Inside This Issue Upcoming Events

Volume 52, Number 06 Department of Agricultural Economics Texas A&M University February 24, 2017

Inside this Issue Upcoming Events

 Rosson’s Roundup February

 Spring Seminars 27th-Faculty Meeting  Staff Appreciation Week 3:30 p.m. AGLS 301  Upcoming Birthdays 27th-March 3rd-Staff Appreciation Week  Thank You March  Position Announcements Financial Planning Quiz Bowl Team 13th-17th Spring Break

Rosson’s Roundup Jorge A. Bermúdez '73 (center in above picture) was recognized by Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Students on Thursday, February 23, with The Distinguished Alumnus Award. This award is the highest honor bestowed upon a former student of Texas A&M University, awarded since 1962 to only 261 of Texas A&M’s 440,000 former students. Jorge earned two degrees from the Department of Agricultural Economics -- first a B.Sc. in 1973 and then a Master's degree in 1975, with Dr. John Hopkin being his committee chair. Jorge spent 33 years with Citibank and Citigroup, holding numerous leadership positions including president of Citibank Argentina, CEO of Citigroup Latin America and chief risk officer for Citigroup. After retiring, he came back to serve Texas A&M as part of the International Advisory Board, the Texas A&M Foundation, and as chair of The Association of Former Students’ board. Jorge is a vibrant supporter of Texas A&M University, including frequent "Prof-for-a-Day" appearances in our graduate and undergraduate programs and being a donor for scholarships and other department activities. He was inducted into the Tyrus R. Timm Honor Registry in 2006 and he was recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2009. He was presented the 2016 Texas A&M University Outstanding International Alumnus Award by Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Stu- dents. “Texas A&M has given me an education that allows me to compete with anyone,” he told students in a classroom setting in 2008. “It doesn’t matter where you went to school, it’s the quality and the quantity of the work that you’re willing to provide that will set you apart…you are coming out of this university extremely well prepared.” Congratulations, Jorge! Whoop! I want to recognize Gary Williams who will be testifying next Tuesday, February 28 before the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Trade of the US House Agriculture Committee on the economic impacts of US export promotion programs. This work will be especially important in shaping the trade policies in the next farm bill, as well as over the longer term in providing input to Congress on the role and importance of producer check-off funds and how promotion can strengthen prices and financial positions on the farm. Jug Capps, Rebekka Dudensing and Dan Hanselka also worked on this project. Thanks for the great work by this team! Congratulations are also extended to our students who participated in the Grand Challenges Challenge Wednesday. Ian Cobb AGEC/ AGMS, Jason Edmondson AGEC, Hannah Hawkins AGBU, Faith Parum AGEC, and Jason ShamburGer AGEC represented the Depart- ment in outstanding fashion on Team B. Team Smart was selected for runner-up which consisted of students from SCSC, ALEC and our own Estephanie Zermeno AGEC. David Anderson is scheduled to provide the dairy situation and outlook Friday afternoon at the Ag Outlook Forum. With more than 1900 in attendance it's one of the largest crowds to attend the event. As many of you know, I’m in Washington, DC this week to speak at the Ag Outlook Forum on Opportunities and Challenges for US Agriculture related to Argentina and Brazil. As part of this event, I participated in a special opportunity to travel to the University of Washington, DC farm and to visit the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, Maryland. The urban farm visit was highlighted by a closed aquaponics system to produce fresh vegetables and fish that are distributed throughout the DC area to food pantries and food banks. At the BARC we visited organic production, the dairy and the honeybee research facility where some key work is being done to pinpoint the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). A systems approach is used to examine this problem, including bee nutrition, pests and the role of the farmer/beekeeper. REMINDERS: Faculty meeting Monday at 3:30 to discuss our Energy Market Analysis and Decision Making position. Staff Appreciation week starts Monday as well, so a hearty Thank You to all of our staff for the great jobs you do to make the Department function well and project a highly positive, professional image! The Aggie Softball team (10-0) plays in a tournament this weekend in Cathedral City, CA against Long Beach State, Arizona State, Florida State, BYU and Michigan. The Aggie Baseball team (4-0) hosts Pepperdine starting Friday night through Sunday afternoon. Have a great weekend!

For more information about Staff Appreciation Week events, visit SAW2017.TAMU.EDU

Upcoming Birthdays Thank You!! Toni Merchant 3/3 Ariun Ishdorj 3/4 Financial Jennifer Braziel 3/9 Planning Group Brandi Blankenship 3/9 Candice Foster 3/12 for hosting Friday coffee Position Announcements

Professor , Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural, Food, and Natural Resource Policy, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Policy. This is a full-time, 12-month, tenure track position with a 50% Research, 35% Extension, and 15% Teaching appointment. A Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics or closely related field is required. The successful candidate must also have a nationally recognized record of scholarly achievement, which qualifies the candidate for the rank of Professor. Screening of applicants will begin April 7, 2017. To apply, send a current curriculum vita and a Jetter describing your interest in the position and your qualifications. Arrange for three letters of reference to be mailed or e-mailed directly to: Dr. Christopher Clark, Interim Department Head (Email: [email protected]; Phone: (865) 974-7462; and Fax: (865)974-7484), Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, 302 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 3 7996-4518. Position available beginning September 1, 2017. Assistant/Associate/Full Professor, Farm and Financial Management, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. 12month tenure-track, 100% Extension. Lead, develop, deliver, evaluate, and report a nationally recognized Extension educational program focused on farm and financial management. Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, Economics, or a closely related field is required. Screening of applicant credentials will begin March 15, 2017. Submit a current curriculum vita, letter describing your interest in, and qualifications for, the position, and official transcripts to, and have three letters of reference sent directly to: Dr. Burton English, Search Committee Chair, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 302 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville, TN 37996-4518, Email: [email protected] Phone: (865) 974-3726 Fax: (865) 974-4829, TTY/TTD: (865) 974-7245, Web Site: http://economics.ag.utk.edu/ Position available beginning June 1, 2017.

Associate/Full Professor, Agricultural and Food System Economics, Ohio State University, Department of Agricultural, Envi- ronmental, and Development Economics. Please see the position description for more information and application instructions which can be found at: https://aede.osu.edu/news/aede-open-faculty-position

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