College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Graduate Stories

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  AFRE Graduate Student, Caitlin Nelson, Pilots First Ever CANR Extension Graduate Assistantship

  Published on October 29, 2025
  AFRE partnered with MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources to pilot the first-ever Graduate Extension Assistantship in its 75 year history.

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  AFRE Professor and Graduate Students attend the Midwest Agriculture Conference

  Published on October 28, 2025
  On September 30, 2025, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago held conference featuring experts from academia, industry, and policy institutions that explored the evolving global trade environment and its impacts on Midwest agriculture.

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  Sungmin Cheu, AFRE Doctoral Candidate, prepares to start his career as a tenure-track assistant professor

  Published on March 31, 2025
  Sungmin Cheu will finish his Docotral program in 2025 and start as an assistant professor at Montana State University.

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  AFRE Graduate Student, Sam Rickman's, experience visiting a local dairy

  Published on December 5, 2024
  Sam Rickman shares his personal experience from a recent visit to a local dairy and discusses research being conducted related to the trip.

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  FSG Spotlight: Nahian Bin Khaled’s Journey in Agricultural Economics and Field Research

  Published on October 8, 2024
  Nahian Bin Khaled, a PhD candidate at MSU, researches technology adoption and food security, focusing on Bangladesh and Tanzania, aiming to impact policy and uplift smallholder farmers' livelihoods.

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  AFRE Holds Its Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium

  Published on April 3, 2024
  The winner of the award receives a $300 prize and is recognized at the AFRE Awards Ceremony.

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  AFRE Graduate Student Clare McGrady is Named a 2024 Farm Foundation Agricultural Scholar

  Published on February 12, 2024
  Clare McGrady is a master's degree student in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE).

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  Kelly Hudson Graduate Spotlight: From Chef to Economist

  Published on November 28, 2023
  Kelly Hudson worked in the restaurant industry for 16 years and held the title of chef for eight. Today, Hudson holds the title of a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service International Fellow, which is a title held by only four people in the United States.

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  MSU Grad Students Bring Home Silver in International Agribusiness Case Competition

  Published on July 27, 2023
  A four-student team from the MSU Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics took 2nd place in the graduate Student Case Competition at the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association conference in Christchurch on June 22.

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  Fighting a Cow Virus Profitably

  Published on April 27, 2023
  Interdisciplinary research team is exploring profitable ways to manage pervasive bovine leukemia virus (BLV).

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  Kayla Braggs, the Accidental Agriculturalist

  Published on April 5, 2023
  Kayla Braggs works to help others in minority communities realize the potential that agricultural industry offers for successful, fulfilling careers.

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  AFRE Ph.D. Student Conducts Seed Variety Adoption Study in Zimbabwe

  Published on November 30, 2022
  Herrington’s research in Zimbabwe focused on evaluating the impact of various factors on farmers’ adoption of and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for certain iron-and zinc-enriched bean and vitamin A maize seed varieties.

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  Graduate Spotlight: Sampriti Sarkar

  Published on November 30, 2022
  Sampriti Sarkar is a third year Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE).

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  New Report Uncovers Tart Cherry Consumer Preferences and Opportunities for Market Growth

  Published on February 18, 2022
  In response to the needs of tart cherry growers and producers, researchers in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) undertook a multi-year research effort to examine consumer preferences for tart cherries.

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  Grad Spotlight: José Quintero

  Published on February 17, 2022
  José Quintero is a master's degree student in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE).

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  AFRE Alumni Shape National Agricultural Policy at the USDA Economic Research Service

  Published on December 13, 2021
  Six recent graduates of the Michigan State University Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Graduate Program have found job placements at ERS.

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  New Research Explores Halal Food Fraud and its Implications for the Meat Industry

  Published on December 9, 2021
  With support from the USDA, Michigan State University graduate student Kelsey Hopkins seeks to improve the rapidly growing halal meat industry.

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  Grad Spotlight: Carolina Vargas

  Published on November 10, 2021
  Carolina is a Ph.D. student in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE).

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  Grad Spotlight: Thomas Keene

  Published on October 14, 2021
  Thomas is a third-year student in the dual Ph.D. program in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) and Economics.

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  Grad Spotlight: Mohammed Beroud

  Published on September 15, 2021
  Mohammed is a third-year student in the dual Ph.D. program in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) and Economics.