Stephen Devadoss, an Emabeth Thompson Endowed Professor within Texas Tech University's Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, received the 2022 Graduate Mentoring Award from the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association. The prestigious honor was presented at the organization's annual meeting on Monday (Aug. 1) in Anaheim, California. 

“Dr. Devadoss spends an enormous amount of time and effort to develop positive professional trajectories for his mentees through journal articles, teaching, advising, grantsmanship, conference paper presentations, and academic networking,” said Jeff Luckstead, an associate professor within Washington State University's School of Economic Sciences.

Devadoss has consistently generated several publications from each student's MS thesis and PhD dissertation research, which highlights his dedication and hard work to help his mentees to lay a strong foundation for their academic career, Luckstead said. In all, he has helped his mentees to publish more than 100 journal articles. 

“Dr. Devadoss goes above and beyond the call of duty to guide his mentees and young faculty members, which is the hallmark of excellent mentorship,' he said.

Eli Kosse, an instructor at South Dakota State University, added, “I model my teaching after many aspects of Dr. Devadoss, including a devotion to my students, a willingness to work hard for anyone that wants help, getting students involved with research, and a focus on understanding both the math behind an underlying model and developing the economic intuition to understand the real-world significance. 

“He is truly the most dedicated man I have met towards ensuring his mentees can reach their full potential and succeed in the field of economics,” Kosse said. “I would not have the wonderful career I have today without the mentoring and support of Dr. Devadoss.”

Devadoss has received numerous honors during his long academic career. He currently serves as president of the Western Agricultural Economics Association, a group of professional economists working in academic institutions and government agencies and departments primarily located in the Western United States and Canada. 

Other honors include Western Agricultural Economics Association Fellow (2010) the Southern Agricultural Economics Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2019), Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Outstanding Graduate (2011) and Undergraduate (2012) Teacher Awards, and an Outstanding Journal Article Award from the Journal of Agricultural & Applied Economics (2010). He has helped his mentees to receive a total of 69 awards, including 14 outstanding thesis and dissertation awards from professional associations.

William Ridley, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, described Devadoss' mentoring contribution as, “I owe an immeasurable amount of my success – then and now – to his tireless efforts in showing me how to engage in impactful research. Without his continued investment in my success, both during and after my time working under him, I doubt that I would be in the position I am in today.”

“Now that I have become a faculty member myself,” Ridley said, “I emulate his strategies in teaching and advising by helping my students reach their potential with the same level of dedication that he has maintained for his students. I would not be where I am today without him, and I know that many others can say the same.”

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.

CONTACT: Phillip Johnson, chairman & 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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