Oral Capps, Ph.D., an Executive Professor, Regents Professor and holder of the Southwest Dairy Marketing Endowed Chair in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University, has been recognized as a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, AAEA.
AAEA serves the professional interests of academics and those in government agencies working in agricultural and applied economics. The association addresses everything from commercial agriculture to natural resource and environmental economics to economic and rural development.
Recognition as an AAEA Fellow is the organization’s most prestigious honor. The primary consideration for selection is the continuous contribution to the advancement of agricultural or applied economics. Achievements may be in research, teaching, extension, administration or other contributions to public or private sector decision-making.
Capps was recognized at the AAEA Annual Awards and Fellows Ceremony at the recent annual meeting in New Orleans.
“Dr. Capps is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in demand analysis, and his contributions to Texas A&M, his field and the association have been immeasurable,” said Rudy Nayga, Ph.D., head of the Department of Agricultural Economics in Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and current president of the AAEA. “His contributions have advanced food demand analysis and understanding of agricultural and food markets. He also has exhibited excellence in teaching, research and outreach, so he certainly deserves this most prestigious honor from the association.”
Nayga said Capps’ research tools and applications have transformed professional approaches to food demand, labeling, nutritional information and nutrition assistance programs, as well as bringing greater attention to preprepared foods and foods prepared away from home.
Capps said he was honored to be recognized by what he called “the flagship association for agricultural economists.”
“There were about 1,300 AAEA members at the meeting in New Orleans, and it was a special experience to receive this honor while I was among them,” he said. “There are about 2,600 members currently in the association, and only 282 have been named Fellows since it began awarding that honor in 1957. I’m very proud to be one of them.”
About Oral Capps
In addition to his duties as professor and endowed chair, Capps serves as co-director of the Agribusiness, Food and Consumer Economics Research Center. He is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in demand analysis, specializing in working with large databases.
His applied research areas include analysis of expenditure patterns related to prepared foods and foods eaten away from home, analyzing health and nutrition issues, and using scanner-derived information for decision-making in food retailing.
He also researches the unilateral price effects of mergers and acquisitions as well as providing analyses of regional, national and international markets for agricultural, agribusiness and financial sectors.
Capps has also authored over 160 refereed journal articles and co-authored four books: Food Demand Analysis: Implications for Future Consumption; Introduction to Agricultural Economics, Seventh Edition; Economic Impact of Country-of-Origin Labeling on the U.S. Beef Industry; and Changes in the Sheep Industry in the United States: Making the Transition from Tradition.
