Mary Marchant, professor of agricultural and applied economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been conferred the title of professor emerita by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The emeritus title may be conferred on retired faculty members who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.
A member of the Virginia Tech community for more than 17 years, Marchant came to Virginia Tech to serve as associate dean and director of academic programs in the college and as a full-time faculty member. Her academic career spans 34 years — 17 at Virginia Tech and 17 at the University of Kentucky.
At Virginia Tech, she built a research and teaching program funded by more than $4.5 million in grants and external funding, including highly competitive national grants that included two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural and Food Research Initiative grants and five USDA National Research Initiative grants.
She brought national visibility to the university through her award-winning research on U.S.- China agricultural trade, including national awards from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), where she received the 2019 Quality of Communication Award while serving as co-editor and the AAEA Outstanding Choices Article Award in 2021 while serving as co-author.
Marchant served as co-editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, received a Fulbright Distinguished Chair stationed in Italy, an AAEA Teaching Award, and the Southern Agricultural Economics Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
As associate dean, she supported the scholarship of teaching and learning by sponsoring college teaching mini grants, hosting innovative teaching workshops, and providing additional financial support for faculty to develop national teaching grant proposals. She and her team promoted a variety of engaged teaching methods, including student engagement, active learning, critical-thinking skills, undergraduate research, service learning, experiential activities, international experiences, and internships. She enhanced college recruitment efforts and STEM projects, worked with departments to award a record number of scholarships, and helped bolster enrollment growth in the college.
Over her career, Marchant taught 16 courses at Virginia Tech and the University of Kentucky to nearly 3,000 students. Her teaching philosophy focused on enhancing students’ academic success and professional development. For undergraduates, this meant incorporating classroom activities that highlight in-demand workforce skills, including communication and teamwork. For graduate students, this meant working with students to publish papers in academic journals and presenting results at scholarly conferences.
She authored over 80 articles in over 20 refereed journals and publications, one sole-authored book, and seven edited journal volumes and conference proceedings. She co-authored articles with 34 students on 47 peer-reviewed publications, including 31 journal articles and over 60 presentations at professional meetings.
Marchant began her academic career in California, where she earned her degrees from the University of California at Davis: a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and policy analysis, a master’s degree in economics, and a doctorate in agricultural economics.