Molly Sears

Molly Sears

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Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Phone:
517-432-3649

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Dr. Sears is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, appointed in the tenure system. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics in May 2022.

Dr. Sears’s research integrates agricultural and environmental policy, focusing on improving agricultural productivity while preserving soil health and water quality. Her work is stakeholder focused and takes an interdisciplinary approach, including agricultural producers, agronomists, and hydrologists (among others) to provide valuable context and rigorous science behind her economic analysis. Dr. Sears’s research agenda is currently comprised of three main components: (1) nutrient management, application, and behavior; (2) innovations and adaptation in agricultural water quality; and (3) agricultural resilience to climate and market shocks. Dr. Sears also has an Extension appointment, working with Michigan agricultural communities on topics related to specialty crops, irrigation and water quality, and Farm Bill, marketing, and conservation programs.

Dr. Sears has published her work in a variety of journals, including Ecological Economics, Applied Economics Perspectives and Policy, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Agriculture and Human Values, and Land Use Policy. She has presented her work at over 30 conferences and seminars, as well as many grower and technical adviser meetings.

Research and Outreach Interests

  • Technology adoption and innovation
  • Water management and policy
  • Nutrient Management
  • Choice Modeling
  • Survey Design

Teaching Experience

  • (MSU) AFRE 300: Public Policy in the Agri-Food System, Spring Semester (2023-2024)
  • (UC Berkeley) EEP C101: Environmental Economics, Summer (2019)
  • (UC Berkeley) ARE 375: Pedagogy for ARE Graduate Student Instructors, Fall (2018)

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