Scott Swinton

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University Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Degrees:
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
M.S., Cornell University
B.A., Swarthmore College

Scott Swinton taught and researched agricultural and environmental economics at Michigan State during 1991-2024. He built his post-PhD career at Michigan State, progressing from assistant professor to University Distinguished Professor. Along the way, he served as Associate Chairperson in charge of graduate program (2011-16) and as Chairperson (2021-23).

His economic research examined agriculture as a managed ecosystem. Starting from an understanding of farmer goals and resource constraints, he aimed to explore how technology, information, and policy could combine to enhance management for environmental and profitability outcomes. He concentrated on crop pest, weed, pollination, and nutrient management; precision agriculture; resource conservation; bioenergy crop production; and management of risks to human health and income. Besides his work on U.S. farming, he did extensive research on agricultural and natural resource management in Latin America and Africa.

Swinton enjoyed bringing economics to multidisciplinary research teams. His 100+ journal articles appeared in fields ranging from economics to ecology to agronomy to engineering. The topics ranged from drought survival in Niger to butterfly decline in the United States to evaluation of alternative spatial econometric models to a typology of ecosystem services from agriculture.

Swinton taught undergraduate managerial and ecological economics, as well as farm management. At the graduate level, he developed courses in agricultural production economics, applied microeconomics, and research design and writing. A dedicated mentor of graduate students, he advised over 100 graduate students, including as major professor to 37 who completed degrees. Thirteen of these advisees won best thesis awards from the Department and three won national awards from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

He served as President of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association during 2017-18 and on its elected Executive Board during 2012-15 and 2016-19. Under his leadership, the AAEA created the journal Applied Economics Teaching Resources. MSU granted him its William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty award in 2015 and named him University Distinguished Professor in 2019.

Research and Outreach Interests

Design of incentives to induce adoption of environmentally beneficial farming technologies
Farmer decision making
Valuation of ecosystem services linked to agriculture
Design of sustainable bioenergy production systems
Formulation of compelling research arguments

Teaching Experience

Research Design and Writing in Applied Economics (AFRE 891, graduate, 2018-20, 2023-2024)
Economics of Decision Making in the Agri-food System (ABM 303, undergraduate, 2016, 2018-20)
Applied Microeconomics (AFRE 900A, graduate, 2011-14).
Agricultural Production Economics (AEC 855, graduate, 1994-98, 2000-10).
Ecological Economics (EEP 255, undergraduate, 2007, 2009)
Agricultural Operations Management (AEC 851, graduate, 2003-04, 2006).
Agricultural Firm Management (AEC 851, graduate, 1993-96, 1998).
Farm Business Management (FSM 330, undergraduate, 1991-98).

Administrative Experience

Associate chairperson for graduate study, 2011-16.

Chairperson, 2021-23.