Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics (Production Economist

Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics (Production Economist)

This is a full-time, twelve-month, tenure-eligible position in the Regular Title Series with an approximate start date of January 1, 2027. The anticipated distribution of effort is 85% research, 10% teaching, and 5% service. The candidate should be interested in conducting high-quality research in production economics, including production, technology, land-use, risk management/policy, disease, environmental issues, or related fields.

The candidate is expected to i) work to articulate possibilities for Kentucky's agricultural lands, ii) understand the decision-making landscape of farm managers and landowners, iii) map out the implications of current and future policies affecting producers and their communities, iv) work on agricultural risk, land-use decision-making, and producer behavior; v) collaborate with soil scientists, plant scientists, animal scientists, agronomists, agricultural engineers, hydrologists, meteorologists, and producers, and vi) be a research partner to the Extension faculty.

The successful candidate is expected to:
1) develop a nationally recognized research program evidenced by publications in leading peer-reviewed scholarly journals;
2) successfully attract external funding to support research efforts, including funding of graduate students;
3) demonstrate a commitment to working with teams of researchers and Extension faculty/staff on interdisciplinary research problems;
4) direct graduate student research;
5) contribute to the multi-functional, land-grant mission of the Department through outreach and engagement efforts with stakeholders and conducting research with application to stakeholders; and
6) exhibit excellence in classroom instruction.

More specifically, we are looking for a candidate who can address the following:

· What are the risk profiles of different crops and technologies? And given current financial tools, which types of risk are most salient to producers? Understanding production risk is key to offering insight for smart investments in agricultural technology R&D and to design agricultural policies that efficiently allow producers to manage agricultural risk.

Applications:
New cropping opportunities and specialty crops research, international markets, insurance products and farm bill programs, weather and disease risks, hedging tools for price risk and risk analysis.

· What does optimal land use look like, given the on-going concerns regarding soil and water quality? Shifting agricultural demand, supplies and agricultural policies such as the Kentucky Farm Bureau's Farmland Transition Initiative can significantly impact land-use decision-making. Likewise, technological advances and new data will offer new research avenues for a production economist to identify optimal production practices for local agroecosystems.

Applications:
Digital agriculture, drones, big data, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture.

· How can Kentucky producers develop specialty enterprises and/or differentiate traditional agricultural production under changing economic realities? Agricultural development can be workforce development. A researcher who can examine producer behavior will be able to assess the impacts of shifting industries, work forces, and agricultural policies.

Applications:
Agricultural tax policy on farm capital, agricultural subsidies, farm labor development, and the Conservation Reserve Program.

Application can be made online and requires:

Applications will be reviewed beginning August 15, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Please contact Dr. Yoko Kusunose unose.