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

Publications on Google Scholar

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 shocks. Dr. Sears also has an Extension appointment, working with Michigan agricultural communities on topics related to specialty crops, irrigation, water quality and tiling, and Farm Bill and conservation programs.

Dr. Sears has published her work in a variety of journals, including 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 20 conferences and seminars, as well as several grower and technical adviser meetings.

Research and Outreach Interests

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

Teaching Experience

• (UC Berkeley) EEP C101: Environmental Economics, (2019/Summer)
• (UC Berkeley) ARE 375: Pedagogy for ARE Graduate Student Instructors, (2018/Fall)