Members in the News: Deacue Fields and Brian Whitacre

Deacue Fields, Auburn University Study: Fruits, veggies have healthy impact on Alabama economy By: WTVM - June 11, 2017 While fruits and vegetables are undeniably good for the body, they’re also a major boost for Alabama’s economy, according to a new study. Auburn University and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station economists found this out in a recently completed analysis of the industry. “Specialty crops is definitely a potential growth area for Alabama,” said Deacue Fields, chair of the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology and study leader. (Continued...) Read the entire article on WTVM Brian Whitacre, Oklahoma State University Rural America Is Stranded in the Dial-Up Age By: The Wall Street Journal - June 15, 2017 Smartphone service is available but has coverage gaps and isn’t always reliable in rural communities such as Washington County. Even when it works, cell service can’t match the speed or capacity of broadband. “You just can’t compete,” said Brian Whitacre, an agricultural economics professor at Oklahoma State University. “Running a business with a smartphone is not going to happen.” Alternative internet technologies—satellite dish or fixed wireless, which uses cellular networks to beam data short distances using antennas and transmitters—struggle to handle video streaming or other high-data uses. Those services also typically cap the amount of data used each month. (Continued...) Read the entire article on The Wall Street Journal

See other Member in the News items Know another AAEA Member who has made statewide, national, or international news? Send a link of the article to info@aaea.org or ascheetz@aaea.org  What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? We want to hear from you. Contact Jay Saunders via email, jsaunders@aaea.org.