Rodolfo M. Nayga, Jr.
Professor and Tyson Chair in Food Policy EconomicsBackground
Rodolfo M. Nayga, Jr. is Professor and Tyson Endowed Chair in Food Policy Economics in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at University of Arkansas. His research interests are focused on the economics of food policy and quality and on obtaining an understanding of how emerging consumer issues affect food and nutrient consumption/demand and public policies. Current and recent topics include product and program valuation related to GMOs, irradiated foods, health claims, nutritional label use and diet quality, obesity, intra-household time/resource allocation and children's dietary behavior.
Dr. Nayga received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. Prior to joining the University of Arkansas, he was a professor at Texas A&M University for 11 years. He also was a faculty member at Rutgers University for 4 years and at Massey University, New Zealand for about a year. He was a visiting professor and Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Marketing and Consumer Behavior department of Wageningen University, The Netherlands in Spring 2001 and Taiwan National Science Council Fellow at the National Taiwan University in April 2008. He has published more than 140 refereed articles in several journals including American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Health Economics, Economics Letters, Contemporary Economic Policy, Kyklos, Social Science and Medicine, European Journal of Health Economics, Bulletin of Economic Research, Atlantic Economic Journal, European Review of Agricultural Economics, European Journal of Marketing, Academy of Marketing Science Review, Asian Economic Journal, Agricultural Economics, Food Policy, Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Applied Economics, Education Economics, Economics Bulletin, Agribusiness, International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Int’l Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Journal of Retailing Consumer Services, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Health and Social Policy, Health Marketing Quarterly, Food Quality and Preference, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Nutrition and Food Science, and Journal of the American Dietetic Association. He has received at least $5 million in research grants and contracts and has given more than 200 invited talks and lectures in the US and several other countries including Austria, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Greece, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, UK, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, El Salvador, South Africa, and Canada. He is or has been a member of editorial board of nine scholarly journals and was co-Editor of Choices, a publication of the American Agricultural Economics Association.
Dr. Nayga and his graduate students are the recipients of numerous research awards, including those from the American Agricultural Economics Association, American Council on Consumer Interests, Food Distribution Research Society, Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program, and the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. Dr. Nayga has also been an expert evaluator and/or member of panels organized by various organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency of the UN, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM), France’s INRA National Food Research Program, Croatia’s Unity Through Knowledge Research Program, Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, French National Research Agency, Franco-British Programme in the Social Sciences, Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund, US National Science Foundation (NSF), National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board, American Society for Nutritional Sciences, The Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (CFARE), USDA’s National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, and Economic Research Service’s Food and Nutrition Research Program. Dr. Nayga was also awarded by the American Agricultural Economics Association a Presidential Recognition Award in 2007 and by Texas A&M University the 2006 Texas AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow designation and title in recognition of significant scholarly achievements, the 2005 International Excellence Award for building international linkages and dedication to promoting international education and research, and the 2003 Honor Professor Award for outstanding teaching achievements. Coverage of his research has appeared in numerous popular media outlets.
Courses Taught
AGEC 5303 Agricultural Marketing Theory