Gary Thompson

Department Head

Professor

Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness Natural Resource & Environmental Economics
Gary Thompson, Professor and Department Head

My research continues to focus on consumer demand for all sorts of products from residential water to organic foods. I am currently working on projects analyzing consumer demand for fruits and vegetables, food safety, and health concerns. I thoroughly enjoy applying microeconometric methods for analyzing these food and resource questions.

Though not entirely visible in my CV, since 2002 I have taught our Advanced Applied Econometrics M.S. class in which we work closely with American Express using their proprietary very large data sets to answer real-world business problems posed by American Express staff.  This innovative public-private collaboration with American Express in Phoenix, Arizona and New York City provides M.S. students a unique opportunity work with real data on a real problem and communicate the results in a formal business presentation made by students to American Express staff in Phoenix and NYC.  As part of the department’s specialization in applied econometrics, the capstone course has helped many alumni obtain applied econometrician jobs in financial, energy, health, communications and educational industries.

I currently serve as department head while maintaining an active research and teaching commitment.  If you would like to correspond with me, please send me an email here: gdthomps@email.arizona.edu

Peace Corps

Country of Service: Guatemala
Service Years: 1977-1980
Service Sector: Agricultural Development

How did the AREC program connect your service and help you prepare for your professional experiences?

Peace Corps work provides you first-hand experience in the problems people face in achieving their aspirations for a better life. At the same time, you learn how to become more self-reliant, self-directed, and persevering in achieving your own goals. Living and working in another place, another culture and language cannot help but change your view of the world, other peoples, and the natural environment.

Why would you recommend that an RPCV join our M.S. program?

As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer at the University of Arizona, you will find a welcoming, supportive community of RPCVs. In the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, you will be able to study and master highly applicable skills, interact with interesting peers from around the world, and enhance your ability to continue serving in new ways while making a good living.

Degrees

  • Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1986

Awards & Honors

  • Fulbright Specialist, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy, 2009
  • Graduate College Teaching and Mentoring Award, University of Arizona, 2007
  • Fulbright Distinguished Research/Lecturer Award, Viterbo, Italy, 2006
  • Outstanding Article (with Paul Wilson), Honorable Mention, Review of Agricultural Economics, 2004

Classes Taught

  • AREC 403, Analysis of Economic Data (formerly Marketing and Price Analysis)
  • AREC 559, Advanced Applied Econometrics
  • AREC 397, Preparing for Career & Life Success (with Danielle Buhrow)

Recent Publications

Blumberg, J., Thompson, G. 2021. Nonparametric Segmentation Methods: Applications of Unsupervised Machine Learning and Revealed Preference. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, August 2021, http://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12257

Wang, Xiangrui, Jukwan Lee, Jia Yan, and Gary Thompson. 2018. Testing the Behavior of Rationally Inattentive Consumers in a Residential Water Market. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 92: 344-59, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2018.09.004

Clarke, Andrew, Bonnie Colby and Gary Thompson. 2017. Household Water Demand Seasonal Elasticities: A Stone-Geary Model under an Increasing Block Rate Structure. Land Economics 93 (4): 6008–30, https://doi.org/10.3368/le.93.4.608

Caracciolo, Francesco, Luigi Cembalo, Alessia Lombardi, and Gary D. Thompson. 2014. Distributional Effects of Maize Price Increases in Malawi. Journal of Development Studies 50 (2): 258–75, 

https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2013.833319

Thompson, Gary D., Satheesh V. Aradhyula, George Frisvold, and Russell Tronstad. 2010. Does Paying Referees Expedite Reviews?: Results of a Natural Experiment. Southern Economic Journal 76 (3): 678–92, https://doi.org/10.4284/sej.2010.76.3.678