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Mid-Florida Research & Education Center

Mid-Florida Research & Education Center

Hayk Khachatryan, Ph.D.

Professor — Economics

Hayk Khachatryan is an associate professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department and Mid-Florida Research and Education Center. His research interests include consumer behavior, experimental economics, pro-environmental behavior, temporal preferences, and urban and environmental policy.

Recent empirical work estimates the effects of policies and regulation on consumer behavior, such as sustainable production labeling or economic incentives for water conservation in the urban environment. Other projects integrate stated preferences and visual attention data to investigate shopper behavior and effectiveness of point-of-sale advertising and promotions.

He has published in the economics, agricultural economics, and social psychology journals, including Applied Economics, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, and Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics. His outreach work focuses on sustainable developments in the environmental horticulture industry and impacts of urban and environmental policies in Florida.

Hayk Khachatryan, Ph.D.
Room #151
2725 S. Binion Road
Apopka, FL 32703-8504
Ph: (407) 410-6951
Fax: (407) 814-6186
E-mail: hayk@ufl.edu

  • Education
    • Ph.D., Washington State University, 2010
    • M.A., Washington State University, 2007
    • B.S., Armenian State Agrarian University, 2003
  • Recent Grant Projects

    • Protecting Pollinators with Economically Feasible and Environmentally Sound Ornamental Horticulture, Funding Agency: USDA NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (2016-2021)

    • Identifying the Best In-store and Trade Show Displays and Promotions for Green Industry Stakeholders, Funding Agency: National Horticulture Foundation (2017-2018)

    • Economic Impacts of the Florida Environmental Horticulture Industry, Funding Agency: Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (2015-2016)

    • Promoting Florida-Grown Ornamental Plant Sales through Smart Labels and Targeted Advertising Strategies, Funding Agency: USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (2014-2016)

    • Improving Yield and Profit of Greenhouse Production of Citrus Trees for Out‐planting, Funding Agency: USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (2014-2016)

    • Investigation of Economic Impacts of Florida’s Highway Beautification Program, Funding Agency: Florida Department of Transportation (2013-2014)

    • Effects of Economic Incentives and Adoption of Smart Irrigation Technologies and Alternative Residential Landscapes in Florida, Funding Agency: Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology, University of Florida (2013-2018)

  • Academic Service

    University and College Level

    • Senator, Faculty Senate, University of Florida, 2013-2016.
    • Member, Faculty Assembly, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 2015-2018.
    • Member, Faculty Assembly, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 2012-2015.
    • Member, Smith-Lever Act 100th Anniversary Task Force, 2013-2014.

    Departmental Level

    • Member, Search and Screen Committee, 2016 (UF-IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department – Assistant Professor in Economic Impact Analysis/Regional Science position).
    • Member, Search and Screen Committee, 2015-16 (UF-IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center Director position).
    • Member, Review Committee, 2014 Awards of Excellence for Graduate Research, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida.
    • Member, Search and Screen Committee, 2014 (UF-IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center - Center Director position).
    • Member, Search and Screen Committee, 2014 (UF-IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center - Assistant Professor position).
    • Member, 2013 Best Doctoral Dissertation Award Selection Committee, Food and Resource Economics Department
    • Member, Search and Screen Committee, 2013 (Assistant Professor position – Ornamental and Landscape Invasive Weed Management, UF-IFAS, University of Florida)
    • Member, Greenhouse Production Advisory Committee, Orange County Extension (2011-present)
    • Member, MREC Research Field Day Organizational Committee (2011 – present)

    Academic Associations Service

    • Founding Member, The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s (AAEA) Experimental Economics Section, 2015.
    • Founding Member, The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s (AAEA) Specialty Crop Economics Section, 2016.
  • Honors and Awards

    • University of Florida Term Professorship Award, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, 2017

    • Best Paper Award, Innovation Category, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, Aarhus, Denmark, 2016.

    • Superior Service Award from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service for the USDA/Department of Transportation Study of Rural Transportation Issues project, 2012.

    • Washington State University Research Assistant of the Year - Excellence Award, Pullman, Washington, 2010.

    • Best Paper Award Runner Up, Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, 2008.

    • Agricultural and Rural Transportation Paper, Second Award, Transportation Research Forum, Fort Worth, Texas, 2008.

Selected Publications

Khachatryan, H., D.H., Suh, W., Xu, P. Useche, and M. Dukes. 2019. Towards Sustainable Water Management: Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Smart Irrigation Technologies. Land Use Policy, 85, 33-41. 

