Research Statement

In my capacity as a food economist, I specialize in addressing pivotal questions related to food marketing and policy, with a primary emphasis on applied econometrics. I firmly believe that food holds a central position in human happiness and well-being, making it an essential focus for economists. My research is characterized by three central currents: securing grants through collaboration with the USDA, utilizing consumer-level and retail scanner data, and applying robust data management skills cultivated throughout my career.

For my master's thesis at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, conducted under the guidance of advisors Emily Wang and Natalie Lavoie, I delved into the examination of restaurant reactions to FDA rules on calorie labeling. Working with a large team of undergraduate assistants I helped oversee an extensive data cleaning process. This experience not only enriched my technical skills but also fortified my ability to train and manage a team effectively.

My master’s thesis found that nutrition labeling policies significantly reduced the healthfulness of food at fast-food restaurants, utilizing a difference-in-difference methodology. Recognizing the potential of this project, I helped my advisors to successfully apply for a NIFA grant, providing me with invaluable experience in the grant application process.

Impressed with my performance and fueled by my growing interest in food economics, my master’s advisor, Emily Wang, recommended pursuing a Ph.D. at Penn State University under the mentorship of her colleague Edward (Ted) Jaenicke. Collaborating with Ted Jaenicke, Yizao Liu, and Emily Wang we focused on a NIFA-funded project on food addiction, leveraging extensive scanner data. Throughout this project, I became proficient in using Circana Consumer Panel data as well as Circana Retail Scanner Data, consumer and retail level scanner datasets licensed by the USDA and analogous to the Nielsen scanner datasets. Working with these large datasets necessitated gaining proficiency in SQL programming and expanding my programming and data science skills generally.

Working through this grant inspired my job market paper: Rational Addiction to Ultra-Processed Food in the Context of Extreme Consumer Heterogeneity. Introducing innovative methodologies, such as a predictive mean matching algorithm using Bayesian methods for price imputation and a novel random coefficient regression strategy to understand consumer heterogeneity in addictive behavior; I applied these novel methodological contributions to the economic theory of rational addiction. This allowed for identification of patterns of addictive consumption across a diverse range of food products at the household level. Further this allowed for the exploration of potential policy health factors related to food addiction. As the project nears completion, because of the significant data and methodological contributions, this work is strongly positioned for publication and we are targeting the Journal of Health Economics.

Another chapter of my dissertation explores consumer demand for local foods within the context of the larger NIFA-funded project, Thriving Agricultural Systems in Urbanized Landscapes. Urban-Rural Differences in Consumer Demand for Organic and Locally Sold Foods utilizes Circana Consumer Panel data and discrete choice demand modelling to show how demand for local and organic foods varies across the urban rural landscape. I developed a novel methodology to define local foods, leveraging information on the location of sales in Circana Consumer Panel data.

This large interdisciplinary nature of the Thriving Agricultural Systems in Urbanized Landscapes project has afforded me the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across various disciplines from different universities. Additionally, I've actively engaged with agricultural stakeholders and policymakers at the project’s annual workshops, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics at the intersection of consumer preferences and sustainable agricultural practices. I have also had the opportunity to contribute to the upcoming USDA publication the 2025 Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems: A Report to Congress.

Additionally, I contributed to the planning and execution of a parallel experimental study, which broadly supports the results of the scanner data work, indicating the potential for combining big data projects with experiments for future publications. This research has policy and marketing implications for understanding consumer demand for local foods.

Beyond these projects, I engage in a personal passion project on animal adoption, integrating econometric analysis with a commitment to animal welfare. As a volunteer fostering dogs for the local animal shelter, I gained access to proprietary animal adoption data. Using SQL coding skills, I collected data on animal adoption and analyzed it using a Cox Proportional Hazard Model, specifically revealing insights into the adoption dynamics of senior and sick animals. Collaborating with a colleague working in applied linguistics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, I aim to enhance adoption outcomes by assessing the impact of writing styles in descriptions of animals on adoption rates. I am engaged with the leadership at the animal shelter, analyzing data of interest to them and utilizing my technical expertise to provide marketing suggestions aimed at improving animal adoption rates.

I intend to focus my research on projects related to food and agribusiness in order to better understand consumer preferences, nutrition, and marketing. One topic that I think is particularly prescient now is consumer food prices. I hypothesize that the outsize impact that food inflation has played in American’s perception of the well-being of the economy may be partially due to shifting food at home purchases during the Coranavirus pandemic combined with a return of food-away-from home purchases. 

In summary, my research highlights proficiency in quantitative methods and data management, addressing complex questions at the intersection of food economics and policy. As I look to the future, I am eager to explore emerging areas in food economics, contributing valuable insights that bridge academic research with real-world applications.