Background
LaPorchia’s current research focuses on issues in agricultural production in the U.S. livestock, dairy, and poultry industries. Her core research fields are agricultural and development economics, with an emphasis on topics related to food security, inequality, and the environment. Prior to joining USDA, ERS in 2021, LaPorchia served as a professor of practice and director of Undergraduate Studies in Economics at Tulane University, where she worked for 5 years upon completion of her doctoral studies. For her contributions to teaching and research, LaPorchia was awarded the 2020 Lawrence M. v. D. Schloss Prize for Excellence in Economics. Between 2012 and 2014, she served as a data analyst for the Ohio Department of Transportation, where she automated the Chained Fisher Construction Cost Index to aid in monitoring construction costs and forecasting inflation. LaPorchia also interned with the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service as part of her role as a USDA/1890 National Scholar.
Education
LaPorchia earned a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics from The Ohio State University in 2016 and a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Southern University and A&M College in 2011.
Selected Publications
Button, P., L. A. Collins, A. Denteh, M. García-Pérez, B. Harrell, E. Isaac, and E. Ziedan. 2021. “Teaching Controversial and Contemporary Topics in Economics Using a Jigsaw Literature Review Activity,” The Journal of Economic Education 52(4): 286–295.
Collins, L. A. 2020. “The Effect of Farmers’ Market Access on Residential Property Values,” Applied Geography 123.
Collins, L. A. 2020. “The Do Now: A Simple, but Effective Active Learning Strategy,” Applied Economics Teaching Resources 2(2): 58–63.
Bojanic, A. N., and L. A. Collins. 2019. “Differential Effects of Decentralization on Income Inequality: Evidence from Developed and Developing Countries,” Empirical Economics 60: 1969–2004.
McLean-Meyinsse, P. E., L. A. Collins, and S. S. Taylor. 2017. “A Snapshot of Undergraduate Students’ Nutritional Awareness, Levels of Food Label Use, and Perceptions of Their Health Status,” Journal of Food Distribution Research 48(1): 1–8.
Chen, J. J., and L. A. Collins. 2014. “Let’s Talk About the Money: Spousal Communication, Expenditures, and Farm Production,” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 96(5): 1272–1290.
