Applied Economics Outstanding Alumni Award Reception

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Join the Department of Applied Economics to celebrate the insightful applications of economics in the careers of alumni award recipients Andy Behrens, Cheryl Doss, and Harmon Wilts with a program and reception. 

Award Recipients

Andy Behrens

Andy attended the University of Northern Iowa as a first-generation college student earning BA degrees in quantitative economics and finance, while conducting modeling work for Deere & Co. He joined our graduate program in 2004, securing a position with the University of Minnesota Foundation Investment Advisors (UMFIA) a year later. He completed his MS in applied economics with a minor in statistics in 2006. He rapidly worked his way up the ladder at UMFIA, starting as a Portfolio Manager and Strategist and earning the title of Chief Investment Officer (CIO) in 2021. A year later he became the leader of the University of Minnesota Foundation's endowment when President was added to his CIO title. He is a proud holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst® credential.

Cheryl Doss

Cherly started her career at Williams College as an assistant professor. Before joining Tufts University in 2023 as a Professor, her career path included stops at Yale and Oxford Universities. Her widely cited research in economics, agricultural economics, and development focuses on issues related to rural transformation and gender issues in agriculture, household and intrahousehold decision-making, and women's ownership and control over assets. This research success has been accomplished through close collaboration with international organizations including the International Food Research Institute, the World Bank, UNDP, FAO, the African Development Bank, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Her terms as the President of the International Association for Feminist Economics and as a board member of the International Association of Agricultural Economists inspires other women to pursue leadership opportunities in the profession.

Harmon Wilts

After receiving his Agricultural Business Administration BS, Harmon earned his Agricultural Education MS at the U. He spent three decades working as an agronomist in technology development with companies including Dekalb-Asgrow, Bayer Crop Science, and Monsanto, while building a successful farm business with his wife Gina and three daughters. He turned to managing H&G Farms fulltime as its President in 2022. The 1,400-acre diversified crop and livestock farm leverages direct marketing and sustainable practices to fulfill its mission. Harmon continues to share his lifetime of knowledge with others by giving talks on farm transition planning and conservation practices.