Duke Lab
Welcome to Dr. Josh Duke’s laboratory, Head & Professor of Auburn’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology.
News & Lab Research

Ryan Thomson receives Rural Sociological Society Early Career Award
Ryan Thomson, assistant professor in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, received The Rural Sociological Society Early Career Award for 2021. Proposals for the award involve small-scale projects that will enhance...

Agricultural economics researchers seek to aid new farmers in changing business climate
The challenges facing today’s small- and medium-sized farm operators are numerous, but perhaps the most daunting challenges are those faced by beginning farmers in a business climate that is currently in the midst of a generational turnover. A three-year study by...

Economists discuss uncertain crop markets
After seeing record-high crop prices six years ago, U.S. farmers have been on a roller coaster ever since, with extreme weather events, trade issues and a worldwide pandemic all causing unpredictability. The COVID-19 pandemic, specifically, has caused significant...
Lab Activities
From September to December 2019, Dr. Duke hosted four visiting scholars of Agricultural Economics from Huazhong Agricultural University, China. During their stay, Dr.Duke helped them to enroll in classes like Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Production Economics and Agribusiness Finance from AgEcon Department and Microeconometrics from Econ Department.
Meanwhile, with the help of Dr. Liu, Dr. Duke provided a variety of research training to these visiting scholars including
- Weekly lab meetings to read and discuss journal papers which were selected according to their research interests;
- Tips on writing a journal article and identifying a targeting journal;
- Inviting them to partly participate in ongoing projects. To practice their presentation skills and oral English, the lab also offered them to present their own research in China and Dr.Duke provided suggestions and comments to each of them.
(Person in the picture from left to right: Xutao Qu, Chenchen Tang, Dr. Duke, Dr. Liu, Huan Mao, and Liwen Yuan)
Recent Awards
- USDA National Award for Excellence
- 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Delaware
- 2017 Excellence in Teaching and Advising Award, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Delaware
- David C. Lincoln Fellowship 2017-2018
Recent Selected Professional Activities
- Water Resources Research – Associate Editor (2013-2017)
- Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association – President (elected 2012)
- Water Science and Policy, Program Committee
- Advisory Panel on Nutrient Trading, Chesapeake Bay Commission
- Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association – Distinguished Member
- Land Economics – Editorial Board (2007-)
Impact Measures
Citation metrics from Thomson-Reuters
840 citations on 46 Web of Science articles as of 9/30/19, with 14 h-index and 7.9% self-cites. 2,143 citations from Google Scholar. On Mendeley, 853 citations with 37,655 views.
When compared to the other 197 PhD graduates in 1998 from all 37 Applied Economics PhD programs in the U.S. and Canada, the names of whom were published in AJAE, these citations rank 7th of 197 (top 3.5%) on Thomson-Reuters (analysis conducted November 2015).