Dr. Florence Becot

Biography

Florence Becot is the Nationwide Insurance Early Career Professor and Lead of the Agricultural Safety Health Program at Penn State University. She specializes in agricultural health and safety, focusing on the social and economic needs of farm households as well as social agricultural policies. Her research utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate factors influencing farm families' health and safety practices, including child care and health insurance accessibility. Becot’s work contributes significantly to rural social sciences and examines how social policies impact farm families, helping them adapt to economic shocks and ongoing changes. She leads the Agricultural Safety Health Program (ASH), known for its commitment to identifying and mitigating safety hazards in agriculture through educational approaches. Beckot's academic background includes a Ph.D. in Environment and Natural Resources with a specialization in Rural Sociology from Ohio State University, and she has a Master’s in Community Development and Applied Economics from the University of Vermont along with a Bachelor’s in Economics and Social Sciences from the University of Rennes 1 in France. In her current role, she promotes better understanding and support for farm families, emphasizing their health, safety, and economic viability within the agricultural sector.

Research Interests