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Our Leadership Team
Our leadership team brings passion and experience to building partnerships, developing actionable science, and developing the future scientific workforce for climate-smart practices.
CO-DIRECTOR
Paul J. Ferraro
Paul J. Ferraro is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Human Behavior and Public Policy at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Ferraro has a joint faculty appointment in the Carey Business School and the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, a joint department of the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Whiting School of Engineering. Ferraro’s research focuses on building a credible evidence base about the environmental and social impacts of public and private programs.
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CO-DIRECTOR
Kent Messer
Kent Messer is the S. Hallock du Pont Professor of Applied Economics and the director of the Center for Experimental & Applied Economics at the University of Delaware. He also co-directs the Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Research (CBEAR), a USDA Center of Excellence. Messer received a BA from Grinnell College, a MS from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from Cornell University. Messer’s research interests include the behavioral response to food risks and the interface between agriculture and the environment. He had published over 110 publications, served as editor of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Review and an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Messer has been an investigator of interdisciplinary proposals worth over $72 million from numerous sources including NSF, EPA, NOAA, and USDA. His recent book is The Science of Strategic Conservation: Protecting More with Less published by Cambridge University Press.
DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH
Mark Masters
Mark Masters currently serves as Director of the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center at Albany State University and is a leading expert in agricultural water use and policy in the Southeastern U.S. Throughout his career, Mark has led numerous research and outreach projects related to water resources in Georgia and has positioned the Center as a trusted technical resource for the State and its water planning efforts. Mark is active on a number of local, state and national advisory boards including the American Farm Bureau Water Advisory Committee, Governor’s Soil and Water Advisory Committee, the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership Board of Directors.
RESEARCH MANAGER
Ann Alvarado
Ann Alvarado currently serves as research manager with the University of Delaware's Center for Experimental and Applied Economics. Valued for her extensive experience in project management, she currently oversees the budget and proposal administration of our research projects and grant submission processes.
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A midwestern native, Ann spent the early years of her career in television news. Receiving her Bachelors of Science in Journalism from the University of Illinois, she pivoted to higher education marketing from her desire to work with college access programs.
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Prior to joining our leadership team, Ann served as a manager with NC State University's Agricultural Communications Division. Under her tenure, the department earned recognition from the Association for Communication Excellence as best in digital magazine, web design, and several target marketing campaigns.​
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Along with her work with CBEAR project teams, Ann also manages the mentoring and training of our undergraduate research assistants. Additionally, she shares our industry best practices and research results to a wide range of audiences via social media, CBEAR's YouTube channel, and the centerbear.org website.
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LAB COORDINATOR
Aisha Emory
Aisha Emory is no stranger when it comes to working with scientists in agri-environments. A former employee with University of Delaware Extension, she now heads up CBEAR's multidisciplinary lab facility.
Aisha is the perfect match for the needs of the center. Given her years of experience working with the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, she brings an understanding of CBEAR's mission and the work that we do.
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Spearheading many improvements to administrative processes in her role with CBEAR, Aisha oversees the management of experiment resources in the center as well as work with budgets, purchasing and the management of funding. Additionally, she uses her strong leadership strengths to manage data gathering collection and the coordination of lab use.
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With an IRB (Institutional Review Board) certification, Aisha insures protocol compliance and manages the procurement of experiment expenditures. She also provides a wide variety of operational, research, and administrative laboratory support services.