DENIN Faculty Fellow Honored with USDA Award

DENIN is proud to report that Kent Messer, Faculty Fellow and Professor of Applied Economics, has been honored with the Bruce Gardner Visiting Economist Award by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Dr. Messer is the founding co-director of the Center for Behavioral & Experimental Agri-Environmental Research (CBEAR), established in 2014. Funded by the USDA, CBEAR has integrated behavioral insights into the design of federal agri-environmental programs. Dr. Messer’s projects have helped develop sustainable practices for the USDA’s approach to agribusiness and environmental policy, changes that are instrumental to both improved environmental outcomes and reduced expenses.

The Bruce Gardner Award is given to economists whose work has substantially impacted USDA programs and policies. Dr. Messer was recognized for outstanding leadership, and his CBEAR seminar series workshops were cited as having given USDA economists “a better understanding, collaboration, and expansion of [their] collective knowledge base,” and “helping agencies to better serve the needs and interests of [their] clients in agriculture.”

We congratulate Dr. Messer on his award and the lasting impact he’s making on conservation in the agricultural world.