Members in the News: Ortega, Lusk, Mullally, Barkley, Coffey, and Salassi

David Ortega, Michigan State University A miserable Year of the Pig for China’s hogs is godsend for American farmers By: South China Morning Post - August 17, 2019 David Ortega, an agricultural economist with Michigan State University, said that the US, as the world’s top pork exporter, could nevertheless help satisfy Chinese demand. “The rise in domestic Chinese pork prices can offset some of the tariff’s impact, but there is a lot of uncertainty as the trade negotiation is fairly fluid … other pork exporters like the EU and Brazil are positioning themselves to meet Chinese demand,” Ortega said. (Continued...) Read more on: South China Morning Post Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Conner Mullally, University of Florida Happy Hens By: Oregon Business - August 22, 2019 It is true that this law will probably raise the price of eggs somewhat. When similar legislation took effect in California in 2015, a study from Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics, published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics found the price of eggs increased by approximately 9% as a result of the cage-free law. Consumers spent between $6.08 and $7.50 more on eggs each year than they had previously. The study also found the law caused a spike in the price of eggs at the beginning of the law’s implementation, up to 33%, but prices eventually declined as time went on. (Continued...) Read more on: Oregon Business Andrew Barkley, Kansas State University Brian Coffey, Kansas State University K-State study on determining teaching effectiveness wins national award By: KMA Land Radio - August 20, 2019 A study conducted by two Kansas State University agricultural economics faculty members found that student evaluations are still likely the most common way to determine the effectiveness of education in ag economics classes. Brian Coffey, assistant professor and Andrew Barkley, a professor in K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics teach undergraduate and graduate-level classes. To help them and their colleagues across the country understand how teaching is evaluated in general, plus criteria on how faculty members are evaluated for promotion, tenure and salary, they reached out to heads of ag economics departments at other universities. (Continued...) Read more on: KMA Land Radio Michael Salassi, Louisiana State University Salassi to head LSU AgCenter animal, plant programs By: ArkLatex - August 19, 2019 Michael Salassi has been named as LSU AgCenter associate vice president and program leader of animal and plant sciences. For the past four years, Salassi has served as head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness where he is the A. Wilbert’s Sons Endowed Professor of Agricultural and Natural Resources. Prior to that time, he was on the faculty for 21 years with a teaching, research and extension appointment. (Continued...) Read more on: ArkLatex

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 Sinais Alvarado at salvarado@aaea.org What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Scheetz at ascheetz@aaea.org.

*Articles in response to the AAEA Communicating Out Strategy Press Releases highlighting: Government Relations, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Choices Magazine, General Media, and/or 2019 AAEA Annual Meeting in Atlanta.