THE EXCHANGE: Fall 2022

Many exciting things are happening in the department!

We welcomed two new assistant professors in August: Xi He (Ph.D. University of Connecticut) and Zhenshan Chen (Ph.D. University of Connecticut). Xi is an expert in international food and agricultural trade; Zhenshan is an expert on the economics of climate change, land use, and fisheries management. 

Three of our current faculty received recognition and promotions. Jason Grant was appointed earlier this year to hold the Wysor Professorship, one of the most prestigious endowed positions in the college. Jason continues to serve as Director of the Center for Agricultural Trade, a world-class unit examining the economics of international agricultural trade and policy. Catherine Larochelle was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure this past summer and Chanit'a Holmes transitioned into her new role as an Assistant Professor. I couldn't be more proud of their well-deserved accomplishments. You can get to know them more by clicking on the faculty spotlights in the right sidebar. 

We are on the path to having the largest group of new freshman and transfer students in years and also experiencing a growing number of students in our online Master's-level courses. 

Employers are looking to us to provide higher-level education to enhance their employees' skill sets. In addition to the online master's program, we have also added a new certificate in Applied Economic Analytics. AAEC now has two 100% online options, which employers find attractive. If you feel your company and employees might benefit from these options, please reach out to me any time. 

The department is launching its first-ever career fair on October 26th; many leading agribusiness firms in Virginia and beyond have signed up to meet with our students about full-time, part-time, and internship positions.

Later this month, the department will host four leading scholars from around the country to serve as external reviewers of our department and its many academic and educational programs. We are excited to showcase the many great things happening in our department. Lastly, the department has the green light to search for the inaugural holder of the prestigious Kohl Chair, a highly visible position in the department and the college.

We are a department that is on the move and going places. Don't forget to follow us on social media!

Go Hokies!
Matthew T. Holt
Department Head
mattholt@vt.edu

P.S. We now have branded gear with the Virginia Tech Bookstore! Show your department and Hokie pride! {Shop now}