Congratulations to Dr. Christa Court as the recipient of a 2021 Wells Fargo Extension Professional and Enhancement Award! Dr. Court is an Assistant Professor of Regional Economics and Director of the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program in the Food and Resource Economics Department. She holds a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in Spanish from Middle Tennessee State University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from West Virginia University.

The Wells Fargo Professional and Enhancement Award recognizes Extension faculty members who have a “distinguished record of Extension programming and who have implemented creative, innovative educational programs and educational products”. Dr. Court’s work in leading the Disaster Impact Analysis Program made her an exemplary candidate for this award.

The Disaster Impact Analysis Program assesses the economic losses associated with disaster events in Florida, such as extreme weather (hurricanes, floods, etc.), water quality crises (oil spills and harmful algal blooms), and public health (COVID-19). The program also provides educational programming through numerous local, state, national, and international conferences, meetings, and workshops.

Since Hurricane Irma hit in 2017, Dr. Court has been analyzing the economic impacts of disaster events on production agriculture and communicating the results to Florida government representatives and respective decision-makers. Her skills in developing strong educational programs facilitate public understanding of the topics she’s studied. Her ability to unite stakeholders to a common goal, promote understanding of complex issues, communicate effectively with people of all backgrounds, and develop herself as a trusted source of information both nationally and internationally, has made her invaluable to our department and well-deserving of this award.

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