Welcome from the Head
Dear ACE Alumni & Friends, 
Season’s greetings from the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE)!
This semester was full of highlights for the department. We welcomed a record-size freshman class, the Financial Planning program was recognized as being in the nation’s top 10, our Venture Building Challenge team was named the best undergraduate team in an international competition, and faculty research was awarded top prizes from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Law Association, just to name a few.
Please keep reading to learn more about our undergraduate curriculum review, publications from our graduate students, and ACE research on robotic weeding. Our newsletter has a new format this semester, let us know if you have suggestions on what you’d like to see by visiting our website or dropping us an email!
Have a wonderful holiday season.
Best regards,
Sarah Low, professor & head, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics
New Faculty
Diego Cardoso
Diego S. Cardoso is an applied economist with research interests in energy, environmental, and resource economics. Diego’s work focuses on designing and evaluating policies related to the energy transition, climate, and the use of natural resources. He is also interested in the intersection of applied welfare analysis and risk modeling for benefit-cost analysis. Diego received his BS in Computer Engineering from the University of Campinas, an MS in Economics from the Federal University of São Carlos, and a PhD in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University.
Diego comes to ACE from the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, where he has been an Assistant Professor since 2022. At Purdue, Diego taught quantitative methods for decision-making at the undergraduate level and applied computational methods for research at the PhD level.
In his free time, Diego enjoys watching soccer or playing with synthesizers and other musical instruments with a bunch of knobs and blinking lights.
Brittany Goodrich
Brittney Goodrich is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics. She grew up in a rural farming community in Iowa where uncertainty in agricultural production and marketing influenced family and friends on a daily basis. Consequently, she has always been intrigued by the choices farmers make to address risk and uncertainty in their operations and focuses her research and extension programs in this area.
Brittney obtained a BS in Math and Economics at Iowa State University and MS and PhD in Agricultural Economics at University of California, Davis. Prior to joining ACE, Brittney worked as a Cooperative Extension Specialist at UC Davis and Auburn University.
Outside of work, Brittney enjoys spending time with her pets (two rabbits and a dog), reading, crafting, hobby beekeeping, and spending time with friends and family.
Ryan Goodrich
Ryan Goodrich is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics. He is an agricultural economist with a background in actuarial science that has taught undergraduate courses in finance, economics, and agribusiness. He is passionate about educating young adults and is looking forward to teaching a mixture of math and finance courses for ACE.
Ryan received BAs in Actuarial Science and Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a PhD in Economics from Iowa State University. His research interests are on the balance between agricultural profitability and environmental sustainability, with a focus on bioenergy program design and the impact of government policy on land use change and commodity markets.
When he's not immersed in teaching and research, Ryan enjoys exploring the great outdoors, indulging in classical literature, and spending time with his wife, their dog, and their two rabbits.
Gal Hochman
Gal Hochman joins ACE as a Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics. Dr. Hochman received his Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University in 2004. Although, while coming out of his Ph.D., he focused on international trade agreements and crony capitalism, his stay at UC Berkeley introduced him to energy and agricultural biotechnology. His current focus includes issues related to development, energy, the environment, technology, and trade. Dr. Hochman is also keen on understanding the importance of policy in facilitating the transition to sustainable and resilient supply chains and an improved understanding of aquaculture technologies and their role in future food supply chains.
Dr. Hochman has presented his work at numerous conferences, has 62 peer-reviewed publications, some in top journals, and has 121 publications. He is currently the board chair of the Council On Agricultural Food & Resource Economics.
News from Undergraduate Programs
Undergraduate Program Update
With a record-high number of first-year students and our 
curriculum review, everyone in undergraduate programs is hard at work. You may recall from our last newsletter that we were anticipating record-breaking first-year enrollment with an incoming class of over 170 students. As of this fall, our enrollment is an impressive 766 undergraduate students with the highest enrollments in Consumer Economics and Finance and Financial Planning, respectively. Our Agri-Accounting and Finance in Agribusiness students enjoyed networking at our largest ever Agricultural Accountancy Banquet this fall, and Financial Planning Career Day attracted 38 firms and students from four midwestern universities. Thank you to all of our alumni and friends who support our undergraduate students through these and other important educational activities!
