Lusk named 2007 Whatley Award recipient

The award was initiated in 1982. It is presented annually to the top young scientist in OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, which is comprised of the college and two statewide agencies: the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station system and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.

A professor in the department of agricultural economics, Lusk is the holder of the Willard Sparks Endowed Chair of Agribusiness. He has been a faculty member in the Division since April 2005 and has a 75 percent research and 25 percent teaching appointment.

“He is one of the stars of our profession and deserves this prestigious recognition,” said Mike Woods, head of OSU’s department of agricultural economics. “Jayson has an exceptional record and is nationally known for his research and scholarly activity.”

Lusk’s research focuses on how preferences are constructed and how decisions are made by consumers, farmers and agribusiness organizations.

“Dr. Lusk has probably been one of the most influential and successful researchers in our profession in terms of applying experimental economic methods to issues in agribusiness,” said Ian Sheldon, Andersons Professor of International Trade at The Ohio State University.

Jayson Lusk (left) accepts the 2007 Whatley Award from Robert E. Whitson, DASNR vice president, dean and director. (Photo by Todd Johnson)

Lusk has had 62 peer-reviewed articles either published or accepted for publication. He has been a co-author of 12 articles in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE), the leading journal of his profession. He has also published two books and is one of the world’s most cited experts in the field of experimental economics.

In a nomination letter, Dale Menkhaus, professor of agricultural economics at the University of Wyoming, summed up Lusk’s professional standing this way: “I have heard it said that only 5 percent of the Ph.D. agricultural economists publish five or more articles in the AJAE during their professional careers. Dr. Lusk has already more than doubled this standard and has additional articles currently forthcoming or in review in top field journals.”

Wade Brorsen, OSU Regents professor and holder of the Jean and Patsy Neustadt Endowed Chair in Agricultural Marketing, is also quick to point out that Lusk’s rate of publication is nothing short of “phenomenal,” one of several indicators to the widespread influence Lusk has had on the profession since earning his doctoral degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University in 2000.

“Jayson is an expert on experimental markets and has used experimental markets to conduct research into consumer willingness to pay for beef that has characteristics such as tenderness, certified organic and increased Omega-3 fatty acid content,” Brorsen said. “His work is important and relevant to Oklahoma agriculture.”

And Oklahoma agriculture has a significant economic effect on the state. The total value of Oklahoma’s agricultural commodity production was $4.7 billion in 2005, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

In addition to his OSU responsibilities, Lusk serves as chair of the Food and Agricultural Marketing Policy section of the American Agricultural Economics Association and as an adviser to the AAEA graduate student section.

He is also much sought after as a speaker. Lusk has been invited to give seminars at numerous universities and conferences, both throughout the United States and overseas.

Prior to joining the Division, Lusk served on the faculty of Purdue University and Mississippi State University. He was the USDA National Needs Graduate Fellow while at K-State. Lusk earned his bachelor’s degree in food technology at Texas Tech University in 1997.

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E-Mail: donald.stotts@okstate.edu

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