New AFRE Professor Looking to Make Impact on Michigan Agriculture Policy and Beyond
Print
EmailAfter an accomplished 28 year career, Dr. Holly Wang returns to the program as a Full Professor looking to leave a lasting mark on Michigan Agriculture.
After an accomplished 28 year career since receiving her Ph.D. from the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) in 1996, Dr. Holly Wang returns to the program as a Full Professor looking to leave a lasting mark on Michigan Agriculture.
Wang is one of three new teaching and research faculty members starting their tenure within AFRE this Fall. Coming into the department, she is excited about the current trajectory along with the prospect of growth and finding solutions for Michigan stakeholders. “This department is growing very healthily,” said Wang. “We place our students in great professions, giving them good training at both the graduate and undergrad level. I feel like AFRE is still very diverse and honors both the domestic and international work.”
From a young age in her post-secondary education, Wang knew the direction she wanted to take her career. She grew up in China and was drawn to economics at the time because China was experiencing fast economic reform.
“It was fascinating,” Wang shared. “I wanted to study how policy and economic structure can change and affect every individual's life so drastically. I experienced it myself, progressing from a not-so-good living standard toward a good one; so, I wanted to study that.”
Her firsthand experience drove her passion and led to her pursuing her graduate degree at Michigan State University’s (MSU) AFRE program in the 1990s.
Wang rejoins AFRE after a successful tenure at both Washington State University and Purdue University. Earlier in her career she focused on domestic issues and U.S. policy surrounding crop insurance and risk management. For the past 17, years she expanded her focus to China which was an emerging market in the mid 2000’s. She has been recognized as an Agriculture and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Fellow, served as a founding section chair for the China Section of AAEA, and was also an AAEA executive board member.
In her new role with AFRE, Wang will have many moments to engage with AFRE students through the courses she will teach. She will be working largely with graduate students to help them gain research and policy experience.
“I learned that the goal is to help each individual to achieve his or her maximum potential,” Wang shared. It's not a specific model or whatever we teach them. We want them to develop into more matured professionals with leadership skills like organizing, keeping track, communicating, and taking initiatives to establish competence, and make an impact.”
She joins AFRE with a desire to build understanding, connections, and positive impact with Michigan producers and communities across the state. “I'm literally eager to join and contribute to MSU multidisciplinary teams focusing on agriculture and sustainability in our state,” Wang explained. “As an ag economist, we talk so much about equality of income and food security. Now health security is brought up to this level. I think that it's something I can get involved in reality in the research and serving the stakeholders of our state.”
Wang’ specialty areas include food and agricultural economics as well as development economics. We are excited to have her join the AFRE community and look forward to Wang’ contributions to AFRE, Michigan State University and Michigan Agriculture in this next chapter of her accomplished career.
