Karl Rich has been appointed head of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He will begin his new role on Jan. 10.
Rich comes to Virginia Tech from Oklahoma State University, where he serves as the director of the Master of International Agriculture Program in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, professor of agricultural economics, and Humphreys Chair in Global Studies. During his more than four years at Oklahoma State, he helped increase graduate enrollment, expanded global opportunities for first-generation students, strengthened partnerships with international research institutes, and provided leadership for international programs.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Rich to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,” said Dean Mario Ferruzzi. “His international perspective and record of academic leadership make him well suited to guide the department as it builds on its strengths in teaching, research, and Extension.”
Rich said Virginia Tech’s collaborative environment and commitment to global engagement were key factors in his decision.
“Virginia Tech stood out as a place that values and encourages collaboration across disciplines,” Rich said. “The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics also has a strong reputation in areas like international development and trade, which align with my own background. That combination made Virginia Tech a natural fit for the next step in my career.”
With more than 25 years of experience in agricultural economics, Rich has lived in nine countries and conducted research in more than 30. He has traveled to nearly 90 countries in total, which has guided his focus on linking economics with animal health, agribusiness, and policy.
His research centers on participatory systems modeling that engages stakeholders directly in jointly defining problems and creating solutions. These approaches have been applied to issues such as urban agriculture planning in New Zealand; value chain development in Nicaragua, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, and Ghana; climate-smart agriculture in Senegal; and drivers of animal disease in Senegal and Timor-Leste.
Before joining Oklahoma State, Rich was a principal scientist and team leader at the International Livestock Research Institute, a member of global research partnership CGIAR, where he led a team on foresight modeling and policy and helped secure more than $15 million in external funding. His projects included a Gates Foundation initiative on livestock sector planning, an impact assessment of African swine fever in Vietnam, and work on livestock trade corridors in West Africa. He also has advised governments and organizations on sector strategy and animal health policy, including as part of a multidisciplinary team that advised Uruguay on reforms to its foot-and-mouth disease vaccination policy.
In the past 10 years, he has raised over $20 million in external grants in collaboration with multidisciplinary research teams. He has over 80 peer-reviewed articles in a variety of high-impact journals that span the areas of agricultural economics, agribusiness, systems modeling, veterinary science, and environmental management.
Rich has held faculty or research appointments at Lincoln University in New Zealand, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, the American University in Cairo, and the International Food Policy Research Institute. He earned his Ph.D. and master’s degree in agricultural and consumer economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
“I’m excited to help grow agribusiness as a real strength at Virginia Tech by building something that’s tailored to Virginia’s unique agricultural landscape and stakeholders,” Rich said. “I’m also looking forward to working alongside the department’s young faculty, supporting them as they advance their careers, and expanding the department’s impact for students, communities, and partners across the commonwealth and beyond.”
Rich’s appointment follows more than a year of interim leadership by George Davis, a professor in the department who provided steady guidance for its teaching, research, and Extension programs during the transition.
“We are deeply grateful to George for his leadership and commitment over the past year,” Ferruzzi said. “He led with professionalism and care, supporting faculty, staff, and students through a time of transition, and positioning the department for continued success.”