Rate My Professor Graciela Andrango

Graciela Andrango serves as Associate Professor of Ag Economics in the School of Agriculture at Western Illinois University. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from Kansas State University, along with a B.S. from the Pan-American Agricultural School, El Zamorano. Originally from Ecuador, Andrango joined Western Illinois University in the spring of 2017 as an Assistant Professor and advanced to her current associate professor position. Her research focuses on technology adoption, human capital, and extension, with applications to agricultural development in Latin America and sustainable practices such as biofuel feedstocks and functional foods markets.

Andrango teaches a range of courses in agribusiness and agricultural economics, including AGRI 220: Introduction to Agribusiness Concepts, AGEC 349: Agribusiness Management, AGEC 333, AGEC 437: U.S. Agricultural Trade, and AGRI 340. Her peer-reviewed publications include 'Value-Chains in the Andes: Upgrading for Ecuador's Blackberry Producers' in the Journal of Agricultural Economics (2019, co-authored with Jeffrey Alwang and Victor Barrera), 'Functional Foods: Fad or Path to Prosperity? Data Visualization' in Choices (2020, with Trent Blare), 'Mexico's Agricultural Sector: Production Potential and Implications for Trade' in Choices (2019, with Elizabeth Canales and Angelica Williams), and 'Quinoa Production and Growth Potential in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru' in Choices (2020, with Amy Johnson and Marc F. Bellemare). She received the Sylvia Lane Mentor Fellowship from the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association in 2018. Andrango has served as Chair-Elect of the Latin American Section of the AAEA (2019-2020), participates in university committees including CBT committees and search committees, supervises agriculture internships, and contributes to outreach through webinars such as Agriculture Around the World and research projects on cover crops and livestock integration.