September 13, 2022 — Dr. Brady Deaton, Jr. will discuss “Institutional Alertness and Research on Land Use and Drinking Water Quality” as part of the E.T. & Vam York Distinguished ASA Lectureship plenary lecture for the Communication and Public Engagement for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.

The meeting is sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.

Dr. Deaton will provide an overview of his research and outreach efforts to understand and enhance the use of resources to improve human well-being. In his presentation, he will define ‘institutional alertness’ and will explain why it serves as the key conceptual compass he uses to navigate and focus his research. He will provide specific examples from his research examining land ownership in rural regions of the United States, farmland rental arrangements in Canada, and drinking water sharing arrangements on First Nations located in Canada.

“I’m very excited to engage with ASA members during the 2022 conference about this topic,” says Deaton. “ASA members share an appreciation of grounded knowledge and effective outreach efforts. I intend to develop these common threads in my plenary session in a way that I hope will be thought-provoking for attendees.” 

Dr. Deaton is the McCain Family Chair in Food Security in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph.  He earned his Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University. His research focuses on food security and land tenure. He served as President of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society, an editor of the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, and President of the Institutional and Behavioral Economics Section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

Professor Deaton provides leadership to an award-winning teaching, research, and outreach program. He received the Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Guelph’s Central Student Association and the Distinguished Extension Award from Ontario’s Agricultural College. The Canadian Agricultural Economics Society honored him and co-authors with the 2021 Outstanding Journal Article Award for their research on food insecurity on First Nations.

For more information about the Communication and Public Engagement for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/. Media are invited to attend the conference. Pre-registration by October 25, 2022 is required.

To speak with Dr. Deaton prior or during the meeting, contact Susan V. Fisk, sfisk@sciencesocieties.org to arrange an interview.