Dr. Maria Bampasidou completed my Ph.D. in Food and Resource Economics at the University of Florida in Fall 2012. My fields of expertise are applied microeconomics and econometrics, and program evaluation. In my dissertation, Unbundling the Degree Effect in a Job Training Program for Disadvantaged Youths, I am using a novel nonparametric technique to identify and estimate the effect of attaining a GED, high school diploma or vocational degree to participants’ labor market outcomes including earnings and employment probability. Currently my research projects are in the areas of Agricultural Finance, Risk Management, Labor Supply and Production Economics. The overall objective of my research program is to evaluate and assess the impact of (farm) policies on the economic decision making of farmers, their households and farm operations and how they subsequently affect the well-being of rural communities. I actively seek to establish clear economic formulations that will explain the impact of policies on farm household labor allocation decisions, labor supply on and off-the farm, participation in government sponsored programs, farmland values, risk mitigation, and financial performance of (farm) operations. I am also interested in purely abstract results related to the new and growing field of Big Data with applications in finance.

My current projects are in the areas of Agricultural Finance, Risk Management, Labor Supply, and Production Economics. The overall objective of my research program is to evaluate and assess the impact of (farm) policies on the economic decision making of farmers, their households and farm operations. I actively seek to establish clear economic formulations that will explain the impact of policies on farm household labor allocation decisions, labor supply on and off-the farm, participation in government sponsored programs, farmland values, risk mitigation, and financial performance of (farm) operations.