# AG ECON Graduate Student SPOTLIGHTS

**Source**: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/spotlights_main.html
**Parent**: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/undergraduate-program/scholarships.html

Learn more about our graduate students in their own words. We asked M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students to share their path to Purdue as well as their experiences in AgEcon's graduate programs. We hope their profiles will give you insight into what it is like to be a graduate student in Purdue's Department of Agricultural Economics.

Asif Khan

Ph.D. Student (Agricultural Economics)

#### From Bangladesh to Purdue – Pioneering Research in Behavioral Economics

*“Persistence and out-of-the-box thinking are the two key elements of success in any form of research. There is a lot of scope for collaboration in behavioral economics with psychologists, sociologists and policymakers—key insights can be gained from a multidisciplinary approach. Rigorous experimental design that incorporates ethical considerations and contextual nuances is also important. In the current age of AI, it is critical to leverage data-driven techniques to validate the theory.”*

[ASIF'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2024-25/asif-khan.html)

Lorenzo Alegria

M.S. Student (Agricultural Economics)

#### A Journey of Resilience and Rediscovery

*“Make sure you’re not defaulting to a graduate degree; you shouldn’t be indifferent about attending. You may earn the degree and perform admirably in the end, but you won’t enjoy your time, and I believe enjoyment is what this is all about. If that means getting a job after undergrad and then returning for a graduate degree, then I think that’s fine. Don’t feel like you need to continue studying just because you don’t know what else you’ll do.”*

[Lorenzo'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2024-25/lorenzo-alegria.html)

Koustuv Saha

Ph.D. Student (Agricultural Economics)

#### From Kolkata to Purdue: a Journey to Uncover Gender Inequities in Agriculture

*“Agricultural economics offers diverse research opportunities. It’s helpful to find a topic that genuinely interests and motivates you. A Ph.D. can be long and challenging, but having a passion for your research topic makes the journey much more fulfilling.”*

[KOUSTUV'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2024-25/koustuv-saha.html)

Dewey J. Robertson

M.S. Student (Agricultural Economics)

#### Connecting Local Agriculture to Global Trade

*“Look at the work put out by people in our department/field. Agricultural economics is a large field with many interesting and impactful subfields. Most people are interested and motivated to work on issues they don’t realize are part of our field of study.”*

[DEWEY'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2024-25/dewey-robertson.html)

Emma Donnelly

Ph.D. Student (Agricultural Economics)

#### DIVERSE ACADEMIC JOURNEY EQUIPS PURDUE PH.D. STUDENT TO INFLUENCE POLICY MAKERS

[Emma'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/emma-donnelly.html)

Rachel Zhang

M.S. Student (AgEcon); Ph.D. Student (Hospitality and Tourism Management)

#### Connections, Referrals, Endorsements. Student harnesses the power of LinkedIn to land an internship with Zillow

[RACHEL'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/rachel-zhang.html)

Nina Jovanovic

Ph.D. Graduate

#### A LITTLE LUCK, A COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIP, AND A SOLID RECOMMENDATION, LED SERBIAN NATIVE TO STUDY AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AT PURDUE

[NINA'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/nina-jovanovic.html)

Diamilatou Kane

Ph.D. Student

#### Diamilatou Kane is conducting field research to better understand food safety and consumer behavior in Senegal

[DIAMILATOU'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/diamilatou-kane.html)

Rebekah Olukayode

M.S. Student

#### Nationwide Insurance internship gives Purdue student wealth of valuable insights

[Rebekah'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/rebekah-olukayode.html)

Gloria Lenfestey

M.S. Student

#### GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVELS ABROAD TO EXPLORE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND POLICY

[GLORIA'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/gloria-lenfestey.html)

Alejandra Armesto Gómez

M.S. Student

#### Graduate researcher finds her perfect fit in the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development

[ALEJANDRA'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/alejandra-armesto-gomez.html)

