Current Research & Opportunities
Virginia’s Land Use-Value Assessment Program Fellowship
This opportunity offers juniors or seniors hands-on experience under the mentorship of Jennifer Friedel and Patrick Kayser.
The LUVA Fellow will assist with:
- Data collection and analysis
- Co-author at least one Extension publication
- Attend statewide and local stakeholder meetings
- Assist with annual reporting, including report preparation
- Assist with LUVA website updates and management
- Update stakeholder resources and publications
You will receive:
- $500 per semester with a one-year commitment
- The program covers travel expenses for professional opportunities, including conferences and stakeholder or industry events
To apply, you must have the following requirements:
- Junior or senior standing
- Available to work at least 5-10 hours a week during the semester
- Have taken AAEC 2434 preferred or equivalent instruction in basic economic principles and business finance
- Have taken AAEC 3014 preferred or equivalent experience with Excel spreadsheets, formulas, data visualization tools, and data analytics
- Provide a minimum one-page writing sample
Skills you’ll learn:
- Statistical programming in SAS, STATA, and R
- GIS systems
- Communication
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Presentation and outreach
- Leadership
- Organizational skills
- Networking with industry and stakeholders
The Fellows will work with the Marketing, Communications, and Partnerships Manager to ensure that presentations and articles are properly branded, grammatically accurate, and aligned with both departmental and university standards.
Graduate Assistantship
Graduate students enrolled in degree programs for the M.S. thesis option, and for the Ph.D. are eligible for support by a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) or graduate research assistantship (GRA). Assistantships may be offered to any of these graduate students, except those entering on provisional status. A graduate student who does not initially receive an assistantship may qualify for assistantship support as early as the second semester of his/her program depending upon performance in the classroom.
Assistantship assignments may be for the academic year (9 months) or calendar year (12 months). Some students are supported for shorter periods on an hourly-wage basis, and all students enrolled in the graduate degree programs are eligible for hourly-wage employment.
Current Research Projects
Solar Facilities Effect on Agricultural Land in Virginia
Utility-scale solar farms are rapidly expanding across the United States, especially in rural Virginia. This research aims to measure the impact of hosting a utility-scale solar farm on agricultural land prices within that county of Virginia, as well as estimate regional spillover effects by quantifying how proximity to adjacent treated counties influences agricultural land values. This research was conducted by Isaac Hull in collaboration with Michael Cary.