Inside this Issue Upcoming Events

Volume 53, Number 7 Department of Agricultural Economics Texas A&M University March 2, 2018

Rosson’s Roundup

Rosson’s Roundup SSAER Save the Date Joe Swinbank Upcoming Birthdays Thank You Position Postings Financial Planning Quiz Bowl Team

March

2nd-Seminar

6th-Retiree Coffee

11th-Daylight Savings Time

12th-16th-Spring Break

22nd-23rd-SAAER

Monday, Fred Boadu, David Leatham and I attended a three- hour session on using and interpreting data

available in Academic Analytics. Academic Analytics is a privately developed third-party system of

metrics developed as a management tool for departments, colleges and universities. It’s useful in compar-

ing one department’s productivity in terms of grants/contracts, for example to others in a selected peer

group, such as AAU Land-Grant universities. This tool is also used in our annual departmental review, so I

expect us to use it more in the future. One of our first tasks in using this system, will be to check that we,

and our peers have the correct information related to faculty and publication outlets included in the data

base. Thanks to David and Fred for attending this with me. I thought it was a very useful tool and time

well spent learning more about what it can do and how we might use it.

A special Thank You to Graham Weston, AGEC ’86 and Ty Timm Honor Registry member, who arranged

for Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet,

to be here Thursday morning and discuss her work on human nutrition, the role of science, and key

influences on U.S. food and nutrition policy. It was an excellent presentation, very well attended by a mix

of staff, students and faculty, and I believe, very well received. Thanks to all who attended and to Graham

for being here. Thanks also to Dr. Patrick Stover, Vice Chancellor and Dean, for taking the time on his first

day to introduce our speaker and moderate the event.

REMINDER: Professor Hayley Chouinard, Professor and Head at Colorado State University, will be in the

department Monday and Tuesday. Her research focuses on consumer demand for food products and

nutrition labeling information. She will be conducting a workshop on preparing students for the workplace,

specifically helping to overcome implicit bias in the pre-interview and interview process.

Aggie baseball travels to Frisco to play Louisiana Tech Friday evening, while Aggie softball hosts the

A&M Invite and also plays Louisiana Tech on Friday afternoon. Aggie men’s basketball hosts Alabama in

the last game of the regular season Saturday afternoon at 1:00, while the Aggie women’s basketball team

plays LSU today at 2:25 in the SEC tournament in Nashville.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the spring-like weather, thru Saturday, at least!

Click here for more position announcements

Faculty, staff, and graduate students are encouraged to submit articles and photos on current events

Deadline for all submissions is noon, Thursday.

Please send your information to valnoyes@tamu,edu

Toni Merchant 3/3

Ariun Ishdorj 3/4

Brandi Blankenship 3/9

Jennifer Braziel 3/9

Happy Birthday!!

Position Announcements

Thank You!!

for hosting Friday coffee

Commons Committee

The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AAEC), Virginia Tech invites applications for a unique endowed position in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship. The position, the James A. and Renae C. Pearson Collegiate Faculty Fellow, will be a 100 percent teaching, 9-month academic-year appointment with the rank of either Collegiate Associate Professor or Collegiate Full Professor. Ph.D in Agricultural/Applied Economics, Economics, Finance, or related field required. : A review of applications will begin March 15, 2018. Position is available to start August 1, 2018. Applicants need to complete an online application at https://listings.jobs.vt.edu/postings/83452 and submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, a statement of teaching philosophy, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and a list of names and contact infor-mation for three references. Direct inquires or questions about this position to Dr. Kurt Stephenson, Search Committee Chair: Phone: (540) 231-5381; Email: kurts@vt.edu

Pictured left are (front row) Reveille IX; (middle row) Jacob Mallison (’18 AGEC major), Shirley and Joe ’74 Swinbank, Porter Garner III ’79, Karsten Lowe (‘20, Industrial Distribution major) and Steve Cooper ’78 (AGEC graduate and Distinguished Alumnus recipient in 2015); and (back row) Shelby Cooper ’13, Ed Rister ’74, and Mark Hussey ’79. The photo is on the front steps of the historic Kyle House in downtown Bryan, site of the 2018 Donald “Don” G. Kaspar ’49 Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Mentoring Forum. Please go to the AGEC website to view the full article.

Joseph B. Swinbank ’74 Honored by AFS: Distinguished Alumnus