Ag Econ-O-Gram

Vol. 9, No. 19
November 30, 2007

AAEA MEETING DEADLINES
December 3:  1) Principal paper sessions.  2) Issue/Interest track sessions.  Pre/Post Conference Workshops. January 15:  1) Selected presentations.  2) Organized Symposia.

NEW CONTRACTS
“Supermarkets and horticulture in the Philippines.”  Funded by Asian Development.  Tom Reardon is PI.

"Economics of the Lake Michigan Recreational Fishery." Funded by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust.  Frank Lupi is PI. 

FACULTY MEETINGS
Friday, Dec. 7 - faculty meeting will be held as scheduled at 1:30 pm, Room 75 Ag Hall.

Monday, Dec. 17 - another faculty meeting will be held at 1:30 pm, Room 75 Ag Hall, to discuss candidates. 

CANDIDATE SEMINARS (Rm 75 Ag. Hall)
Monday, Dec. 3 - Tian Xia, Kansas State University 10:00 am:  Horizontal Differentiation with Differential Costs: Retail Prices for Milk by Fat Content. 
 
Wednesday, Dec. 5 - Rui Huang, University of California, Berkeley.  10:00 am:  Variety Competition in Retail Outlets.
 
Monday, Dec. 10  - Shaikh Rahman, University of Maryland.  10:00 am: Traditional and Value-Based Pricing Methods for Fed Cattle: Optimal Incentive Structure for Cattle Feeding Contracts.

PUBLICATIONS
Deininger, K., S. Jin and M. Sur (2007) “Sri Lanka's rural non-farm economy: Removing constraints to pro-poor growth,” World Development, 35:2055-2078.

OTHER SEMINARS
Dec. 4-"Risk, Decisions and Chronic Loss" Louie Rivers, National Science Foundation Tuesday, December 4th, 1:15-2:30 274 Giltner (NE corner of building).

Dec. 6 – “Cloning in the 10 Years Since Dolly,” Dr. Ian Wilmut, University of Edinburgh.  Room 1345 Engineering Auditorium; 4 to 5:00 p.m.

Dec. 6- "Sustainability Science: An Emerging Interdisciplinary Frontier," Professor William C. Clark, Harvard University. Radiology Auditorium (MSU Service Rd) 3:30 PM (Reception to follow). For directions, visit http://www.csis.msu.edu/ .

UPCOMING EVENTS
Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo, Dec. 4-6 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. Learn more at www.glexpo.com.

Michigan Equine Conference, Dec. 12-13 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, East Lansing. Learn more and register at www.miequine.com.

Balancing Animal Agriculture and Communities, February 29, 2008, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. Visit www.animalagteam.msu.edu for more information.

READING LIST
According to Google Scholar, the following article is getting some attention in the literature: “New Estimates of Quality of Life in Urban Areas,” by Glenn C. Blomquist; Mark C. Berger; John P. Hoehn. The American Economic Review. 89-107, 1988.

2008 Call for Graduate Student Proposals
Graduate students enrolled at colleges or universities in the North Central Region can submit proposals for up to $10,000 to fund sustainable ag projects that will be part of their educational programs. Proposals are due in the NCR-SARE office in St Paul MN by January 23, 2008.  If you or potential applicants have questions about the program, feel free to contact Bill Wilcke at wilck001@umn.edu or 612-625-8205.

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP - A full-time, fixed-term position for one year is available in the Department of Political Science and African Studies at MSU, E. Lansing.  The Afrobarometer Project seeks a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow to analyze data and publish research reports on public opinion in African countries.  The fellowship begins  August 15, 2008. The Fellow must be present in East Lansing by this date and commit to full-time residence through July 15, 2009. The fellowship may be extended beyond one year.  For further information on the Afrobarometer, see www.afrobarometer.org.  To be considered, applications must be received no later than February 15, 2008. Please submit hard copies of (a) a letter summarizing your research experience and interest in the position (b) a curriculum vitae (c) a brief professional writing sample and (d) the names and contact information (including telephone numbers) for three potential referees (do not request letters yourself).  Please mail applications to Professor Michael Bratton, Director (MSU) Afrobarometer, Dept. of Political Science, 323 South Kedzie Hall, Michigan  State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823. DO NOT SUBMIT APPLICATIONS VIA E-MAIL.

INT’L DEVELOPMENT FELLOWS PROGRAM
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) offers an opportunity for professionals in international relief and development—the International Development Fellowship Program (IDFP). Please view http://www.crs.org/about/careers/fellowships/ to learn more about the IDFP Program, qualifications and the application process.    

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

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY seeks assistant or associate professor (#930670), tenure-track, especially micro-economist to support PhD program in economics.  Areas of focus for the PhD program are:  environmental risk; public sector risk; risk and decision making; and analytic and econometric tools for risk evaluation.  Available:  Aug. 11, 2008.  Deadline:  Screening will begin Jan. 21, 2008. For more information, go to:  http://www.jobs.ecu.edu

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY – Extension:
PO ID #1595 - County Extension Director, Ionia County; located in Ionia, MI.  Available:  Jan. 10, 2008.  Deadline:  Jan. 5, 2008.

PO ID #1594 - Extension Educator, CYF/4H Youth Programs, Kalamazoo County; located in Kalamazoo, MI.  Available:  Jan. 10, 2008.  Deadline:  Jan. 5, 2008. 

PO ID #1592 - Extension Public Policy Education Specialist, full-time, twelve month appointment; located at MSU campus, East Lansing, MI.  Available:  immediately.  Deadline:  Jan. 3, 2008.

PO ID #1577 - Children, Youth and Family Programs Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences/ Better Kid Care, Antrim and Kalkaska Counties; located in Antrim County Building, Bellaire, MI.  Available:     Preferred Start Date, Jan. 7, 2008.  Deadline:    Dec. 31, 2007.

Apply using the Web Employment Application process at:  
http://www.msue.msu.edu/jobs

ROYAL HOLLOWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, Department of Economics, invites applications for Professor/Reader/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer.
Further information about the department can be found at our website: http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Economics
The department will have members attending the ASSA(AEA)Meetings in New Orleans, LA, January 4-6, 2008. If you would like to meet members of the department informally, please send an email to: MAILTO:recruitment@rhul.ac.uk
by midday December 17, 2007, although note that not all such requests can be granted.
Other informal enquiries can be made directly to: MAILTO:Economics.Jobs@rhul.ac.uk

Further details and an application form are available from:  The Personnel Department, Royal Holloway, University of London,  Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX; Tel: 01784 414241;   Fax: 01784 276299       http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Personnel/JobVacancies.htm
Please quote the reference AC/4890.

The closing date for applications is midday on the January 14, 2008. Presentations and interviews are expected to be held in February 2008.

All announcements should be sent to Pat Neumann, Editor, in room 219 Ag. Hall or e-mail: neumannp@msu.edu  NO LATER than 12 noon on Thursday; after 12, they will be in the next BI-WEEKLY edition.