Rihn, A., X. Wei, and H. Khachatryan. 2019. Text vs. Logo: Does Eco-label Format Influence Consumers’ Visual Attention and Willingness-to-pay for Fruit Plants? An Experimental Auction Approach. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 82, 101452.

Wei, X., H. Khachatryan, and A. Rihn. 2019. Investigating Consumer Preferences for Production Process Labeling Using Visual Attention Data. Behavioral Sciences - Special Issue Consumer Neuroscience, 9(7), 71.

Li, Y., Palma, M., C. Hall, H. Khachatryan, and O. Capps. 2019. Measuring the Effects of Advertising on Green Industry Sales: A Generalized Propensity Score Approach. Applied Economics, 51(12), 1303-1318.

Khachatryan, H., A. Rihn, B. Behe, C. Hall, B. Campbell, J. Dennis, and C. Yue. 2017. Visual Attention, Buying Impulsiveness, and Consumer Behavior. Marketing Letters, 29(1), 23-35.

Khachatryan, H., A. Rihn, B. Campbell, B. Behe, and C. Hall. 2018. How Do Consumer Perceptions of ‘Local’ Production Benefits Influence Their Visual Attention to State Marketing Programs? Agribusiness: An International Journal, 34(2), 390-406.

Khachatryan, H., A. Rihn, B. Campbell, C. Yue, C. Hall, and B. Behe. 2017. Visual Attention to Eco-Labels Predicts Consumer Preferences for Pollinator Friendly Plants. Sustainability, 9(10), 1743.

Suh, D.H., Z. Guan, and H. Khachatryan. 2017. The Impact of Mexican Competition on the U.S. Strawberry Industry. International Food & Agribusiness Management Review, 20(4), 591-604.

Suh, D.H., H. Khachatryan, A. Rihn, and M. Dukes. 2017. Relating Knowledge and Perceptions of Sustainable Water Management to Preferences for Smart Irrigation Technology. Sustainability, 9(4), 607.

Khachatryan, H., and A. Rihn. 2017. Consumer Perceptions of Plant Production Practices that Aid Pollinator Insects’ Health. HortScience, 52(5), 749-755.

Zaffou, M., A. Rihn, B. Campbell, H. Khachatryan and O. Hoke. 2017. Influence of Product Type and Perceptions on the Geographic Boundary for Local Products. International Food & Agribusiness Management Review, 20(3), 401-414.

Behe, B., P. Huddleston, C. Hall, H. Khachatryan and B. Campbell. 2017. Recognition, Awareness, Purchase Intention, and Visual Activity on Real and Fictitious Plant Brands. HortScience, 52(4), 612-621.

Hovhannisyan, V., and H. Khachatryan. 2016. Household Level Demand Analysis of Ornamental Plants in the United States. Agribusiness: An International Journal, 33(2) 226–241.

Khachatryan, H., Suh, D.H., G. Zhou, and M. Dukes. 2016. Sustainable Urban Landscaping: Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Turfgrass Fertilizers. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 65(3), 385-407.

Hovhannisyan, V., and H. Khachatryan. 2016. Household Level Demand Analysis of Ornamental Plants in the United States. Agribusiness: An International Journal, 33(2) 226–241.

Suh, D.H., H. Khachatryan, and Z. Guan. 2016. Why Do We Adopt Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care? Evidence from Do-It-Yourself Consumers. Applied Economics, 48(27), 2550-2561.

Rihn, A., H. Khachatryan, B. Campbell, C. Hall and B. Behe. 2016. Consumer Preferences for Organic Production Methods and Origin Promotions on Ornamental Plants: Evidence From Eye-tracking Experiments. Agricultural Economics, 47(6), 599-608.

Campbell, B., H. Khachatryan, C. Hall, B. Behe, and J. Dennis. 2016. Crunch the Can or Throw the Bottle? Effect of “Bottle Deposit Laws” and Municipal Recycling Programs. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 106, 98-109.

Yue, C., B. Campbell, C. Hall, B. Behe, J. Dennis, and H. Khachatryan. 2016. Consumer Preference for Environment and Origin Attributes in Plants: Evidence from Experimental Auctions. Agribusiness: An International Journal, 32(2), 222-235.

Campbell, B., H. Khachatryan, B. Behe, C. Hall, C. Yue, and J. Dennis. 2015. Consumer Perceptions and Misperceptions of Ecofriendly and Sustainable Terms. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 44(1), 21-34.

Khachatryan, H., J. Joireman, and K. Casavant. 2013. Relating Values and Consideration of Future and Immediate Consequences to Consumer Preference for Biofuels: A Three-Dimensional Social Dilemma Analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 34, 97-108.