Faculty and students in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics study the production, distribution, and consumption of food, fiber, and energy in both well-developed and less-developed countries. To address these issues, the department emphasizes the development and application of rigorous economic theory and quantitative methods. Researchers strive to understand and improve government policy, market performance, environmental quality, the efficiency of natural resource use, and economic welfare. The department offers the popular Managerial Economics undergraduate major and top-rated Ph.D. and Masters programs in Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Jeffrey Williams: Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award
Jeffrey Williams, a professor of agricultural and resource economics and holder of the Daniel Barton DeLoach endowed chair, received the 2011 UC Davis Distinguished Scholarly Public Service award from the Academic Senate.
Williams distinguished himself for service on the California Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee (IMRC), to which he was appointed by Governor Gray Davis and reappointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Williams himself has conducted extensive analyses on the effectiveness of the state's smog-check regulations and program, which he has presented to the IMRC. Some of his research has resulted in legislation that has saved California taxpayers millions of dollars while ensuring cleaner air.