Jaclyn Kropp, who joined the University of Florida in August 2012, has recently achieved the status of full professor. This is a well-deserved recognition of her scholarly pursuits and leadership in engaging the next generation of agricultural and applied economists.  

Understanding and Addressing Healthy Food Access

Dr. Kropp is an applied agricultural economist whose work largely focuses on agricultural policy and finance. Much of her research is in the field of nutrition economics, focusing on evaluating the impact of food assistance programs, specifically subsidized school meal programs, and factors influencing food access. 

“The overarching goals of US agricultural policies are to improve nutrition and ensure an adequate, safe, and affordable food supply by supporting and stabilizing farm incomes,” Kropp said. “Motivated by the twin challenges of hunger and childhood obesity, my research contributes to the understanding of consumption patterns of students participating in school meal programs and the evaluation of interventions promoting healthier eating.” 

Looking to the future, Kropp plans to continue to apply her economic expertise toward a better understanding of how to improve healthy food access for consumers.  

“I am excited to start a new project aimed at developing a new measure of food access,” Kropp said. “The current definition of food access is based on proximity to full-service grocery stores. The team that I am working with is designing a measure that accounts not only for access to food retailers but also the availability of healthy foods.” 

Empowering the Next Generation

While her contributions to research and understanding of nutritional access policies are immense, it is her impact on students in the classroom that Dr. Kropp is most proud of. 

Students at the undergraduate and graduate level can learn from Dr. Kropp, as she teaches many classes including Advanced Agribusiness Management, Public Policy and the Agribusiness Firm, and International Agricultural Trade.  

Last year, she received the NACTA Educator award from the North American College Teachers Association in recognition of the dedication she has shown to innovative classroom practices and student mentorship.  

“I am passionate about teaching,” Kropp said. “Watching my students succeed in their careers is my greatest accomplishment.” 

It is her hope that this latest accomplishment of full professor status will further empower her students to envision a pathway of their own in academia.  

For more information on Dr. Kropp and her work, please visit her faculty directory page on the FRE website.   

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