Applied Economics Teaching Resources

an AAEA Journal

Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Teaching Education Commentary

The Case for Transdisciplinary Data Science Education in Agricultural Economics

Jason J. Holderieath(a), Michael K. Crosby(b), Lorraine A. Jacques(c) and Pradeep Chowriapp(a)
(a)Northwest Missouri State University, (b)Louisiana Tech University, (c)University of Tampa, (d)Louisiana Tech University

JEL Codes: JEL Codes: A22, Q19, Q29, Q39
Keywords: Agricultural economics, agriculture, data science, education, transdisciplinary

First Published Online: August 13, 2025

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Abstract

In agricultural fields, automation is rapidly increasing, and the needs of employers are increasingly shifting toward integrating skills in data analysis and effectively collaborating and communicating with colleagues and stakeholders. Preparation for an increasingly integrated world must challenge graduates of agricultural programs beyond their traditional silos to gain an integrated understanding of skills and techniques for the twenty-first-century workforce. Higher education is slowly shifting toward an integrative model where students gain experiences and professors facilitate their education more than talking at them for three hours per week. Here, we call for a transdisciplinary approach to education in agricultural economics where students are presented with opportunities to develop technical skills in data science and analytics and experiences to develop soft skills to ask questions and effectively communicate results. These skills will make graduates more competitive in the workforce as more data become available and more production will be needed while increasingly minimizing the ecological impact.


About the Authors: Jason J. Holderieath is an Associate Professor at Northwest Missouri State University (Corresponding Author Email: jholderieath@nwmissouri.edu). Michael K. Crosby is an Associate Professor of Geographic Information Systems at Louisiana Tech University. Lorraine A Jacques is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tampa. Pradeep Chowriappa is an Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator at Louisiana Tech University.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and Professor Box Leangsuksun for organizing the first Data Science Education Group meetings at Louisiana Tech University.

Copyright is governed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA

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