Brian E. Roe, PhD, the Van Buren Professor and associate chair in the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences’ Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, has earned The Ohio State University 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award. Senior leadership in the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) recently surprised Roe with the honor.
Brian Roe receives 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award
Roe is widely considered to be the world’s foremost expert on the problem of food waste. He has pioneered the introduction of behavioral economics to issues of agricultural and natural resources, as well as linking agricultural and health economics. Roe has also made foundational contributions to understanding the economics of issues like food safety, the effects of food labeling, markets for local foods, and agricultural contracts.
"I am honored by the nomination and the collegiality that everybody has shown over the decades I've been here. I'm greatly appreciative of the university and college for being such a great base to do all this work. I'm humbled and thankful.”
Several of Roe’s family members also joined in on the surprise by Zoom. “It’s great to see everyone on the Zoom and I’m touched by this intersection of worlds.”
“Two things stood out in your nomination packet: the breadth of your research and your ability to translate it into real world impacts,” said Loren Wold, senior associate vice president in ERIK. Wold went on to share examples from colleagues’ letters of support that highlight the impact Roe’s work has had on society.
Cathann Kress, vice president for Agricultural Administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences echoed those sentiments. “I think it really says something about a scholar when you are as renowned among your peers as you are by lay people who understand and appreciate not only the work you do but then utilize these discoveries fully in the decisions they make,” said Kress. “It's hard to have work that can do all of those things and I commend you for your efforts that make that possible.”
Amy Ando, department chair for the Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics Department, also shared her thoughts. “You are still finding new ways to create discovery, to build new bridges, to show directions for paths that need to be built. The work you're doing now is going to open another whole avenue of research in what you do,” Ando said. “You are an outstanding researcher, an extraordinary public servant, and everything you do lifts up the people around you.”
Roe leads the Ohio State Food Waste Collaborative, a collection of researchers, practitioners and students working together to promote the reduction and redirection of food waste as an integral part of a healthy and sustainable food system. Roe co-leads the RECIPES Network, a National Science Foundation Sustainable Regional System's Research Network focused on increasing food system sustainability, resilience and equity by addressing the issue of food waste. He is also a faculty affiliate of the Sustainability Institute and the Food Innovation Center . Roe is a fellow and President-elect of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, where he previously served as an editor for the Association's flagship journal, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Since arriving at Ohio State in 1998, Roe has served as a principal investigator of projects that have attracted more the $30 million in external funding, including from the National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, the World Bank, and several private sector and non-governmental organizations. Roe attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he received his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and was named as part of the 1990 Truman Scholar class. He earned his doctorate in Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland. Prior to his employment at Ohio State, Roe worked on policy issues surrounding food safety and health information disclosure as a Staff Fellow at the US Food and Drug Administration in Washington, DC.
The Distinguished Scholar Award is among the highest annual honors awarded at Ohio State. The university-level award annually honors six faculty members who demonstrate scholarly activity, conduct research or creative works that represent exceptional achievements in their fields and garner distinction for the university.
Award recipients are nominated by their departments and chosen by a committee of senior faculty, including past award recipients. Distinguished Scholars receive an honorarium and a research grant to be used over the next three years.
Quotes from Roe’s nomination:
“Brian is a brilliant scholar. He’s prolific and original, leading the discipline in new directions. He has mastery over theory and quantitative tools, a deep understanding of policies, and a fertile mind that allows him to tackle important research challenges creatively. Brian is one of the best thinkers in agricultural economics and policy. As an intellectual leader, he has been ahead of the field and introduced innovations and creativity to research and understand agricultural health and environmental problems.” David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley.
“Brian’s work is notable for the high-quality economic reasoning, appropriate quantitative methods including developing new methods if needed, the policy-relevant nature of the topics selected for study, and the clear communication of his research’s findings. In particular, his communication skills are top-notch and have directly led to the high impact of his research. Brian’s work gets excellent media coverage, lots of citations, and notice from policymakers because people can understand the importance and implications of his work.” Jeffrey H. Dorfman, North Carolina State University.
“Dr. Roe is among the most prolific scholars in the agricultural and applied economics profession. His extensive research portfolio spans multiple areas, including consumption and production economics, resource economics, food safety demand, risk attitudes in agricultural production, and consumer behavior regarding food waste. His publication record includes not only top field journals like the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economics Perspectives and Policy, but also highly respected interdisciplinary journals. This breadth highlights both his ability to collaborate with scholars across a range of disciplines and his success in broadening the impact of his research beyond agricultural economics.” Bidisha Mandal, Washington State University.