My name is Yao Yang, and I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence at University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture (UADA) and will transition to the role of Research Scientist in Fall 2026. I hold a master’s degree in economics from North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Georgia.

My research focuses on agricultural commodity markets, risk management, and market participants’ responses to information and price signals. In particular, I study how agricultural producers use crop insurance, futures and options contracts, marketing contracts, and other risk management tools to manage price, production, and revenue risks. I also examine how producers and grain merchandisers respond to public information releases and market expectations when making hedging, storage, and marketing decisions. Related areas of my research include futures spreads, basis behavior, price discovery, and hedging activity in agricultural markets.

Through my research, I aim to improve our understanding of price formation and decision-making across the agricultural supply chain and provide insights that support more effective marketing and risk management.

I can be reached out by email yaoy@uark.edu.