Rebecca Wasserman-Olin is a Ph.D. student in Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University. Her research concentrates on regional food systems, agribusiness, and applied policy analysis that promotes farm viability and supports local economic development. She has worked on a range of projects, including estimating the economic impact of wheat stem sawfly on yield losses in Colorado and analyzing the value of plant pathology research in sweetpotatoes. She is currently examining the role of commissary kitchens in supporting food entrepreneurship across the U.S.
Rebecca holds an M.S. in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and a B.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With a background in both academic research and vegetable farming, she is interested in how economic tools can help communicate the value of agriculture within regional economies. Through REDI, she looks forward to contributing to applied research efforts, collaborating across disciplines, and supporting work that highlights the economic role of food and agriculture in community development.