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

Degrees: B.A. Mathematical Economics, B.A. Mathematics, Spanish Minor from Whitworth University, Spokane, WA, US & M.S. Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University

Areas of Interest: International agricultural development, the food environment, nutrition, food insecurity, women and youth empowerment

Ian is originally from Caldwell, Idaho. He completed his undergraduate studies in economics and mathematics at Whitworth University where he played on the Men’s Tennis Team, worked as an Economics Teaching Assistant, and was granted the 2018 senior class Alumni Ideals Award.

After graduation, Ian served as a Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Peace Corps Volunteer in a rural community located in the Comarca Ngöbe-Buglé, an indigenous region of west Panamá. After returning to the States, he worked as a Researcher with the Washington Small Business Development Center before returning to school in 2021.

In 2023, Ian completed his M.S. in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) at Michigan State. In addition, he served as the M.S. Representative on AFRE’s Graduate Student Organization. Ian’s M.S. Thesis is titled “Healthiness of household food expenditure in urban and peri-urban Kenya: How much is explained by a spatial measure of the food environment” and analyzes the connection between where one lives and healthiness of food choice in an urban and peri-urban context.

In his free time, Ian enjoys various activities such as sports (tennis, soccer, cycling, mountain biking), playing the guitar, and reading