Undergraduate Researcher Presents SNAP Analysis at AAEA Annual Meeting
Research on how vulnerable households access nutrition assistance in Alabama earned one undergraduate researcher a spot at the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting, where she presented her findings to a national audience.
Ariana Villa, a student in the Department of Applied Economics, was selected to present research at the meeting as part of a new multi-university undergraduate research and experiential learning initiative. The program, recommended to her by department faculty, brings together students and mentors from Oregon State University, Michigan State University, Auburn University, and the University of Georgia to conduct research in small, faculty-led teams.
“This research opportunity was the first iteration of the program designed to support undergraduate research and experiential learning,” she explained. “The structure of the project placed students in teams of the research project they were most interested in, so I ended up in a team of three students total with a faculty mentor.”
Her team’s work focused on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a topic connected to her own life. Specifically, she examined the caseload composition of SNAP recipients in Alabama, paying particular attention to the experiences of children, people with disabilities, and individuals of different racial backgrounds.
“We analyzed data from the Alabama Department of Human Resources from 2016 to June of 2021, mainly looking at county-level population data,” she said. “We looked at the number of children on SNAP and the amount of disabled or people unable to work using the program. We then used regression analysis to understand how the caseload changes over time, specifically focusing on the changes that happen during summer months and COVID months.”
For her, the project was more than an academic exercise. “As a student who uses SNAP, I was personally interested in taking on this research project,” she said. “With all the changes and conversations happening around the program, I feel fortunate to have a deeper understanding of how the program works and who it impacts.”
She described attending the AAEA meeting as a transformative experience. Surrounded by peers and faculty immersed in agricultural and applied economics, she found the environment “collaborative and welcoming,” offering new insights both in formal sessions and in casual conversations over coffee.
“This was my first time attending the AAEA meeting, and it was an incredible experience to be surrounded by students within the same discipline,” she said.
The opportunity also held personal significance. “As a first-generation student, this opportunity meant so much to me,” she said. “I felt like I was representing my community in spaces that historically weren’t built for us.”
She credited several faculty members for their support, including Joel Cuffey, who provided mentorship throughout the project, as well as Tim Delbridge, Jeta Rudi Polloshka, and William Secor, who helped organize student participation at the conference.