WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — “A enterprise newspaper revealed an interview with me just a few years in the past titled, ‘Ag economist: U.S. isn’t going to expire of meals quickly,’” Trey Malone mentioned. “It’s framed.”
The agrifood economist explained that this story focused on his “new school approach” to applied economics. Called “convergence research,” his academic goal is to break down systemic topics, like the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global food system, into digestible data for varied audiences.
Because the Purdue College Faculty of Agriculture Division of Agricultural Economics’ Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness, Malone intends to make purposeful connections with the campus neighborhood, agribusiness and agtech industries, and smaller farm operations.
These kind of operations are acquainted to Malone. “My household had a ranch in Laverne, Oklahoma, nevertheless it wasn’t worthwhile. I’m most excited to provide you with artistic methods to extend farm profitability for smaller operations, particularly for producers in center America,” he mentioned.
He’s additionally pushed by the need to innovate research-based options for the agrifood trade. Malone’s upbringing guided his curiosity in meals programs and entrepreneurship, however Michael Boehlje impressed him to pursue agricultural economics. He first heard Boehlje, the now-retired distinguished professor of agricultural economics at Purdue, communicate to a gaggle of rural bankers when Malone was a graduate scholar at Oklahoma State College practically a decade in the past.
“I used to be blown away at how Dr. Boehlje talked about finance technique for world banks and the way in which he may break down world points,” he mentioned. “I keep in mind leaving the convention pondering, ‘That is what I need to do.’”
Boehlje now views Malone as a pioneer within the area. “I believe he is an effective match for the chair as we’ve outlined it. He has a robust concentrate on all three dimensions of the land-grant mission, in instructing, analysis and engagement/extension,” mentioned Boehlje, who, together with his spouse, Rita, dedicated to funding the chair in 2022.
“I’m assured that Trey will make important contributions in analysis, the classroom and outreach/engagement actions of the Middle for Meals and Agricultural Enterprise and the Middle for Business Agriculture. He works very laborious to see that his analysis outcomes are disseminated to the suitable audiences,” Boehlje mentioned.
Malone is honored by the possibility to hold on Boehlje’s legacy. “This place is humbling. It’s my dream job. Dr. Boehlje is hypertalented, and I’ve massive sneakers to fill,” he mentioned.
Malone has garnered in depth recognition in his area, successful greater than a dozen awards throughout his profession. Final yr, he was the agricultural economics fellow for sustainable meals programs for the Farm Basis. He was beforehand an affiliate professor on the College of Arkansas and an assistant professor and Extension economist at Michigan State College. He has contributed to over 60 analysis articles and been featured in information shops comparable to The New York Instances, CNN and Time journal.
His analysis focuses on entrepreneurship, public coverage impacts on the agrifood provide chains and behavioral economics. Because the Boehlje Chair, he desires to harness the facility of Purdue’s land-grant mission and different Faculty of Agriculture facilities. “The Faculty of Agriculture is progressive. It offers you the instruments to knock down partitions,” Malone mentioned. “I believe the faculty is in lockstep with Purdue’s legacy of innovation.”
About Purdue College
Purdue College is a public analysis establishment demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked amongst high 10 public universities and with two faculties within the high 4 in the USA, Purdue discovers and disseminates data with a top quality and at a scale second to none. Greater than 105,000 college students research at Purdue throughout modalities and areas, together with practically 50,000 in particular person on the West Lafayette campus. Dedicated to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s primary campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue by no means stops within the persistent pursuit of the following big leap — together with its first complete city campus in Indianapolis, the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. College of Enterprise, Purdue Computes and the One Well being initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
Author/Media Contact: Ashvini Malshe, 765-496-7480, malshea@purdue.edu
Supply: Trey Malone, djmalone@purdue.edu
Michael Boehlje, 765-404-3443, boehljem@purdue.edu
Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;
Maureen Manier, Division Head, mmanier@purdue.edu
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