Recipient Organization
UNIV OF MINNESOTA
(N/A)
ST PAUL,MN 55108
Performing Department
Applied Economics
Non Technical Summary
The University of Minnesota proposes a National Needs Graduate Fellowship in the Economics of Food Security and Hunger for PhD students in Applied Economics. The Department carries on the distinguished intellectual tradition of Vernon Ruttan -the preeminent scholar in the economics of agricultural productivity - on the campus where Norman Borlaug - the father of the green revolution - once studied. From this heritage, it follows that our goal is to produce economists highly trained in economic theory and econometrics who can address the complex issues in global food security and hunger, and who have a strong interest in a career as a food or agricultural scientist working in academia or in the public service. The proposal addresses the Targeted Expertise Shortage Area of Agricultural Management and Economics in the agricultural marketing and management and international agriculture discipline. The project focuses on global food security and hunger, which encompasses a broad range of issues from reducing variability in agricultural production (which may involve pest /invasive species monitoring, responses to climate changes and natural disasters, water use, effective disease management strategies, etc); improving market structures and market access; increasing sustainability of production and distribution systems, and measuring and reducing food insecurity domestically and globally. The University of Minnesota program offers an exceptional faculty, an innovative curriculum, and extensive university resources to recruit and train students to be leaders in the field of agricultural economics with respect to these issues.The Applied Economics PhD program at the University of Minnesota is unique in its field because of the broad coverage of applied economics fields, cross-unit collaboration, and interdisciplinary connections. The University of Minnesota has long possessed one of the premier programs nationally in agricultural and applied economics. Moreover, since 2006 when the program and curriculum were broadened in an interdisciplinary manner, we have seen a steady increase in the number and quality of applicants to the PhD program. Our innovative program combines faculty from four units on campus for the purposes of graduate education, and offers students outstanding opportunities to enhance their training in economics with effective leadership and communication skills. The four units include the Department of Applied Economics, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, the School of Public Health, and the Carlson School of Management. Because the program crosses these unit boundaries at the university, graduate students have access to a broad array of faculty, research projects, courses, and opportunities that enhance their educational experience.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The project addresses the Targeted Expertise Shortage Area of Agricultural Management and Economics in the agricultural marketing and management and international agriculture discipline by training three Ph.D. students in this area. The goal is to choose outstanding students, provide them with top notch training and produce scholars with who are interested in a career inThe project focuses on increasing the pool of trained scholars in the area global food security and hunger, which encompasses a broad range of issues from reducing variability in agricultural production (which may involve pest /invasive species monitoring, responses to climate changes and natural disasters, water use, effective disease management strategies, etc); improving market structures and market access; increasing sustainability of production and distribution systems, and measuring and reducing food insecurity domestically and globally.The Department of Applied Economics and the University of Minnesota have a strong program that will enable the National Needs PhD Fellows to succeed. The porject consists of:1) A PhD curriculum that includes a core in microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics and quantitative methods. Additional coursework in international trade, economic development, environmental/resource economics, consumer and producer theory and welfare economics will be taken by the Fellows. Students have the option of minoring in disciplines beyond economics, including conservation biology, statistics, or other scientific disciplines.2) A high-quality, productive research agenda on global food security and hunger issues affecting farmers, agribusinesses, consumers and the environment here and around the world. Recent hires (including Beatty and Bellemare, co-PDs) in conjunction with established scholars in the Department have created a solid core faculty in these areas.3) Professional development opportunities for graduate students including a host of weekly seminars, a teaching certificate program for graduate students, and support for travel to professional conferences. A critical mass of outstanding graduate student peers in the program provides the Fellows with opportunities to learn from and study with a diverse and global cohort of students.4) Connections with national and international policymakers, as well as partners in Extension. Three centers located in the department, The Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy (CIFAP), The International Science and Technology Practice and Policy center (InSTePP), and The Food Industry Center (TFIC) all provide important linkages to research, policy and careers for the Fellows. Two other centers located in the department, The Center for Farm Financial Management (CFFM) and the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) are exemplary Extension and outreach centers focusing on agricultural management and K-12 economic education, respectively. In addition, the Economic Development Center, a joint entity of the departments of Economics and of Applied Economics, sponsors a workshop series in which speakers include faculty and graduate students as well as outside experts.5) University resources to recruit and support students from traditionally underserved populations. These include an Office for Diversity in Graduate Education as well as fellowships opportunities targeted at minorities and traditionally underserved populations.6) Ongoing program review. The Department of Applied Economics is developing and monitoring a set of performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the graduate program on an ongoing basis. Unlike program reviews that occur once per decade, ongoing program evaluation and monitoring allows for continual improvement. The input of students in the ongoing review is a critical piece towards ensuring their preparation for their careers, certainly in terms of knowledge and training, but also in terms of leadership and communication skills.
Project Methods
In order to further expand the pool of potential fellows, we will undertake a number of strategies to inform potential candidates about the fellowships and the opportunities at the University of Minnesota. These strategies will include mailing of informational brochures to administrators, colleagues, agribusiness industry, and prospective graduate students in Agribusiness, Economics and Agricultural Economics throughout the US. The brochure will describe the National Needs Fellowship as well as the PhD program. In addition, we will advertise the National Needs Fellowships in relevant publications including newsletters and web pages of the major agricultural economics associations and relevant scientific associations. Information on the University of Minnesota's National Needs Fellowship program will be displayed at national meetings of professional agricultural economics and economics associations. Core faculty will attend meetings to personally recruit and discuss the program and the Fellowship with prospective candidates. Personal contacts with university, agribusiness, and government colleagues will be especially important to identify outstanding Fellow candidates.Our project recognizes that one of the keys to a high graduation rate for Fellows is mentoring. Ensuring Fellows are successful requires a concerted and broad effort to make sure the student gets off to a good start, is actively engaged, and grows in responsibilities with increased experience. Research suggests that graduate students need mentoring as opposed to a 'sink or swim' approach. In addition, we have learned from our previous experience with Fellows that they benefit from a well-structured mentoring program. Co-PDs Beatty and Bellemare will serve as initial advisors and will work with Fellows on course selection, monitor their early academic progress, and begin to help them think about research topics. This form of mentoring will help the students get adjusted to academic expectations and ensure progress through the program. In addition, the Director of Graduate Studies will maintain close contact with the Fellows to make certain they are progressing.As noted above, general performance indicators include:(1) number of applicants,(2) average applicant quality,(3) number of publications and conference presentations by graduate students(4) fraction matriculating,(5) time to degree,(6) placement of students