Stephen Devadoss, a nationally-recognized professor from Texas Tech University's Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, is the new president-elect of the Western Agricultural Economics Association, program officials announced in December 2020. Devadoss, who holds the Emabeth Thompson Endowment Professorship at Texas Tech, will serve as president-elect in 2021-2022, president in 2022-2023, and past-president in 2023-2024.

Devadoss has been a member of the association since the mid-1980s, and he was named a Western Agricultural Economics Association Fellow in 2010.

In his academic career, Devadoss has published more than 140 refereed journal articles and has received 16 research awards, 20 teaching awards, and 33 graduate mentoring awards. He has also helped his graduate students to publish more than 85 journal articles and to receive 61 awards.

In addition to his classroom teaching duties, Devadoss works on a broad and diverse array of research in agricultural economics. Examining the impacts of the Farm Bill and insurance programs on the U.S. dairy industry's economies of scale and dairy farm consolidation, along with the sector's profitability and foreclosure levels, is the focus of a near $500,000 USDA grant recently awarded to Devadoss. "This project will help us to undertake research to study and find solutions related to the problems faced by the dairy farmers in West Texas and the United States," Devadoss said.

Separately, Devadoss and a Utah State University researcher are attempting to develop a comprehensive trade model and analyze the effects of farm subsidies and trade policies on U.S. agriculture. Their study is supported by about $500,000 USDA grant. "This study researches these important topics to assess how various countries' domestic policies and trade policies impact U.S. exports and the sustainability of U.S. agriculture," Devadoss said.

Recent honors for Devadoss include the Southern Agricultural Economics Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2019), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Outstanding Graduate (2011) and Undergraduate (2012) Teacher Awards, and an Outstanding Journal Article Award from the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics (2010). Devadoss has helped his graduate students to receive 12 outstanding thesis and dissertation awards from professional associations.

Devadoss received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, India, and his master's degree in agricultural economics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India. His doctorate in economics is from Iowa State University-Ames. He is a member of the American Agricultural Economics Association, Western Agricultural Economics Association, and Southern Agricultural Economics Association.

CONTACT: Phillip Johnson, chairman and director of the university's Thornton Agricultural Finance Institute, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-0474 or phil.johnson@ttu.edu

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