Michael Vassalos

Associate Professor of Agribusiness
Director of Graduate Studies for the Dept. of Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural Sciences Department

Office: 233 McAdams Hall
Phone: 864-656-2439

Email: mvassal@clemson.edu

Educational Background

PhD Agricultural Economics
University of Kentucky 2013

M.Sc. Agricultural Economics
University of Kentucky 2008

B.Sc. Agricultural Economics
Agricultural University of Athens 2005

Courses Taught

Agriculture and Society (AGRB 2050) - Taught every Fall semester since 2013

Economics of Farm Management (AGRB 3020) - Taught every Fall semester since 2013

Agribusiness Management (AGRB 3190) - Taught every Spring semester since 2014

Agricultural Policy (AGRB 4520/AGRB6520) - Taught every Spring semester since 2014

Research Methods (AGSC 8890) - Co-instructor with Dr. Karthikeyan since Spring 2022

Internship (AGRB 4190) - Taught every Fall semester since 2013

Profile

Dr. Michael Vassalos, originally from Athens, Greece, is an Associate Professor of Agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Clemson University. He also serves as the Director of the Graduate Program within the department. An applied economist by training, Dr. Vassalos specializes in analyzing consumer and producer preferences for value-added products and innovative production practices.

Beyond his teaching and research responsibilities, Dr. Vassalos is actively engaged in promoting student involvement and experiential learning. He serves as the faculty advisor for the Clemson Agribusiness Association (https://blogs.clemson.edu/clemson-agribusiness-association/), an undergraduate student organization that regularly hosts guest speakers, organizes field trips, and supports students' professional development. The club is also highly active in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s (AAEA) student competitions, earning the AAEA Outstanding Club Award on three separate occasions. In addition, Dr. Vassalos coaches Clemson’s Agribusiness Academic Competition team and leads an international study abroad program aimed at enhancing students’ global understanding of agribusiness.

Dr. Vassalos currently holds the position of Co-Editor for the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics (JAAE).

Recent Awards
[1] CAFLS Outstanding Senior Faculty in Teaching 2025
[2] NACTA Educator Award 2020

Research Interests

My primary research interest lies in evaluating both consumer and producer preferences for value-added agricultural products, utilizing survey-based instruments and advanced econometric techniques. I aim to better understand the factors driving decision-making and market behavior in this context. Additionally, my research explores how technological innovations and risk exposure influence agricultural producers' profitability, with a focus on identifying strategies that enhance sustainability and economic resilience.

Publications

Nian, Y., D. Lamie, M. Vassalos, D. Tregeagle, B. Boyles, and D. Vossbrinck. 2025. "A Diamond in the Rough: Identifying Heritage Crop Niche Markets in the United States Using a Discrete Choice Experiment" https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.70043

Jeffers, A., B. Bee, M. Vassalos, W. Bridges and S. White. 2025. "Estimating Consumer Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Knowledge" HorTechnology 53(2) 160-165

Berg, N., A. Thayer, F. Silva, M. Vassalos, Z. Wang, and N. Smith. 2025. "The relationship between commodity diversification and the adoption of technological innovations for Southeast beef cattle producers" Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 54(1): 138 - 156

Arnold, J., F. Silva, and M. Vassalos. 2025. "Exploring consumer motivations for frequent visits and high spending at farmers' markets" Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association 4(1): 4-16

Behler, S., F. Silva, M. Vassalos, and J. Ureta. 2024. "Consumer Willingness to pay for Visually Imperfect Organic Kale” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 56(1): 21-45

Rossi, J., M. Vassalos, C. Schmidt, R. Lamie and A. Wade.2023. "Consumer Perceptions of Craft Breweries in the American South" Journal of Food Distribution Research 54(3): 102-116.

Ureta, J. F. Silva, M. Vassalos, and G. Strickland. 2024. “Effects of Organic and Origin Labels on Consumer Willingness to Pay for Kale: A Case Study in Southeastern US.” Journal of Food Distribution Research. Volume 55, Issue 2, pp. 96–120.

Jeffers, A.H., B. Bridget, M. Vassalos, W. Bridges, and S. White. 2023. "Consumer Purchase Likelihood of Landscape Management Pest Scouting Program" HortTechnology 33(6): 493-498.

Richards, S., and M. Vassalos. 2023. "Marketing Opportunities and Challenges for Locally Raised Meats: An Online Consumer Survey in South Carolina" Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development 12(2): 159-184

Ureta, J.C, M. Motallebi, M. Vassalos, S. Seagle, and R. Baldwin. 2022. Estimating Residents' WTP for ecosystem services improvement in a payments for ecosystem services (PES) program: A Choice Experiment approach. Ecological Economics https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107561.

Richards, S., M. Vassalos and M. Motallebi. 2022. Factors Affecting Consumer Purchasing Decisions and Willingness to Pay for Oysters in South Carolina. Journal of Food Distribution Research: 53(2): 1-25

Ureta, J., M. Motallebi, M. Vassalos. M. Alhassan, and JC Ureta. 2021. "Valuing Stakeholder Preferences for Environmental Benefits of Stormwater Ponds: Evidence from Choice Experiment" Journal of Environmental Management https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112828