Becca Weir Joins Penn State as Ag Economics Professor

By Blake Jackson

Becca Weir, Ph.D., has joined Penn State’s Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education in the College of Agricultural Sciences as an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics. Weir began her role in September, bringing with her extensive academic and practical experience in agricultural economics.

Weir earned both her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota. Weir also holds a B.A. in Economics from Minnesota State University-Moorhead and an A.S. in Liberal Arts from the North Dakota State College of Science.

In her new position, Weir plans to develop an Extension program focused on farm and risk management, agricultural finance, and agricultural policy areas that form the foundation of her research. Through her combined research and Extension efforts, Weir aims to identify management strategies and policy approaches that strengthen the economic resilience of farms in an increasingly dynamic industry.

"Farms are businesses, and finding strategies to achieve financial success is increasingly important due to market volatility. Market conditions have a significant impact on a farm’s profitability, so it's essential to control the controllables within an operation," Weir said.

"My goals within this position are to identify strategies for producers to manage their risk and volatility, to understand federal and state policy interventions that impact farmers, and to share these insights to assist with decision-making."

Weir will collaborate with several Penn State Extension teams, including the dairy and livestock groups. “I am excited for the opportunity to immerse myself in the dairy and livestock industry in Pennsylvania and support producers through Extension programming,” she added.

Raised on a dairy farm in central Minnesota, Weir incorporates her agricultural background into her research. Weir past work includes analysis of the Dairy Margin Coverage program and examining how genetic selection affects farm profitability, particularly through the net merit index.

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