Energy Policy and New Uses.  Look for it soon at -- www.farmfoundation.org. 

Jayne, T., R. Myers, J. Nyoro.  2008.  “The Effects of NCPB Marketing Policies on Maize Market Prices in Kenya,” Agricultural Economics, 38(3):  313-325.

Ndibongo Traub, L. and T.S. Jayne.  2008.  “The Effects of Price Deregulation on Maize Marketing Margins in South Africa.”  Food Policy, 33(3):  224-236.

Klaus Deininger, Songqing Jin and Hari K. Nagarajan. 2008.  "Efficiency and Equity Impacts of Rural Land Rental Restrictions:  Evidence from India."  European Economics Review 52(5):892-918.

Schmitt, Pamela, Robert Shupp, Kurtis Swope and Justin Mayer.  2008.  “Pre-commitment and Personality: Behavioral Explanations in Ultimatum Games,” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Vol. 66, Issue 3-4, pp 597-605.

Swope, Kurtis, Cadigan, John, Pamela Schmitt and Robert Shupp.  2008. “Personality Preferences in Laboratory Economics Experiments,” Journal of Socio-Economics, Vol. 37, Issue 3, pp 998-10009.

Donnet, M. L., Weatherspoon, D.D., Hoehn, J.P., 2008.   "Price Determinants in Top Quality E-Auctioned Specialty Coffees," Agricultural Economics 38, 267-276.

READING LIST
According to Google Scholar, people are reading King, Robert P., and Lindon J. Robison, “An Interval Approach to Measuring Decision Maker Preferences.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 63(3): 510-520. 1981. 

EXTERNAL GRANT FUNDING
LPI (Land Policy Institute) urges faculty interested in applying for grants to contact LPI’s John Warbach at warbach@landpolicy.msu.edu for support and assistance in teambuilding, grant proposal development, and grants and contracts processing, if needed.

Innovative and Integrative Approaches for
Advancing Public Health Protection through
Water Infrastructure Sustainability
Deadline: July 29, 2008
Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program

Description: EPA, as part of its STAR program, is seeking applications to develop advanced concepts for linking public health protection with water infrastructure sustainability.

Research Focus Areas: Innovative and integrative approaches are sought for monitoring, modeling, operation and management of drinking water distribution and storage systems and wastewater collection systems that can lead to improved water quality and reduced health risks.
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2008/2008_star_water.html

The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan
(NEI). NEI will award grants to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations and governing agencies to transform the economy of southeast Michigan and return prosperity to the region. Grants are available for a variety of activities, but proposed activities must be focused on helping achieve the goal of NEI and its objectives focused on talent, innovation, and culture change.
www.neweconomyinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=32

LEAD Grant Program (Leadership, Education & Environment, Achievement, Development & Diversity)
Deadline: August 15, 2008. The DTE Energy Foundation's LEAD Program focuses their contributions and involvement to support programs and initiatives dedicated to developing the human and economic potential of the communities we serve. www.dteenergy.com/community/foundation/leadProgram.html

REMINDER
The Student Organic Farm Stand, on Farm Lane in front of the Auditorium; 11-5:30 EVERY Thursday until November!

ONLINE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE
Yale Environment 360 — a new online magazine devoted to covering the global environment —at e360.yale.edu. 

JOB OPPORTUNITIES (Details available from Pat Neumann for 30 days)

FDA Career Information Session
Thursday, June 12, 2008. Special Chance to meet with an FDA officer from the Detroit FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) Office and will be on campus next week to talk to students about careers as Consumer Safety Officers and Investigators.  Contact Pat Neumann for details.  Must be a US Citizen to apply for a US Government job. 

EPA has two openings for Environmental/Energy Economists.  The Climate Change Division (CCD) is responsible for conducting economic analyses of the mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs); assessing long-term projections of climate change, both to human health and the environment; coordinating domestic and international policies relating to climate change; and developing the official U.S. inventory of GHGs.
For additional information on CEB, go to:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/economics/index.html
This invitation is not an official job application process.
All job openings will be announced in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's EZ-hire website:
http://www.epa.gov/ezhire  U.S. CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED.  If interested please, e-mail a cover letter and resume to the following address (email only):
boggess.judy@epa.gov

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY-EXTENSION
P.O ID #1623 - Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Fruit AoE, Berrien County; located in Benton Harbor, MI.  Available: June 1, 2008.  Deadline:  July 15, 2008.

P.O. ID #1615 - Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Barry & Ionia Counties; located in Hastings, MI.  Available:  June 1, 2008.  Deadline: June 15, 2008.

P.O. ID #1614 - Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Allegan County; located in Allegan, MI.  Available:  June 1, 2008. Deadline: June 15, 2008

P. O. ID #1613 – Extension Educator, Farm Information Resource Management (FIRM) located in Hart, MI.  Available: June 15, 2008.  Deadline: May 30, 2008.
P.O. ID #1612 - Extension Educator, Agriculture – Field Crops; located in Saginaw, MI.  This is a fixed-term appointment, renewed annually as funding permits.  Deadline:  June 20, 2008.  Start Date:  July 15, 2008.
P.O. ID #1600 - Extension Educator, Integrated Vegetable Crop Management for Southeast Michigan & Northwest Ohio; Office in Monroe, MI.  Joint funding is provided by MSU Extension (60%) and OSU Extension (40%). The position is fixed-term, annually appointed. Three years of funding are committed, employment beyond is contingent on continued funding.  Available:  April 1, 2008.  Deadline: June 30, 2008 or until a satisfactory candidate has been chosen.
Apply by using the Web Employment Application process at:  http://www.msue.msu.edu/jobs

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI has two job openings for regional community development specialists in Mercer and Boone Counties; requires a masters degree.   http://extension.missouri.edu/careers/positions_available.html.  If you have questions, call (573) 882-4721 or email hrdext@missouri.edu.  An application form and complete position description are available at http://extension.missouri.edu/careers and click on "current openings."  Deadline:  Open until filled.  Preference will be given to applications received by July 10, 2008.

NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY, Dept of Agri. Economics and Agr. Business, seeks a Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor in Economic Development (Tenure Track: 60% Teaching-- three courses each year; 40% Research Appointment).  Send letter of application, vitae, official transcripts and three letters of reference to Dr. Michael Patrick, Search Committee Chair, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, New Mexico State University, Box 30003, MSC 3169, Las Cruces, NM 88003. Phone: (505) 646-7194. E-mail: jmpat@nmsu.edu. Deadline:  June 1, 2008.  Available:  August 18, 2008.  See NMSU Web site: http://hr.nmsu.edu/employment number 2008002912.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, Open Rank Tenure-Track Position in Organic Dairy Agriculture
http://www.AcademicKeys.com/r?job=14376&t=AGRI080531m

UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN, School of Environment and Sustainability, is seeks an Executive Director.  Date Posted:  May 27, 2008.  Available:  Immediately.  http://www.AcademicKeys.com/r?job=15327&t=AGRI080531m

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, College of Forest Resources, is seeking for a Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Mgmt. Faculty Search (Asst. Prof).  Available:  April 1, 2009.   
http://www.AcademicKeys.com/r?job=15215&t=AGRI080531m

WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE (WRI), The People and Ecosystems Program (PEP), is seeking a natural resource economist to join a team working on economic valuation of coastal ecosystem goods and services in the Caribbean. Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Send cover letter and resume to:  World Resources Institute, Attn: Emily Cooper, 10 G Street, NE, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20002;  Fax: 202/729-7798;  Email: ecooper@wri.org.  No phone calls please.