Krishna Paudel, an internationally recognized scholar with decades of expertise in agricultural and natural resource economics, has been named chair of Texas Tech University’s Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, university officials announced. He will assume his post on July 1.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected as chair of this storied department,” Paudel said. “I sincerely thank the selection committee and Dean Krehbiel for their confidence in my ability to lead.”
Paudel, a native of Nepal whose academic work spans continents from Louisiana to China to Uganda, brings a broad portfolio of research and leadership experience to the role. Most recently, he served as deputy director for research and communications in the Resource & Rural Economics Division of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service in Washington, D.C.
“We are very excited to have Dr. Paudel join the leadership team as Chair in Agricultural & Applied Economics,” said Darren Hudson, Davis College Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Assessment and the Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness in the Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics. “He brings a wealth of experience as both a professor at Louisiana State University and deputy director for the Economic Research Service at USDA.”
Before his USDA appointment, Paudel held the Gilbert Durbin Endowed Professorship at Louisiana State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness, where he became widely known for his work on water quality and quantity issues. His research has employed cutting-edge semiparametric and nonparametric models to better understand pollution’s impact on water systems.
In addition to managing faculty and academic programs, Paudel will be tasked with strengthening connections between the department and the agricultural industry, while continuing his own teaching and research initiatives. Paudel’s academic career has included appointments as a visiting professor and foreign high-end expert at South China Agricultural University, a visiting scholar at Vanderbilt University, and a visiting assistant professor at NASA’s Global Hydrology & Climate Center in Alabama.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences from Tribhuvan University in Nepal, his master’s in agricultural economics from Auburn University, and his doctorate in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Georgia. He currently serves as president of the Resource Modeling Association and is associate editor of the Natural Resource Modeling journal, and section editor of the Journal of Water Resources Planning & Management.
Texas Tech’s Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, part of the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, enrolls nearly 550 students and offers a suite of undergraduate and graduate programs, including international agribusiness concentrations across Latin America, Asia and Europe.
Paudel noted that this is an exciting time to be at Texas Tech. The university is actively pursuing membership in the Association of American Universities and advancing its most ambitious fundraising campaign to support its priorities of transforming lives, fueling academic excellence, elevating campus and community, and building champions.
The Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics’ vision to become a center of excellence in teaching, research, and outreach, focusing on current and emerging issues in regional, state, and global food, fiber, and natural resources, is both timely and commendable, he added.
“I am very much looking forward to working with our students, faculty, alumni, stakeholders, college leadership, and the entire university community to make this department one of the best in the country,” Paudel said.
CONTACT: Clint Krehbiel, Dean, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or Clint.Krehbiel@ttu.edu
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