Welcome
The Department of Agricultural Economics was established at Clemson University in 1926. However, courses and research related to the discipline were conducted in the Agronomy Department as early as 1903. In 1933, Rural Sociology was added to the name, and in 1990 the department's name was changed to Agricultural and Applied Economics. In 2003, the departments of Experimental Statistics and Agricultural and Applied Economics were merged to form the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics.
Early research focused on rural problems of the Depression era. In the 1940s, emphasis shifted to rural economic development. This was the first such research conducted in the United States and is still a major strength of the department. In the 1950s, agricultural marketing and the mechanization of agriculture became major research thrusts. Departmental faculty also became more involved in natural resource and regional development, and during the 1960s, research in the department became more analytically rigorous.
Extension agricultural economists, who had been administratively separate, joined the department in the early 1970s, and the department continues to be actively involved in its three missions of teaching, research and extension.
The master's program was initiated in 1945. In 1959 the Ph.D. program was approved and in 1983 it became a cooperative program with the Economics Department. For undergraduates, the department offers the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in either agricultural economics or community and rural development.
Currently there are approximately 30 faculty and support staff located on the Clemson campus. There are also 8 faculty and support staff located in other parts of the state. Dr. Hoke S. Hill, Jr. is the department chair.
Over the years many of our faculty and staff have received recognition for excellence in teaching, research and extension activities. Dr. Eddie Kaiser received the Gamma Sigma Delta Outstanding Teaching Award for the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, and Dr. Molly Espey has been recognized in teh Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 2005 and Who's Who in Agriculture Higher Education in 2003. In 2004, Dr. Chris Sieverdes was the receipient of the Algernon Sidney Sullivan Award for Service to the University and the Community. Dr. Sieverdes was also recognized as the nation's top advisor for the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity for 1995-1996. Dr. Mark Henry was named a Research Fellow of the Rural Development Research Consortium, University of California-Berkeley for 2003-2006. Dr. Henry was also named Fellow of the Southern Regional Science Association in 2004 and received the David E. Boyce Award for Distinguished Service to the Field of Regional Science in 2000. Dr. Webb Smathers received the 2002 Legacy Award for Conservation and Youth Education from the National Wild Turkey Federation and in 2001 the South Carolina Wildlife Federation's Wildlife and Fisheries Committee recognized his Outstanding Contributions to South Carolina Natural Resources.
The mission of the department has three components:
1. The teaching mission is to provide undergraduate and graduate programs that will prepare students for productive careers in agriculture, business, and government service. The undergraduate program provides training in economics and sociology as applied to agriculture and rural life. Introductory education in basic economics, management, and marketing is provided to students from other departments. Master's and Ph.D. programs provide an in-depth understanding of economic theory and analytical techniques.
2. The research mission is to conduct applied research on economic and social issues in agriculture, natural resources, and rural development. The goal is to allow both private and public sectors to make more informed decisions regarding current and long-term issues and problems. The research mission complements the teaching mission by expanding the knowledge base of the discipline, and complements the public service mission by providing research supporting extension education programs. The research mission is accomplished through the graduate education program with masters and Ph.D. students, research projects funded through the Agricultural Experiment Station by both Federal and State appropriations, and extramural funding for research projects in both the private and public sectors.
3. The extension mission is to provide educational and public service programs that enhance the socioeconomic well-being of South Carolina citizens. The "campus" for these public service programs is the entire state. Extension faculty "extend" social science information and research directly and through the forty-six county extension offices to the general public, farmers, agribusiness, agricultural lenders, trade associations, and policymakers.
2005 by the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.