Texas A&M’s Department of Agricultural Economics adds environmental economist

The Department of Agricultural Economics in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has added an environmental and natural resource economist to its cadre of experts.

Mona Ahmadiani, Ph.D., previously a post-doctoral research associate in the department, has been officially added to department rolls as a research assistant professor. Along with her expertise in environmental and resource economics, she is versed in well-being economics and applied economics.

“We are fortunate to have someone with Dr. Ahmadiani’s expertise in our department,” said Rudy Nayga, Ph.D., head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station. “Her work encompasses a range of factors from assessing the economic implications of weather conditions to evaluating the economic impact of climate change and the value of recreational activities like fishing. This will help us toward a deeper understanding of the factors affecting the environment and how they are valued by people.”   

Ahmadiani earner her doctoral degree in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Georgia and both her master’s in environmental economics and bachelor’s in economics from the University of Tehran.

“I’m excited about stepping into the role of a research assistant professor, which presents an opportunity to further expand my knowledge in this field,” she said. “Equally, I am very eager to engage in collaborative research with fellow faculty members and contribute my specialized expertise to research endeavors within our department.”

Economics research on climate and consumer patterns

Ahmadiani has concentrated on the policy-oriented aspects of climate change, specifically centering on climate resilience and adaptation, with a particular emphasis on climate well-being and equity. She is investigating the mechanisms necessary to attain these crucial objectives.

Her research portfolio also covers a wide range of topics related to the well-being effects of climate change. These topics encompass the impact of climate on various facets of life, including households’ food consumption and expenditure patterns, residential location decisions, risk perception, risk mitigation measures and outdoor recreational choices.

“This multifaceted approach to research aligns seamlessly with the interdisciplinary nature of agricultural economics and offers ample opportunities for collaborative research initiatives with colleagues,” she said “Also, the interdisciplinary nature of my work allows for scholarly collaboration with institutes and centers across the university, such as the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture.”

She said as she moves forward, she hopes to dive deeper into the economics of recreational and commercial fisheries, climate adaptation and resilience, and exploring distributive analyses within these areas.

“These topics are not only fascinating but also have significant implications for our understanding of environment and economic dynamics.”

Ahmadiani recently collaborated with Richard Woodward, Ph.D., also in the Department of Agricultural Economics, on a project involving the analysis of geolocation data in the context of recreational fishing studies. Woodward’s research interests span a wide range of topics related to environmental and natural resource economics.

“This effort exemplifies our proficiency in harnessing extensive, high-resolution datasets to derive valuable economic insights,” Ahmadiani said. “It also has unveiled numerous avenues for further research projects on topics other than the economics of recreational fishing, both within our department and in partnership with other research institutions.”

She has received research funding as co-investigator for “A Comprehensive Analysis of the Effects of Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events on Nutritional Well-Being of Households in the United States,” a study implemented by cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Chief Economist.

Academic experience and published works on economics

Before coming to Texas A&M, Ahmadiani was a research associate and then adjunct professor in the Department of Economics at Wake Forest University. Other experiences include: a graduate research assistant in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia, and an energy and environmental economic analyst in the Department of Economic Studies, Mahab Ghodss Consulting Engineering Company, Tehran.

Her teaching experience includes being an instructor in the Department of Economics at Wake Forest University and the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia, where she was also a teaching assistant. She was also a teaching assistant at the University of Tehran.

She has been published in numerous publications, including the Journal of Happiness Studies, Resource and Energy Economics, Ecological Economics, Southern Economic Journal, Journal of Open Source Software and Sustainable Agriculture Research. She has also contributed book chapters to the “Handbook on Wellbeing, Happiness and the Environment,” Edward Elgar Publishing, and “The Future of Risk Management,” University of Pennsylvania Press.

Ahmadiani’s working papers and works in progress in collaborations related to a number of topics include:

• Economic value of energy rigs to recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Toward valuation of energy rigs for recreational anglers: Case of Texas and Louisiana.
• Creative destruction, job reallocation and subjective well-being.
• The economic value of multiperil coastal hazard insurance.
• The heterogeneous relationship of environmental concerns and political orientations in the U.S.
• Beyond the status quo: Heterogeneous impact of stringent anti-bullying laws on school bullying in the state of Georgia.

Economics-related service, memberships, honors

Ahmadiani’s professional service includes that of session chair and discussant for the Southern Economic Association and conference abstract reviewer for the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. She also has been a reviewer for numerous journals.

Additionally, she is a member of the American Economic Association, Southern Economic Association, Association of Environmental and Resource Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economic Association and Agricultural and Applied Economics Honor Society at the University of Georgia.