James W. Richardson (M.S. 1973, Ph.D. 1978) is known for his internationally recognized and award winning research program in economic theory and quantitative methods. Richardson is a Regents Professor at Texas A&M University and currently serves as co-director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center. Richardson says that the professors at OSU challenged him to extend his mind, and the training he received was the springboard he needed to develop new techniques that made his job of teaching and doing risk analysis research easier and more accurate.

Nolan Quiros (Ph.D. 1997) is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development Studies for the School for Field Studies in Costa Rica. As director, he coordinates the center’s curriculum, the research agenda of an interdisciplinary faculty team and the relationship between the Center and the government and private institutions in Costa Rica.

Dave Marcouiller (Ph.D. 1992) serves as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. With a joint appointment as a resource economist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension, much of his work centers on the practical application of knowledge to solve real-world problems in rural development throughout the Midwest. Marcouiller says that his years at OSU were transforming because even though his classes spent much time studying complex theoretical elements of macro and micro economics, the professors never allowed them to stray too far from reality. He says graduate training at OSU provided him the multi-disciplinary basis to be an effective teacher, researcher, and extension specialist.

Ehsan Khan (Ph.D. 1993) is a Project Economist with the Asian Development Bank based in Manila, Philippines. His responsibilities include working with the governments of Indonesia and Philippines in bringing development to agricultural and rural sectors. Khan was a key member of the bank’s response team for the Asian Tsunami on Dec. 26, 2005. As a part of the team focusing on Indonesia, the country to suffer the most devastation, his contributions included damage assessment and the development of a recovery strategy for the agricultural sector. Khan says OSU set him on the right path by equipping him with the theoretical background and analytical tools to meet requirements of his job.

Megan J. Provost (B.S. 2002, M.S. 2003) is the trade economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. She says that without a doubt, she owes the job she has today to the education, experience and contacts she received during her time at OSU. Provost says that while not every person can truly say they enjoy what they do, she can; and she owes that to the guidance and support of the OSU agricultural economics department.

Jared Carlberg (Ph.D. 2002) says his training at OSU prepared him for his tenure-track academic position at the University of Manitoba. The department’s course offerings were broad enough to choose from several areas of specialization, while providing excellent instruction in core fields. Carlberg says the teaching experience he gained in the department was impressive to his employer when he was a candidate for his current position. Carlberg teaches courses in agribusiness, econometrics and industrial organization. He also conducts research on problems in agricultural marketing.

Eric Kocher (Ph.D. 1989) is the Vice President of International Consumer Card Acquisition Capabilities for American Express. He says that when he joined American Express, the combined knowledge of economics, statistics, and hands-on experience with data analysis from OSU proved very useful and applicable in his work.

Per Pinstrup-Andersen (M.S., Ph.D.), a 2001 World Food Prize winner, 2005-2006 American Ag Econ Assoc President, Chairman of CGIAR Science Council and professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy at Cornell University, say the Ph.D. in agricultural economics he earned at OSU led to much success in his career. Pinstrup-Andersen, who has worked for the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, the International Fertilizer Development Center, and the International Food Policy Research Institute, encourages students who are interested in pursuing a professional career in economic and agricultural development to seek admission to the graduate program of agricultural economics at OSU.

Kullapapruk Piewthongngam (Ph.D. 2000) is a lecturer and assistant dean for academic affairs at Khon Kaen University in Thailand. She is also an advisor for Thailand’s Dept of Trade Negotiations. She says that her suggestions to the department have been directly formed through knowledge gained from taking classes such as international trade, macroeconomics, econometrics and policy analysis at OSU. Moreover, Piewthongngam believes that OSU is a home for students from all over the world, the experiences with different cultures and beliefs are priceless.