President's Column
November 2021
Thanksgiving reminded me of the many aspects of the AAEA for which I am so thankful, including the strong commitment of our members to serve the association in so many different ways, the dedication of the EDI staff who keep the organization running on schedule, and the generosity of our donors whose contributions enable us to expand our appreciation clubs, offer new mentoring and other programs and reach out and engage with a broader and a more diverse group of people across the world. As this year draws to a close, I am excited about the recent launch of our new open access journal, the Journal of the AAEA with its homepage at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/27692485. Recognizing the diversity of research areas covered by our membership, the JAAEA will be publishing research on the breadth of topics in agricultural and applied economics and providing expedited reviews.
The diversity in our profession is also being highlighted by the fourth webinar in the “Listening to the Diverse Voices of AAEA” series organized by the AAEA mentorship committee. The webinar will air on Friday, December 3, 12:00 – 1:00 pm (Eastern Time). Four panelists will share experiences from their professional journeys and the obstacles they have overcome to succeed that will inspire and encourage us all to persevere. Advance registration is required and available at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuceCoqDopGNx0kZTuS3KQJEbZ2A9a_LxI
Building on our efforts to promote greater engagement with other disciplines, I am working with a multi-disciplinary committee consisting of several members of the AAEA and the C-FARE as well as those from the Association of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the Tri-Societies to organize an AAEA workshop, “An interdisciplinary approach to transforming agricultural and food systems into more resilient and sustainable circular systems: A Mentoring Workshop.” This workshop will be offered on June 6-8, 2022 in Kansas City. The two-day workshop will include invited experts from multiple disciplines and interactive sessions to discuss the priorities for research, education, and extension to transition to circular agricultural systems and to lead junior colleagues through the process of developing an interdisciplinary research agenda in this area. Please save the date, and I will have more information on registration and other logistical details in my next column.
I am happy to announce the formation of a new South Asia Section (SAS) of the AAEA for facilitating greater networking and showcasing of research by members from South Asia and on topics related to South Asia. Thanks to Ashok Mishra for his leadership in forming this section.
Planning for the 2022 AAEA Annual Meetings in underway. Proposals for organized symposia and selected presentation are due on January 18, 2022. Please spend the coming weeks on developing your proposals. We look forward to strong participation by our members again this year.
The Awards Committee, led by Alessandro Bonanno and Conner Mullaly, is getting organized for the process of reviewing nominations for various AAEA awards. Please nominate junior colleagues for relevant awards; nominations are due February 9, 2022. Details are available at https://www.aaea.org/about-aaea/awards-and-honors/aaea-annual-awards
With best wishes for the holiday season!