Mario Ortez
312 Hutcheson Hall
Dr. Mario A. Ortez, Collegiate Assistant Professor of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship, brings a wealth of experience to his role. Grounded in the food and agricultural sector, he has worked in academia, the private sector, and as an entrepreneur. With a background in agricultural investment and the meat industry, Dr. Ortez has a deep understanding of the field.
Having owned a farm for a decade, he understands the challenges and rewards of running a business firsthand. He is dedicated to sharing his knowledge with students. Dr. Ortez's goal is to inspire and guide future agribusiness practitioners, supporting them in their learning journey at Virginia Tech and preparing them as leaders once they graduate.
Expertise:
- Agribusiness, Finance, Price Analysis, Consumer Preferences, Farm Management
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., Fall 2022 - Master of Science in Agricultural Economics
Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, U.S., Spring 2015 - Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Administration
Panamerican Agricultural School Zamorano, Valle del Yeguare, Honduras, December 2011
Dr. Ortez’s research has been broadcasted in a variety of outlets beyond academic journals. This has included popular industry magazines in the U.S. and overseas including Hoards Dairyman, Food Technology & Manufacturing and Med India. This is a reflection of Dr. Ortez’s efforts that his research endeavors be connected with direct industry needs and implications.
Dr. Ortez has served as Guest Editor and Lead Editor of the Purdue Agricultural Economics Review (PAER), which is Purdue’s Agricultural Economics Department’s flagship communication channel with the Food and Agricultural Industry in the state and beyond. Dr. Ortez has also authored different articles for this publication. Check out his “Food Production and Population Growth: A Cautionary Tale” as a sample.
Dr. Ortez has been invited to speak with podcast hosts about his experiences in food and agriculture and as a business owner. Check out here his conversation with Peter Konjoian & Michelle Klieger of “The Grower & The Economist” and here his thoughts on Coffee Production & Agricultural Marketing with the “Farming the Future.”
Dr. Ortez has conducted research in various fields of the Agricultural Economics space including meat prices, the dairy sector, and consumer choice. He has used cutting edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered technology to better understand consumer sentiment online towards different Agricultural industries and has sought to understand if how people talk online about dairy products influences the futures prices of these products.
Dr. Ortez has collaborated in research with interdisciplinary researchers across premier institutions in the U.S including Purdue University, Oklahoma State University, and Cornell University. His research has been disseminated broadly in traditional academic journals but also in industry newspapers, articles and publications.
Dr. Ortez teaches AAEC 5014: Applied Economic Analytics class for the Masters program concentration in Agribusiness.
Dr. Ortez served as teaching assistant with Purdue University’s Agricultural Economics and Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business online MS-MBA dual degree. He collaborated on different semesters with the AGEC 686 - Agribusiness Strategy and AGEC 685 - Quantitative Managerial Decision Making courses. In addition to this Dr. Ortez served as teaching assistant to Purdue’s AGEC 310 - Farm Management.
Dr. Ortez has been invited to lecture in different institutions including Purdue University, Western Illinois University, and West Virginia University. Where he has taught students about agribusiness, finance, farm management and all the exciting opportunities for young professionals in these fields.
- August 2022 – July 2024 Investment Associate: Teays River Investments - Zionsville, Indiana.
- June 2019 – July 2022 Graduate Research Assistant: Purdue University - West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Dec 2017 – June 2019 Beef Pricing Manager: JBS USA - Greeley, Colorado.
- April 2016 – Dec 2017 Beef Pricing Analyst: JBS USA - Greeley, Colorado.
- June 2015 – Dec 2023 Co-investor in Specialty Coffee Production, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua.
- June 2015 – April 2016 Trainee: JBS USA - Greeley, Colorado.
- Aug 2013 – May 2015 Graduate Research Assistant Kansas State University - Manhattan, Kansas.
- Jul 2012 – Jul 2013 Visiting Scholar: The Ohio State University – Wooster, Ohio.
Ortez, M, Taylor Thompson, Valerie Kilders, and Nicole Olynk Widmar (2024). Quantifying Demand and Willingness to Pay for Local Food Production. Q Open, Volume 4, Issue 1. (LINK)
Ortez, M, Tor N. Tolhurst, Nathan M. Thompson, Nicole Olynk Widmar (2023). Not all Beef-Cut Price Shocks are Alike: Disentangling Supply and Demand Shocks in the US Beef Market. Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. 1–16 (LINK)
Ortez, M, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Mindy Lyn Mallory, Christopher Allen Wolf, Courtney Bir (2022). Online media in dairy markets: a US dairy futures market study. Agricultural Finance Review. Vol. 83 No. 1, pp. 168-185. (LINK)
Ortez, M, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Nathan M. Thompson, Yuan H. Brad Kim (2022). Valuation of dry and wet aged beef by U.S. consumers. QOpen. Volume 2, Issue 1. (LINK)
Ortez, M, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Nathan M. Thompson, Yuan H. Brad Kim (2022). What do U.S. consumers care about regarding beef and its supply chain? Meat Science. Volume 187. (LINK)
Ortez, M, Nathan M. Thompson, Nicole Olynk Widmar (2021). Filet Mignon: It's What's for Dinner? COVID-19 Impacts on the Relative Wholesale Prices of beef cuts. Choices. 4th Quarter 2021. (LINK)
Ortez, M, Courtney Bir, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Jonathan Townsend (2021). Dairy Product Purchasing in Households with and Without Children. JDS Communications. 2(1), 7-12. (LINK)