Advancing Economics, Transforming Lives
News from the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at MSU
July 2009
Excellence in Teaching Award—John Staatz
During his 25 years as a faculty member in the Department John has exemplified the qualities of an outstanding teacher and mentor.
Since joining MSU in 1984, John has served on 132 graduate student guidance committees, including as major professor for 62 students, the majority of whom have been from Africa. Five of John’s students won the Department’s best M.S. and Ph.D. thesis award. As a mentor and by example, John has instilled in his students the notion that the role of a researcher is not simply to analyze development issues and propose general solutions. Rather, one’s research should focus on designing institutions to try to resolve constraints to development. John, in collaboration with his students, has contributed to the creation of several institutional innovations, including Mali’s agricultural market information system (which has served as a model for other West African countries). John continues to have close contact and collaboration with many of his former students, many of whom have gone on to key positions in development organizations and academia.
John has greatly contributed to a strong program in international agricultural development, particularly at the graduate level. His efforts have generated resources that have allowed many faculty colleagues and graduate students to carry out their work, including grants totaling $39.4 million, and helping to manage additional grants of $24.8 million.
Over the course of his career, John taught eight of the Department’s key graduate courses, including “Analysis of Food System Organization and Performance,” “Information Economics and Institutions in Ag Natural Resources,” “Professional Practice in Agricultural Economics,” “International Agricultural Development,” “Advanced Topics in International Development,” and “Agricultural Benefit-Cost Analysis.” Students taking John’s course have given him exceptionally positive evaluations, noting his ability to crystallize complicated concepts into wonderfully clear lectures tracing the progression of ideas on how to help the world’s poorest countries. |
