Ryan Swartzentruber ‘16, who recently finished his master’s degree in agricultural and resource economics at Colorado State University, says he frequently reflects on what makes an excellent educator. “I’ve concluded that Chris has pretty well hit the nail on the head.”

With a legacy of several 91����Ƶ grads now teaching at large universities, “Chris has multiplied himself,” said his colleague, business professor Spencer Cowles. “Isn’t that the sign of a great teacher, to inspire a lifelong love of the subject amongst their students?”

Despite initial aspirations to work at a large, R-1 university, Gingrich chose to spend 24 years at 91����Ƶ, where he has enjoyed a sustainable balance of teaching and research, prioritized mentoring relationships, and anchored the economics program. He retired at the end of the spring 2019 semester, earlier than he would have liked due to health reasons.

91����Ƶ has been “a great place to come to every morning,” Gingrich said in an interview during the last week of classes. “I have always appreciated working in an academic environment with colleagues who support you and want you to do your own thing. … My students have kept me on the young side over these years and it’s been very rewarding to see them go off after graduation and be successful in their chosen field.”

The teacher

Gingrich was known among his colleagues as an astute and innovative teacher. In a tribute announcing his retirement, Undergraduate Dean Deirdre L. Smeltzer noted: “Rather than rely on past success in the classroom, Chris has demonstrated a commitment to pedagogical growth, including a willingness to try out and master entirely new teaching methods in his classes.”

Matt Gnagey ‘05, now an assistant professor of economics at Weber State University, recalls an innovative classroom game in which students acted as a cartel, accumulating extra credit points instead of money.

“The class tried over and over to collude,” Gnagey recalled, “but the incentives to forgo collusion for personal gain were strong, and just like OPEC we ended up overproducing, hurting ourselves collectively in the process. This same lesson explains many other international issues, for example why we have such a hard time mitigating climate change.”

Gingrich came to teaching as “a leap of faith,” he said. Applied research was his initial interest. From a farming family, Gingrich earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics at University of Illinois and then, with his wife, spent three years in Haiti with Mennonite Central Committee. Returning to the states, he was accepted to the doctoral program at Iowa State University. His advisor helped him find a dissertation topic: household consumption patterns in Lima, Peru.

Hired in 1995, Gingrich was 91����Ƶ’s first “true blue economist,” said former 91����Ƶ colleague, Professor Emeritus��Rick Yoder, a specialist in international development who had worked overseas with the UN and USAID.

Cowles, then department chair, hired Gingrich for the position with a prescient sense of what he would bring to 91����Ƶ. “He was the right person for the job, a true economist who enabled us to build a rigorous economics major around him and his passion and knowledge for the subject. But he was also someone who supports and cares about students.”

Gingrich, who had never taught before, says Yoder “taught me how to be a respectable teacher.” The duo shared the university’s growing economics teaching load, as several majors required at least introductory econ coursework. Gingrich would eventually teach economics in the MBA program when it began, as well as undergraduate courses in quantitative research and finance.

One of their challenges was to make class time interesting and engaging. Hence the jelly beans and tennis balls: Gingrich was adept at developing lessons “beyond lectures and other didactic methods” that encouraged unique interaction and active learning with concepts, Yoder said.

He also appreciated their many conversations about concerns and challenges, trips to economics conferences with students, and a shared perspective. “W�� both believe that economics is a tool to solve some of humanity’s intractable problems, such as racism and inequality.”

Solutions: The researcher

Gingrich was a prolific and exemplary scholar while balancing a heavy teaching load, Cowles said, and his research was practical and applied, “not about some arcane financial matter, but instead using his economics knowledge to reach out and make a difference in the lives of people.”

His contributions in the field of economic development and public health were part of a larger effort by 91����Ƶ professors to be active contributors to their scholarly fields.

Together with biology colleague Roman Miller (now professor emeritus), the business and economics department rallied to call for the 91����Ƶ administration to support release time for research projects and importantly, to become “knowledge producers instead of knowledge consumers,” Yoder said. “W�� use textbooks someone else wrote, articles someone else wrote and we go to conferences where other people present. … Our point was ‘Where’s the Anabaptist voice of peace and justice and equity and the common good? How do we become part of this conversation?’”

Gingrich took a two-year leave in 2001-03, working with Mennonite Central Committee in Nepal as a consultant on microcredit and microfinance. Articles about his findings, published in the Journal of South Asian Development and the Journal of Microfinance, illustrate Gingrich’s focus on applied research: the success of microfinance programs in serving the poor and the sustainability of microfinance delivery through community-based savings and credit cooperatives.

