Value of Membership

Networking Opportunities

Networking Social sponsored by the Mentoring Committee

Networking is essential to building a professional reputation.

AAEA membership offers a way to establish professional and personal contacts within the agricultural and applied economics field. AAEA offers specialized sections with interests and opportunities to serve with colleagues on committees.

Members of the Association meet each summer at the AAEA Annual Meeting. The AAEA Annual Meeting attracts over 1,000 agricultural and applied economists from around the world. Other opportunities for involvement are the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) Annual Meeting, regional projects and symposia. Members are able to present research, attend general sessions, and network at these events.

Reputation building for most professional economists comes through focused visibility in a target group.

AAEA allows members to make memorable and lasting impressions on fellow economists at meetings. Opportunities to present research findings to peers in sessions during meetings can advance reputations. AAEA gives the opportunity to meet other  national and international professionals who can serve as outside reviewers for professional work, successful promotion and tenure cases.

Members are able to propose presentations for meetings and submit manuscripts for publication in AJAE, AEPP JAAEA, AETR, and Choices.

Outstanding Publications

AAEA President Rudy Nayga presents the Outstanding AEPP Article Award to AAEA members Joseph Janzen from the University of Illinois, Trey Malone from the University of Arkansas, K. Aleks Schaefer from Oklahoma State University and Daniel Scheitrum from Cal Poly.

AAEA membership includes electronic subscriptions to:

• American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE) The American Journal of Agricultural Economics provides a forum for creative and scholarly work on the economics of agriculture and food, natural resources and the environment, and rural and community development throughout the world. Papers should demonstrate originality and innovation in analysis, method, or application. Analyses of problems pertinent to research and extension are equally encouraged, as is interdisciplinary research with a significant economic component.
• Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy (AEPP) Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy aims to present high-quality research in a forum that is informative to a broad audience of agricultural and applied economists, including those both inside and outside academia, and those who are not specialists in the subject matter of the articles.
• Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (JAAEA) Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (JAAEA) is an open access journal from AAEA in partnership with Wiley. JAAEA publishes peer-reviewed research of the high-quality readers expect from AJAE and AEPP, expanded to cover a broad range of topics in agricultural and applied economics. JAAEA is author-friendly, offering quick review and publication times, free format submission, and a sound-science approach to peer review.
• Applied Economic Teaching Resources (AETR) Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR) is an online, open access, and peer-reviewed journal. The aim of the journal is to provide an inclusive outlet for research, teaching and Extension education scholarship encompassing but not limited to research articles, case studies, classroom games, commentaries, experiential learning, and pedagogy.  The goal is to support and advance teaching and Extension education within the scholarly areas of agricultural and applied economics, and agribusiness economics and management.
• Choices, an online peer-reviewed magazine for readers interested in the policy and management of food, agriculture, natural resources, the environment and rural communities.
• The Exchange, a bi-weekly newsletter that contains information about professional opportunities, submission deadlines, academic departments and members.

Professional Recognition

2024 Fellow: Steven Deller, University of Wisconsin-Madision

Professional success depends on professional recognition.

AAEA takes pride in recognizing outstanding contributions at the AAEA Annual Meeting. As an AAEA member, you are eligible to win several awards that recognize your work in:  

• Teaching
• Extension
• Policy Contribution
• Communication
• Research Discovery
• Publication of Enduring Quality
• Mentoring

AAEA President, Rudy Nayga awards an Appreciation Club to AAEA Past President and AAEA Fellow, Jayson Lusk from Oklahoma State University

AAEA offers these awards to honor graduate student research:

• Outstanding Master’s Thesis
• Doctoral Dissertation

AAEA also recognizes a small group of professionals each year who have made outstanding contributions as Fellows of the Association.

AAEAs Appreciation Clubs give donors the opportunity to donate to the AAEA Trust in the name of a prominent agricultural or applied economist. All donations to an Appreciation Club are included in the general Trust endowment, meaning that you'll have the option to allocate your contribution between the four support categories.

Scholarship and Grant Opportunities

The AAEA Trust has several special purpose funds that support scholarships, mentor fellowships and travel grants. The Trust offers opportunities for members to receive funding for their research and professional development. The AAEA Trust supports programs to:

• increase membership
• enhance member involvement
• stimulate new fields of endeavor for AAEA

AAEA Academic Bowl - The AAEA Section SS-AAEA sponsors an academic bowl competition for undergraduate students at Annual Meeting. Students compete on teams of three, which are affiliated with their school.

Shape the Future

AAEA has adapted over 100 years to serve the needs of its members. Members can shape the future of AAEA by:

• electing officers
• serving as leaders of sections
• participating on committees that determine the content of meetings or the professional achievements honored with awards

Specialized sections organize and develop individual areas of expertise. Service in these capacities contributes to networking and professional reputation.