Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics Professor Conrad Lyford
Conrad Lyford, a professor in Texas Tech's Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, has been selected by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to receive a 2026 Fulbright Specialist Award for his project, High-Impact Internship Programs at Agribusiness University.
'This is a great opportunity to enhance agribusiness education and leadership for a whole generation of agribusiness in a county. Our goal is to build on their current success to a world class internship experience.'
The prestigious appointment will send him to Universidad San Carlos in Asunción, Paraguay, where he will spend approximately 39 days helping the institution establish a high-impact internship program connecting agribusiness students with multinational agricultural companies operating throughout the country.
Universidad San Carlos is one of Paraguay's leading institutions for agribusiness education with over 500 internships annually, with campuses spanning much of the country. The university has built its reputation on preparing students through a combination of classroom instruction and practical agricultural training. University leaders sought a Fulbright Specialist to help develop an internship model that strengthens partnerships with leading agribusiness companies while creating meaningful professional experiences for students entering the workforce.
“This is a great opportunity to enhance agribusiness education and leadership for a whole generation of agribusiness in a county,” Lyford said. “Our goal is to build on their current success to a world class internship experience. This experience should further guide additional developments in our own Texas Tech internships.”
Drawing on decades of experience in agricultural economics, agribusiness education and industry engagement, Lyford will work with faculty and administrators to develop an internship framework modeled after successful university-industry partnerships in the United States and throughout the world.
The initiative is designed to provide students with practical experience, strengthen relationships between the university and the private sector, and better prepare graduates for careers in Paraguay's growing agribusiness industry.
In notifying Lyford of the award, Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Member Carmen Estrada-Schaye wrote that his selection "is a reflection of your leadership and contributions to society. We hope your Fulbright experience will be deeply rewarding professionally and personally, and that you will share the knowledge and experience you gain with many others throughout your life."
For Lyford, the Paraguay appointment marks his third Fulbright award and continues more than a decade of international engagement focused on agricultural and economic development.
Most recently, Lyford served as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in Ghana during the 2022-23 academic year. Based at the University for Development Studies in Tamale, he worked with researchers to develop strategies aimed at improving agricultural productivity and expanding market opportunities for female smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. The project recognized the critical role that women play in African agriculture, where smallholder farmers produce the majority of the continent's agricultural output.
Earlier, during the 2014-15 academic year, Lyford received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant to Ethiopia. Working with Hawassa University, he collaborated with educators and researchers on initiatives designed to strengthen agribusiness development and improve agricultural value chains.
Throughout his career, Lyford's research has focused on agribusiness, economic development and public policy. His scholarship has examined strategic management, health economics, agricultural marketing and international development.
The Fulbright Specialist Program is part of the broader Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange initiative. Operating in more than 160 countries, the program is funded through congressional appropriations to the U.S. Department of State, with additional support from participating governments, universities, foundations and private organizations worldwide.
A member of the Texas Tech faculty since 2001, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas A&M University before completing his doctorate in agricultural economics at Michigan State University. Among his honors is selection to the Texas Tech President's Leadership Institute and President’s Excellence in Engaged Scholarship Award.
Lyford is among more than 400 U.S. citizens selected each year to participate in the Fulbright Specialist Program. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, the program connects American scholars and professionals with institutions around the world for short-term collaborative projects that promote knowledge exchange, institutional partnerships and international understanding.
CONTACT: Krishna Paudel, Chair, Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-8360 or kripaude@ttu.edu
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