College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Major professor: Vincenzina Caputo

Major professor's email: vcaputo@msu.edu

Expected graduation date: Spring 2023

Degree type: Ph.D.

Areas of Specialization: Consumer Behavior, Local Food, Marketing, Hops, Beer Economics

Personal Website: https://aaronjstaples.com/

Publications on Google Scholar

Job Market Paper: The Paycheck Protection Program and Small Business Performance: Evidence from Craft Breweries

View Aaron's CV here.

Aaron is a PhD student studying food value chains, environmental sustainability, and consumer preference in food and drink. He earned a BA in Economics from Westfield State University in 2018 and an MS in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University in 2019. Aaron wrote his master's thesis on consumer preference for sustainability attributes in beer and has continued to use America's beer industry to explore systemic complexities across agricultural value chains. More recently, his work has emphasized the development of localized beer value chains, focusing extensively on Michigan's burgeoning craft beer sector. Aaron currently serves as the AFRE GSO Webmaster and the Chair-Elect for the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association's Graduate Student Section.