EDUCATION

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Ph.D., Applied Economics (2022)

Oregon State University, USA

Fields: Applications of Experimental and Behavioral Economics on Food Demand Studies - option saliency, role of information and social influence in consumer decision making

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M.Sc., Agricultural Economics (2017)

University of Nebraska - Lincoln, USA

Fields: Applications of Experimental and Behavioral Economics in Conservation and Management of Ecosystems - impact of social networks in contribution to public goods, developing country heterogeneous fishery

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B.Sc., Agriculture (2014)

Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

Fields: Agribusiness Management – Firms’ responsiveness to quality management in production

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

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Applied Agricultural Economics, Applications of Behavioral and Experimental Economics to understand; the consumer behavior, producer/ firm behavior, and the conservation of environmental resources.

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

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Postdoctoral Fellow – Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, University of Idaho (since April 2023)

Fields: Minority Entrepreneurship and Applications of Behavioral Economics

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ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

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Teaching:

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Instructor, Oregon State University, USA

AEC 250 – Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy (Summer 2021-Ecampus)

AEC 221 - Agricultural Marketing and Policy (Spring 2021-Ecampus)

 

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Oregon State University, USA

AEC 513 - Microeconomic Theory II (Fall 2019, 2020) For Dr. Nadia Streletskaya

AEC 512 - Microeconomic Theory I (Fall 2020) For Prof. Junjie Wu

AEC 221 - Agricultural Marketing and Policy (Spring 2019, 2020, 2021) For Dr. Nadia Streletskaya

AEC 311- Intermediate Applied Econ I (Winter 2019) For Dr. Nadia Streletskaya

AEC 311- Intermediate Applied Econ I (Winter 2020, 2021) For Dr. Jeff Reimer

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Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

AECN 265 - Environment and Resource Economics I (Spring 2016) For Dr. Simanti Banerjee

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Research:

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Graduate Research Assistant, Oregon State University, USA

For Dr. Nadia Streletskaya (Fall 2017 - Fall 2018)

For Prof. Jennifer Alix-Garcia (Summer 2019)

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Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

For Dr. Simanti Banerjee (Fall 2015 - Spring 2017)

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Student Mentor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

Wang Yinrou, undergraduate, summer research program 2016

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RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND PUBLICATIONS

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Published-

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Weerasekara, N. D. K. and Streletskaya, N. (2023). Tasting and consumer demand for wine: do peers and experts matter?. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review.

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Streletskaya, N., Weerasekara, N. D. K. and Li, J. (2023). The Impact of Outside Option Saliency and Product Descriptions on Consumer Tasting Behavior. Journal of Wine Economics.

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Banerjee, S., Mukherjee, Z. and Weerasekara, N.D.K. (2016). Understanding the Economic Characteristics of a Developing Country Marine Fishery— A Case Study of the Digha-Shankarpur Fishery in Eastern India. , Cornhusker Economics, Sep. 21, 2016.

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Weerasekara, N. D. K., Jayasinghe-Mudalige, U. K., Ikram, S. M. M., Udugama, J. M. M., Edirisinghe, J. C. and Herath, H. M. L. K. (2014). Firms’ Responsive Towards Quality Management in Bottled Drinking Water Manufacturing Industry in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Journal of Economic Research, 2(1), 67 - 78.

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Working papers-

 

Weerasekara, N. D. K., Lewin, P. and Fisher, M. Family health on the monetary success of the entrepreneur: entrepreneur-spouse-child interdependence (Findings from a sensitivity analysis) – accepted to present in the Western Regional Science Association annual conference- Feb. 2024

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Weerasekara, N. D. K. and Lewin, P. Marginalization of labor force with poor family health: insights from the US labor force

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Weerasekara, N. D. K. and Lewin, P. Economic resilience of minority businesses to uncertain shocks

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Peer- reviewed conference presentations-

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Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting 2019, July 21-23, Atlanta, Georgia. “Wine tasting: consumer preferences for wine, choice, and sensory information” - Poster

 

Heartland Environmental and Resource Economics Workshop 2016, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. “Do regulations on fishery resource management affect spatial competition among processors” - Poster

 

Summer Research Symposium 2016, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Economics of Fishing: An Application to Eastern India” - Poster

 

2 nd International Economic Research Conference 2013, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya. “Food Safety Responsiveness of Bottled Water Manufacturers: An Empirical Investigation” – Oral Presentation

 

12th Agricultural Research Symposium 2013, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila. “Constraints and Incentives for Bottled Drinking Water Manufacturing Firms in Sri Lanka to adopt HACCP Food Safety and Quality Metasystem-A Discriminant Analysis” – Oral Presentation

 

Abstracts-

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Weerasekara, N. D. K. (2013). Risk Management in Agribusiness, proceedings of 8thIn-Plant Training Symposium, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila, 53-54.

 

Projects-

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Experimenter for the project “Towards Successful Fundraising Campaigns: Social Networks and their Role in Threshold Public Goods Games” under the supervision of Dr. Simanti Banerjee, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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AFFILIATIONS

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• Lab manager, Applied Experimental Economics Lab (AEELab), Oregon State University (since August 2018-June 2022)

• Treasurer, Agri Econ Graduate Student Association, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (since 2016-2017)

 

PROFETIONAL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICE

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• Reviewer for: Journal of Business Economics (2023)

• Reviewer for: AAEA annual meeting abstracts (2022, 2023)

• Member of: Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA)

• Co-coordinator, 9th In-Plant Training Symposium (2014), Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

• Member, logistic committee, Agriculture Research Symposium (2013), Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

• Member, publication committee, In-plant Training Symposium (2013), Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

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EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

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Temporary Assistant Lecturer, Department of Agribusiness Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka (since May 2014 to May 2015)

 

Internship Trainee, CIC Agri Businesses (Pvt.) Ltd., Kandy, Sri Lanka (since October 2013 to February 2014)

 

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

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• International Student Continuation Scholarship awarded by the Oregon State University for the 21-22 academic year

• Graduate research/teaching assistantship awarded by the Oregon State University, USA, 2017 Fall

• Graduate research assistantship awarded by the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA, 2015 Fall

• Excellence at G.C.E. Advanced level examination (2008) – Swarnamali Girls’ School, Sri Lanka

• Best project award at the competition organized by the Sri Lanka Environment conservation organization (2001)

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OTHER

 

Languages: Sinhala (Native speaker), English

Citizenship: Sri Lanka

Computer skills: STATA, Qualtrics, working knowledge of Z-Tree, Mouse-tracker

Other Skills: Econometric Modelling, Experimental design and conducting, Survey design, Choice Experiments

Interests: Handmade cards (Blog: http://fairygreetings.blogspot.com), scrapbooking, sewing, sightseeing