Recipient Organization
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
WEST LAFAYETTE,IN 47907
Performing Department
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
Non Technical Summary
The need for research on the agribusiness sector is critical as supply chains are becoming more tightly aligned, businesses are consolidating through mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and stratetic alliances and an industrialization mentality is unfolding. To meet the need for Ph.D. training in agribusiness management and marketing two Fellows will be supported in Purdue University's Ph.D. program in Agribusiness Management and Marketing. These fellows will capitalize on the critical mass of resources at Purdue University and, upon completion of their degree, move into positions in academia or industry in agribusiness management.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Fellowships in Agribusiness Management program at Purdue University will support two Fellows who will enroll in the Purdue Agribusiness Management and Marketing program. The objective of this program is to provide effective, innovative and relevant Ph.D. level training for these two Fellows so that they are prepared to work in agribusiness management in industry and academic institutions, as researchers, classroom teachings and extension teachers. Fellows will receive a unique combination of training in management and agricultural economics that will be vital for serving the needs in the agribusiness industry and academic institutions. Fellows will take graduate courses in business management, agricultural economics, economics, and quantitative methods. Through dissertation research they will have the opportunity to be involved in interdisciplinary research applied to agribusiness management in such areas as food
science, animal science, agricultural engineering, or horticulture. Fellows will take coursework on how to be successful with undergraduate teaching from award winning undergraduate teachers. Fellows will also gain valuable experience by providing instructional support for the executive training seminars conducted by Purdue's Center for Food and Agricultural Business. This will include teaching in the continuing education programs and developing business management case studies. The outcomes of this program will be measured in the short term by the successful completion of the Ph.D. by the Fellows, the employment opportunities that are available to them upon completion of the degree, the number of case studies, papers presented at professional meetings, published manuscripts and Extension programs the Fellows complete. In the longer term the outcomes of this program will be measured by the leadership positions that the Fellows acquire within agribusiness (both academia and industry)
and the difference they make.
Project Methods
Fellows will successfully complete a minimum of 50 semester credits in graduate courses in business management, agricultural economics, economics, and quantitative methods. They will specialize in one area of agribusiness management which requires a minimum of 9 credits of coursework. Like all Purdue Ph.D. students, Fellows will take core courses in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, applied microeconomics as well as additional hours of economic credits and 9 hours of quantitative credits. Fellows also take an Economics Preliminary Examination and an Agricultural Economics Preliminary Examination. The strong economic theory and quantitative methods skills required of all Purdue graduates will allow them to perform research with the rigor to be successful in a competitive academic environment. Fellows complete a dissertation like all Purdue Ph.D. students. They must successfully complete a Dissertation Research Prospectus Seminar and a Final Oral Examination.
Dissertation topics may involve working with specialists in other fields such as food science, animal science, agricultural engineering, or with industry. Fellows will also gain valuable experience by providing instructional support for the executive training seminars conducted by Purdue's Center for Food and Agricultural Business. This will include teaching in the continuing education programs and developing business management case studies. Fellows will take coursework on how to be successful with undergraduate teaching from award winning undergraduate teachers. The faculty and staff in the Department of Agricultural Economics place high priority on having a successful pipeline for all students, including the Fellows. They work with the students to help them write and present papers (including finding financial support to attend the conferences) at professional conferences to make connections that may open doors for jobs in the future. Faculty and staff actively network with
colleagues around the country to promote Purdue students and ensure that Purdue students are given careful consideration for appropriate jobs. Purdue University's Center for Food and Agricultural Business (CAB), New Ventures Team and Agricultural Innovation and Commercialization Center (AICC) provide important avenues for the pipeline. The Fellows will have the opportunity to participate (often as a teaching assistant) in programs offered to agribusiness professionals through CAB, the New Ventures Programming and AICC. Many important contacts have been made by graduate students during these programs that have opened the doors to jobs in the future.