About Me

I am an Associate Professor of Economics at Farmingdale State College. My current research focuses on applying environmental economics and nonmarket valuation tools to assess the demand for disc golf and the societal value of disc golf courses. Through this work, I aim to inform policy decisions and public land use, particularly in urban areas where recreational spaces are in high demand.

My broader research interests include Environmental Economics, Natural Resource Economics, Energy Economics, and Stated Preference Methods. Before joining Farmingdale, I was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Oberlin College. Prior to that, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.

I completed my Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. Sébastien Pouliot, focusing on U.S. energy policy, biofuels, and the demand for renewable fuels like E85. My work aims to integrate behavioral economics with agricultural and environmental economics to analyze public policies, marketing strategies, and behavioral interventions.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

• Jimena González-Ramírez, Kevin Meyer, and Kenneth A. Liao. 2026. “Valuing Recreation Opportunities Near Urban Areas: Evidence from Disc Golf.” Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 51(3): 587–610.

• Kenneth A. Liao, Jimena González-Ramírez, Kevin Meyer, and Victoria Adams. 2026. “Paying to Play: How Seasonal Fees Affect Disc Golf Course Choice.” Journal of Sports Economics 27(6): 655–681.

• Kenneth A. Liao, Jimena González-Ramírez, and Kevin Meyer. 2024. “Impact of Entrance Fees on Disc Golf Course Attendance: Empirical Insights from Heckscher State Park.” New York Economic Review 54: 37–66.

• Sébastien Pouliot, Kenneth A. Liao, and Bruce A. Babcock. 2018. “Estimating Willingness to Pay for E85 in the United States Using an Intercept Survey of Flex Motorists.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 100(5): 1486–1509.

Other Scholarly Publications

• Sébastien Pouliot and Kenneth A. Liao. 2017. “Motorists’ Willingness to Pay for E85 versus E10.” Agricultural Policy Review, Winter 2017.

Research in Progress and Working Papers

• Kenneth A. Liao, Jimena González-Ramírez, and Kevin Meyer. “Daylight Saving Time and Outdoor Recreation: Evidence from Disc Golf.” Manuscript in preparation. Uses high-frequency UDisc participation, weather, and daylight data to examine the causal effects of clock changes on outdoor recreation.

• Kenneth A. Liao. “Further Research Using Longitudinal Disc Golf Activity Data.” Exploratory research. Projects examining individual participation, recreation timing, course substitution, and international daylight saving time policy comparisons.

• Kenneth A. Liao and Sébastien Pouliot. “Econometric Analysis of Minnesota Motorists’ Preference for Ethanol in Motor Fuel.” Working paper.

Presentations

• Estimating the Value of a Disc Golf Course with Revealed and Stated Preferences. Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) Scholar’s Circle. April 18, 2024.

• Estimating Disc Golf Demand: A Travel Cost Perspective. New York State Economics Association (NYSEA) - 75th Annual Conference. October 21, 2023.

• Price Responsiveness and Course Substitutability among Disc Golfers. Eastern Economic Association (EEA) - 49th Annual Conference. February 25, 2023.

• High Society - Economics of Cannabis: Markets and Policy. Get Started in the Cannabis Industry Workshops. Queens College and Farmingdale State College. June 18, 2022.

• The Demand for Disc Golf and the Value of Disc Golf Courses. Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) - Annual Meeting. June 14, 2022.

• The Recreation Demand for Disc Golf near New York City. Eastern Economic Association (EEA) - 48th Annual Conference. May 7, 2022.

• High Expectations: How Cannabis Legalization Affects Demand. New York State Economics Association (NYSEA) - 74th Annual Conference. October 16, 2021.

• Teaching and Learning Principles of Economics with Online Synchronous Classes: An Empirical Assessment using COVID-19 as a Natural Experiment - Farmingdale State College Business and Economics Seminar Series. March 16, 2021.

• Teaching and Learning Principles of Microeconomics with Online Synchronous Classes: An Empirical Assessment using COVID-19 as a Natural Experiment. New York State Economics Association (NYSEA) - 73rd Annual Conference. October 3, 2020.

• The Price is Wrong: Analysis of Player Prices and Values in Fantasy Football. Farmingdale State College Research Colloquium. February 27, 2020.

• Analysis of Player Prices in Fantasy Football: Find Value and Win Money. Farmingdale State College Business and Economics Seminar Series. November 7, 2019.

• Estimating Willingness to Pay for E85 in the United States. Farmingdale State College Business and Economics Seminar Series. October 16, 2018.

• Estimating Willingness to Pay for E85 in the United States. New York State Economics Association (NYSEA) - 70th Annual Conference. October 7, 2017.

• Estimates of the Demand for E85 Using Stated-Preference Data Off Revealed-Preference Choices. AAEA Annual Meeting, Selected Paper. August 2, 2016.

• Demand for Ethanol: Evidence from Consumer Choice Between E85 and E10. Iowa NSF EPSCoR Energy Policy Workshop. October 14, 2015.

• Econometric Analysis of Motorists' Preference for Ethanol in Motor Fuel. AAEA Annual Meeting, Selected Paper. July 27, 2015.