We thank all the alumni and friends who contributed feedback this summer to assist ACE’s Undergraduate Curriculum Review Committee. This fall the committee has made significant progress drafting departmental learning objectives, proposing a new curriculum structure, and working on identifying growth opportunities among our existing areas of strength. As we look ahead to the new year, we look forward to taking first drafts of our proposed curricula to student, faculty, and stakeholder focus groups to solicit feedback to ensure that we are providing the best possible education for our future leaders in applied economics.
Undergraduate experiential learning continues to grow after significant COVID-19 setbacks. With generous donor support, this spring a small group of students will revive ACE 291: Agriculture Policy and Leadership, a full-semester course involving a trip to Washington, D.C. over spring break to meet with legislators, policymakers, lobbyists, and alumni working on the Hill. Additionally, the International Business Immersion Program (IBIP) will utilize a Global Classroom, allowing students to work on projects with Peruvian students before traveling to Peru to apply their learning about global supply chains and marketing channels, regulatory and trade environments, and environmental considerations on a global scale. Keep an eye out for updates on these programs in our spring newsletter!
Have you heard?
Our financial planning program was ranked #7 in the nation by WealthManagement.com!
News from Graduate Programs
Graduate Program Update
The start of this academic year has been unlike any other for two notable reasons. First, ACE welcomed the largest number of new students in some time: 23 new MS and PhD students have joined, bringing our graduate student population to 81. These students are now embarking on an exciting journey of coursework and research, ready to push new boundaries in agricultural, environmental, development, regional, and consumer economics.
Second, we are thrilled to introduce Clint Reifsteck as our new Graduate Program Coordinator. Clint, who holds a Master of Science in Management from the University of Illinois, brings invaluable expertise and experience in admissions, degree requirements, campus policies, services, and funding opportunities. Clint has already significantly enhanced communication with our graduate students and provided essential clarity on Graduate College procedures. We are thankful for the ways he is supporting our graduate students and their journeys!
Graduate Student Publications
We are incredibly proud of the publications our graduate students completed in 2024! Please check out the incredible research they are publishing.
Online Programs
Online Certificates
Check out our two new online graduate certificates! Learn new skills and earn a credential that will boost your professional credibility and competence, at your pace and on your schedule.
The Agribusiness and Sustainable Food Production Economics Certificate is for early- to mid-career professionals aiming to enhance their expertise in agribusiness management, food production economics, and sustainability.
The Land, Agriculture and Alternative Investing Certificate is for early- to mid-career professionals aiming to deepen their knowledge and expertise in alternative investments and financial planning.
Research/Outreach
Our faculty and students are leading innovative research, outreach, and education programs in Illinois and around the world. They address challenges, seek solutions, and build awareness every day. Check out a few of our recent research & outreach stories below.
Madhu Khanna & Gal Hochman - Transition to a circular bioeconomy requires getting prices right
Madhu Khanna & Shadi Atallah - New Illinois study explores adoption of robotic weeding to fight superweeds
Brittney Goodrich - Honey bees in demand: New contract strategies to support pollination services
Stay in the Know
Want to keep up with our research? Make sure to follow us on social media, visit our research and outreach pages, and keep an eye on ACES News to read about new and impactful research coming out of ACE!
Alumni News
Alumni Spotlight
As part of a prestigious fellowship sponsored by The Norman Borlaug Institute, Molly Boyd, a 2024 ACE alumna, will spend the next several months working as an agricultural extension agent and teacher in Ghana. The International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP) trains and supports selected fellows to work with teachers and community members in developing countries to implement school-based agricultural education and establish youth leadership clubs. Boyd will work with community leaders to implement relevant and sustainable agricultural projects at local schools, based on a community needs assessment.
How to Engage
Be sure to check out our alumni webpage to see ways that you can engage with ACE as an alum. From volunteering your time in the classroom to connecting with student organizations to attending events, there are ways for everyone. Not seeing what you’re looking for? Fill out our engagement interest form and tell us how you’d like to connect!
Giving
If you are interested in giving a financial gift to the department, the easiest way to do this is go to the ACE giving site and select the amount for the fund(s) you’d like to give to (e.g. Academic Excellence Fund, Graduate Student Travel Fund, etc.). When you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see the total gift amount for the selected funds. Click “continue” in orange at the bottom of the page. This will jump you to the UIF giving page and your selections will auto populate at the top so that you can fill in your personal information and finalize your gift.