Faculty Spotlight
Bruce Babcock
Professor of Public Policy
What brought you to the UCR School of Public Policy?
After spending quite a few years at Iowa State University working on issues important to Midwestern agriculture I felt that I needed some new challenges and topics to work on. California has the largest and most diverse agricultural sector of any state so moving to UCR was quite attractive. In addition, my wife and I wanted to move back to Southern California after being gone so long.
What are your research passions, and what led you to them?
I want to understand better how growers can use technology and data to better manage their crops. That has been an underlying theme of my throughout my career. Management of pests, water, and nutrients can potentially all be made more efficient by adoption of appropriate technology.
What are you currently working on (research-wise)?
Right now I am working on two citrus projects. The first is to estimate the benefits of grower cooperation in managing the Asian Citrus Psyllid, which is the insect vector that transmits the citrus-killing disease Huanglongbing. The second is to project the impacts on citrus acreage and profitability of California moving to regulate groundwater extractions for the first time.
What would you like the public to know about your research?
The public should know that UCR agricultural researchers are dedicated to helping the California agricultural sector prosper by developing new knowledge and technology that can help growers and processors manage emerging threats and policies. These efforts ultimately benefit consumers by expanding food choice and lowering food prices.