Hari Regmi

Ph.D. Student

#### A UNIQUE JOURNEY, GRADUATE STUDENT STAYS DEDICATED TO HIS GOALS

[Hari'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/hari-regmi.html)

Emily Forsythe

M.S. Student

#### Estimating the value of natural and environmental resources

[EMILY'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/news/department/agricultural-research-and-graduate-education/2023/06/graduate-spotlight-forsythe.html)

Lauren Benavidez

Ph.D. Student

#### INTEREST IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE RESEARCH LEADS GRADUATE STUDENT TO PURDUE’S CENTER FOR GLOBAL TRADE ANALYSIS

[LAUREN'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/lauren-benavidez.html)

Margaret Lippsmeyer

M.S. Student

#### PURDUE STUDENT EAGER TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN AGRICULTURE

[MARGARET'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/margaret-lippsmeyer.html)

Eugene Kwaku Mawutor Nuworsu

Ph.D. Student

#### Opportunity to research the food industry and consumer behavior attracts student to Purdue’s Agricultural Economics Ph.D. program

[EUGENE'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/eugene-nuworsu.html)

Victoria Dell

M.S. Student

#### ASSISTANTSHIP PROVIDES GRADUATE STUDENT WITH NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND ‘BEHIND THE SCENES’ LOOK AT COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION

[Victoria'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/victoria-dell.html)

Chad Fiechter

Ph.D. Student

#### DESIRE FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURAL FINANCE LEADS ALUMNUS (AND INCOMING FACULTY MEMBER) BACK TO PURDUE

[CHAD'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2023-24/chad-fiechter.html)

Yizhou Hua

Ph.D. Student

#### SEEKING BROAD, RIGOROUS TRAINING IN AGRICULTURE LED STUDENT TO DISCOVER OPPORTUNITIES AT PURDUE

[YIZHOU'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/22-yizhou-hua.html)

Maria Berikou

M.S. Student

#### CAREER PROFESSIONAL TAKES LEAP ACROSS THE ATLANTIC TO STUDY AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

[MARIA'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/22-maria-berikou.html)

Alex Robinson

M.S. Student

#### CAPITALIZING ON OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT WITH PROFESSIONALS ACROSS AGRICULTURE

[Alex'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/22-alex-robinson.html)

Alecia Evans

Ph.D. Student

#### Rebellious and passionate, Alecia Evans paved her own path to studying agricultural economics

[ALECIA'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/alecia-evans.html)

Fei Qin

Ph.D. Student

#### Field experiments and visiting scholar opportunity stirs student's interest in studying agricultural economics

[FEI'S STORY](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/fei_qin.html)

Mati Mohammadi

Ph.D. Student

#### Assistantship opens a window of opportunities for agribusiness student

[MaTi's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/mati_mohammadi.html)

Doug Abney

M.S. Student

#### Analyzing the Ag Jobs Market

[Doug's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/stories/monthly-dashboard-created/)

Mario Ortez

PhD Student

#### Mario’s bond with agriculture was rooted at birth; his passion for agribusiness is cultivating his future

[Mario's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/mario_ortez.html)

Hailey Utech

MS Student

#### Analytically driven, Hailey Utech is being challenged to look at data differently.

[Hailey's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/hailey_utech.html)

Pedro Antonio Díaz Cachay

MS Student

#### Deferred enrollment gives graduate student extra time to help his own students improve their English language skills

[Pedro's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/pedro-antonio-diaz-cachay.html)

Megan Hughes

PhD Student

#### Motivated and involved, AAEA GSS chair-elect Megan Hughes discusses many opportunities available in Ag Econ

[Megan's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/megan_hughes.html)

Manuel Jimenez

Ph.D. Student

#### A research focus on maritime shipping gives Manuel a unique perspective into recent supply chain disruptions.

[Manuel's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/manuel_jimenez.html)

Zack Neuhofer

PhD Student

#### Zack Neuhofer shares his path to Purdue and plans as incoming president of AgEcon’s graduate student organization

[Zack's story](https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/spotlights/2021-22/zack-neuhofer.html)

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