People Section

University of California, Berkeley

• Award: Andrew Stevens, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, 2015 Chester O. McCorkle Student Scholarship
• Position Taken by Recent Graduate: Phu Viet Le, PhD, Lecturer, Fulbright Economics Teaching Program

University of California, Davis

• New Appointments: Gabriel Lade, Assistant Professor, Iowa State University, Department of Economics; Emilia Tjernström, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison; John Einer Flatnes, Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University; Kassahun Melesse, Assistant Professor, Oregon State University
• Retirement: Philip L. Martin, 37 years of service

Cornell University

• Award: Bradley Rickard, New York Wine & Grape Foundation, Research Award
• Positions Taken by Recent Graduates: Peixun Fang, MS, Co-Founder, Zhizi Tech Company, China; Xiao Hu, MS, Model Risk Management Analyst 
• Retirement: Richard Boisvert, 43 years of service

University of Florida

• New Appointment: Spiro E. Stefanou, Professor and Chair of Food and Resource Economics

University of Idaho

• Position Taken by Recent Graduate: Hilary Davis, MS, USDA Iowa Farm Service Agency
• Leave: Philip Watson, Sabbatical at IMPLAN Inc./Alward Institute for Collaborative Science, January through May 2015

International Association of Agricultural Economics

• New Appointment: Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel, Secretary-Treasurer
• Resignation: Walter J. Armbruster

Kansas State University

• New Appointments: Terry Griffin, Assistant Professor; Ben Schwab, Assistant Professor; Elizabeth Yeager, Assistant Professor
• Awards: Sandra Contreras, IFPRI, Travel Fellowship Award; Michelle Estes, Emily Mollohan, and Steven Ramsey (Case Study Team), 2014 AAEA Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, First Place AAEA Student Case Study Competition; Melissa McKendree, 2014 AAEA Annual Meeting in Minneapolis,  First Place AAEA Graduate Student Extension Competition; Brady Brewer, Kansas State University, COA Richard Elmore Brown Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award; Claire Luensmann, Kansas State University, Agricultural Economics Outstanding MS Thesis Award; Veronica Pozo, Kansas State University, Agricultural Economics Outstanding PhD Award; Melissa Lynes, Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Novel; Hannah Miller, National Society of Accountants for Coops Silver Pen Award; Jason Bergtold, Kansas State University, Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching; Brian Briggeman, Kansas State University, Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring Undergraduate Students in Research; Brock Burnick, Mortar Board Vice-President; Hikaru Peterson, Kansas State University, College of Agriculture Faculty of the Semester; Christine Wilson, Association of Public Land-Grant Universities, Honored for Completion of the Food Systems Leadership Institutes Executive Leadership
• Positions Taken by Recent Graduates: Brady Brewer, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Georgia; Veronica Pozo, PhD, Utah State University; Graciela Andrango, PhD, Agricultural Economics Unit and National Coordinator of the Agricultural Economics R&D Team, National Institute of Agricultural and Livestock Research of Ecuador (INIAP); Elizabeth Canales, PhD, Strategy Consultant, Roll Global
• Retirements: Orlen Grunewald, 37 years of service; Bob Burton, 30 years of service; Joseph Arata, 18 years of service; Arlo Biere, 46 years of service
• Resignation: Kevin Dhuyvetter

University of Maryland

• Award: Erik Lichtenberg, University of Maryland, Excellence in Research Award
• Positions Taken by Recent Grads: Kota Minegishi, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Twin Cities; Kanishka Kacker, PhD, Economist, World Bank; Ashwini Sebastian, PhD, Research Economist, FAO, Rome; Michael Taylor, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Reno; Seth Wechsler, PhD, Research Economist, USDA Economic Research Service
• Retirement: Ramon Lopez, 32 years of service
• Visitors: Majid Ahmadian, professor, University of Tehran, March 2015-September 2015; Lorenzo Carrera, graduate student, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Venice, February 2015-April 2015; Eduardo Castro, associate professor, January 2015-December 2015; Inge van den Bijgaart, graduate student, Tilburg University, the Netherlands, February 2015 to April 2015

Michigan State University

• New Appointments: Eduardo Nakasone, Assistant Professor in the departments of AFRE and Media and Information
• Awards: Joseph Herriges, World Conference of Environmental and Resource Economists, Fellow of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE); Scott Swinton, Michigan State University, W.J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award
• Positions Taken by Recent Graduates: Nathalie Me-Nsope, PhD, Specialist for Global Center for Food Systems Innovation, MSU; Paige van Poppelen, MS, Account Associate, NPD Group; Uchook Duangbootsee, PhD, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics, Kasetsart University in Bangkok; Tim Hodge, PhD, Statistician Analyst, Ford Motor Credit Company; Wolfgang Pejuan-Ucles, PhD, Associate Professor of Agribusiness, Zamorano University
• Leave: Dave Weatherspoon, USDA Economic Research Service in Washington, DC, 2014-2015

University of Missouri

• Award: Abner Womack, Missouri State Senate, 2015 Peter Myers Distinguished Service Award
• Positions Taken by Recent Graduates: Hoa Hoang, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri; Iddisah Sulemana, PhD, Credit Risks Analyst, USAA insurance 
• Honorary Position: Michael Sykuta, Privacy Fellow, George Mason University, 2014-2015
• Visitor: Dr. Dhruba Bhattarai, Director, Kathmandu Model Higher Secondary School, Visiting Researcher, February 2015-May 2015

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Awards: Dennis M. Conley, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2015 College Distinguished Teaching Award; Lilyan Fulginiti, Office of Graduate Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Education; Bradley D. Lubben, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Holling Family Award Program for Teaching Excellence
• Position Taken by Recent Graduate: Tshepelayi Kabata, 2015 Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellow, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

North Dakota State University

• New Appointments: Aaron DeLaporte, PhD, Research Assistant Professor; Prithviraj Lakkakula, PhD, Research Assistant Professor
• Awards: William Wilson, PhD, North Dakota State University, Peltier Award for Faculty Excellence; Jeremy Jackson, PhD,  North Dakota State University, William J. and Angelyn A. Austin Excellence in Advising; Ryan Larsen, PhD, North Dakota State University, Earl and Dorothy Foster Excellence in Teaching

The Ohio State University

• Position Taken by Recent Graduate: Matt Pham, PhD, Assistant Professor, Landmark College

The Pennsylvania State University

• Resignation: Spiro E. Stefanou

Texas A&M University

• Positions Taken by Recent Graduates: Margaret Baird, Management Trainee, Bunge Limited; Yao Hu, Marketing Analyst, Zukma Energy; Jacob Luna, Grain Merchandiser Trainee, CGB Enterprises; Marcela Valdes, Cost and Budget Manager, Entre Palmas S.A.; Kassidy Kampen, Associate, MetLife Ag Investments; Jeffery Blake Murrah, Southern Star Brewing

USDA - Economic Research Service

• New Appointments: Bryce Cooke, Outlook Economist; Seanicaa Edwards, Economist; Tani Lee, Economist; Elina Tselepidakis, PhD, Agricultural Economist
• Awards: Bo Beaulieu, Judi Bartfeld, Alex Majchrowicz, USDA-Economic Research Service, Award for External Partnership (The RIDGE Program); Frederick Gale, Sun Ling Wang, James Hansen (ERS China Team), USDA Economists Group, John E. Lee Award
• Resignations: Elizabeth Beaulieu; Lindsay Kuberka
• Retirements: Mathew Share, 31 years of service; John Wainio, 30 years of service; Sophia Huang, 35 years of service
• Visitor: Anne Effland, APMB/MTED/ERS, USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, February 2015-April 2015