This spring, Ryan Bosworth stepped into the role of interim head of the Department of Applied Economics in Utah State University’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS). He hopes to expand upon the work and improvements of the department’s previous leadership in refining existing programs and creating new opportunities to prepare students for careers.
Bosworth feels that APEC has opportunities for growth through the faculty’s strong research, teaching and Extension initiatives and that determining which changes to make will be a challenging and rewarding task.
“It will be hard to tackle everything at once,” Bosworth said. “I will have to rely on the wonderful researchers who are experts in their field, and on the teachers who are great at what they do.”
He feels that the agricultural business program is an outstanding example of what the department is capable of, and hopes to replicate its strengths for other program offerings.
“Agribusiness has a long and proud history as a really well-established program,” Bosworth said. “As the agricultural industry has changed, we have refined that program to provide students with a different set of skills, more generally applicable to the world of business and the industry. Within that program and our others, we will continue refining the coursework to prepare students to get jobs and work in their chosen fields.”
Bosworth teaches courses in natural resource economics, American economic institutions and applied econometrics which employs mathematics, especially statistics, to describe and model economic systems. He noted that APEC degree programs focused on community development and natural resource management are particularly important for the future of agriculture and Utah.
“With water and land becoming increasingly scarce, knowing how to properly manage those resources through careful planning and stewardship will be an important skill in the field of applied economics,” Bosworth said.
Bosworth’s focus on improvement and progression, as well as his passion for USU and the students, makes him eager to work on behalf of the department.
“I really care about the students,” Bosworth said. “I love this department and the programs, and I want to do the best I can to make it thrive.”
Bosworth graduated from Utah State University with his bachelor’s in economics in 2000 and a master’s in 2001. He went on to study economics at the University of Oregon where he earned his doctorate. He then taught at North Carolina State University before returning to USU as an assistant professor of economics and finance. He was honored with the CAAS Teacher of the Year Award in 2014.
Bosworth previously served as the associate department head with Dillon Feuz, the previous head of the department whose research and teaching interests are agricultural commodity marketing and risk management. When Feuz decided it was time to step down, Bosworth says he was “in the right place at the right time.” Following a sabbatical year, Feuz will return to the department’s faculty.
“I am grateful for his leadership and for his work to strengthen the agribusiness and Extension programs of the department,” said Bosworth, speaking of Feuz. “I am grateful he isn’t leaving the department and I will continue to rely on his guidance.”