Welcome!

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis working in Agricultural and Behavioral Economics.

My dissertation explores how consumers interpret and evaluate various food labels and claims, and how they process label- and production-related information, particularly in the context of sustainable farming practices. I also study how consumers react to potentially redundant statements about sustainable production practices used to promote credence qualities, and whether such combinations influence perceived quality and purchase likelihood. Across all studies, I emphasize consumers’ subjective information processing, drawing on insights from behavioral economics to explain outcomes.

Before joining UC Davis, I worked as a researcher at the Korea Rural Economic Institute. I earned both my B.A. and M.A. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Seoul National University.

I am on the job market for the 2025–26 academic year. You can reach me at hjhlee@ucdavis.edu.