Teaching
AEC 513: Microeconomic Theory II
Graduate Core | Taught: Fall 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Core graduate sequence covering consumer theory, producer theory, general equilibrium, and welfare economics. Emphasis on mathematical rigor and applications to policy analysis.
AEC 599/699: Behavioral and Experimental Economics
Graduate Elective | Taught: Winter 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024Seminar exploring deviations from standard economic models, experimental methods, and behavioral insights relevant to market design and policy interventions. Students gain hands-on experience designing and implementing experiments.
AEC 221: Agriculture and Food Marketing
Undergraduate | Taught: Winter 2017; Spring 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Introduction to marketing principles in agricultural and food systems, covering market structure, pricing, consumer behavior, and food distribution channels.
AEC 311: Intermediate Applied Economics: Producers and Consumers
Undergraduate | Taught: Winter 2017, 2018Intermediate microeconomics with applications to agricultural and resource markets, emphasizing producer and consumer decision-making.
AEC 448/558: Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics
Upper Division/Graduate | Taught: Spring 2017Advanced topics examining economic approaches to environmental and natural resource management, including valuation methods and policy instruments.
Graduate Student Mentorship
Since joining Oregon State in 2016, I have served as committee chair or co-chair for PhD students and as committee member for students across Applied Economics, Food Science, and Public Policy programs. My students work on experimental economics, consumer behavior, food policy, and applied econometric topics.
Current Students
- Ahsan Senan – PhD in Applied Economics (expected 2028) | Committee Co-Chair
Research focus: Risk preferences in forestry management and adverse events
Recent PhD Graduates
- Charlie Thompson – PhD in Applied Economics (2024)
- Ashley Lowe – PhD in Applied Economics (2023) | Committee Member
- Nathanial Trull – PhD in Applied Economics (2023) | Committee Member
- Nadeeka Weerasekara – PhD in Applied Economics (2022) | Committee Chair
Dissertation on wine consumer behavior and peer/expert influences - Alexander Natanson – PhD in Applied Economics (2022) | Committee Member
Master's Students & Other Mentorship
- Amila Hadziomerspahic – MS in Applied Economics (2022) | Committee Member
- Robert Horton – MS in Public Policy (2022) | Committee Member
- Sara Maruyama – MS in Food Science (2021) | Committee Co-Chair
Research on clean label preferences and yogurt ingredients - Denice Gonzalez – Honors College Thesis (2021) | Honors Thesis Mentor
Advising & Mentorship
I work with graduate students on thesis projects, independent studies, and research collaborations. Areas of supervision include experimental economics, consumer behavior, food policy, and applied econometrics.
I'm particularly interested in advising students who want to bridge academic research and real-world impact, whether through industry partnerships, policy engagement, or interdisciplinary collaboration.
Teaching Philosophy
Clear Incentives
Research demonstrates that transparent expectations and well-structured incentives improve learning outcomes. I apply these principles in course design, grading rubrics, and student feedback.
Hands-On Methods
Students learn by doing. Courses include opportunities to design experiments, collect data, analyze results, and present findings—skills directly transferable to research careers.
Communication Focus
Economics is only useful if communicated effectively. Students practice translating technical results for policy audiences, writing clearly, and visualizing data persuasively.
Replication-Friendly Workflow
Reproducibility is fundamental to good science. Students learn version control, documentation practices, and transparent data management from the start.