What Answer to Malaria?

During the 2015-16 academic year, he continued research into distribution of anti-malarial bednets in Africa, as a visiting scholar at the Center for Communication Programs, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“A lot of research in grad school is pure theory and not much application and there’s a role for that, but the stuff I’ve been able to work on the past few years was very much policy oriented, and that feels good because I’ve been able to take economic skills and apply them to something more practical,” Gingrich said. “Hopefully we’ve shifted the debate a little bit in a different direction and influenced policy makers. Our footprint is there and I think it’s a fairly significant contribution to how to best distribute nets in a public policy debate.”

The mentor

Gingrich has enjoyed seeing the success of program alumni in academia, including Swartzentruber, Gnagey, Doug Wrenn ‘02, assistant professor of environmental and resource economics at Penn State; and Taylor Weidman ‘13, who is finishing a doctorate at Pitt. He also follows the careers of grads in business, for example, Isaac Wyse, director of revenue operations at YipIt Data in New York City, and Joe Mumaw, technical coordinator at Secure Futures, a solar business in Staunton, Virginia.

“It’s fun to meet with them, keep up with what they’re doing, see them get out of the classroom and develop their own careers,” Gingrich said. “I’ve been here long enough to see former students evolve into mature professionals in a number of different fields, which is rewarding.”

Wrenn, now at Penn State, researches urban and land use economics, unconventional energy development and impacts of hydraulic fracking. He traces his professional path directly back to Gingrich and Yoder. He added a second major in economics after after taking one of Gingrich’s classes, joined Yoder in a research project, and went to work for Mennonite Central Committee after graduation. Gingrich provided invaluable advice as he prepared his grad school application.

Gnagey, now at Weber State, says that Gingrich’s support and guidance, four years after he had graduated, helped him. Gnagey also worked for MCC after graduation; his current research builds on those ties, as he and a former MCC colleague conduct analysis of property markets in Indonesia.

And finally, to return to Ryan Swartzentruber, for a last word on Gingrich’s influence: “Chris has influenced my path in life, and I am forever grateful. He encouraged me, challenged me and been a role model to me. I’ve greatly appreciated – and benefited from – his relational attitude toward life, emphasizing people over other priorities.

Any comments posted below will be shared with Chris.

Despite her unstable position, Monroy remains steadfast in her desire to assist immigrants in need. For her advocacy and accomplishments as an educator and immigrant rights advocate, she is 91����Ƶ’s Outstanding Young Alumna/us.

Monroy moved from Torreón in north central Mexico to Fairfax, Virginia, when she was 15 with her mother and little sister. The family entered on tourist visas. Her father had died five years earlier and the family was struggling to survive in Mexico. Monroy’s older sister took the two girls in. Eventually, she completed high school in Harrisonburg in 2006, excelling academically but feeling ashamed of her citizenship status.

Sharing her story through Young Life put her in contact with Eldon Kurtz ’76, longtime physical plant director, now retired, and Jason Good ’05, then director of admissions, who encouraged her to apply for a scholarship for undocumented individuals. At 91����Ƶ, “I integrated my faith in the Lord in other areas of my life,” she said, expressing gratitude to economics professors Chris Gingrich, Walt Surratt and Jim Leaman for challenging her academically and equipping her professionally. Her economics courses also opened her eyes to the “brokenness of the system” and inspired her to “engage with and be a steward of God’s blessings.” Monroy became socially and politically engaged with Harrisonburg’s poor immigrant communities.

After graduation from 91����Ƶ and holding an expired visa, Monroy hit her “lowest point.” Unable to move forward professionally, she earned money by babysitting, interpreting and cleaning houses. She applied and attained DACA status in spring 2013, which provided a work permit, Social Security card and driver’s license. That status granted immigration protection and authorization to work for two years, subject to renewal.

She continued to share her life story, encouraged and supported by Isabel Castillo Ressler ’07, MA ’17, nationally recognized for her advocacy of undocumented immigrants. (91����Ƶ honored Castillo Ressler with the 2013 Outstanding Young Alumna/us Award.) Eventually Monroy moved to Washington D.C. to work in child and adult education with a nonprofit organization focused on immigrant families. She also began graduate studies in international education at The George Washington University (she graduated in May).

In February 2017, Monroy was profiled in a Washington Post front-page article titled “In Trump’s capital, undocumented immigrants live and work in the shadow of the White House.” She did not hide her name or likeness. Shortly thereafter, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) invited Monroy as her guest to the Joint Address to the Congress (known as the State of the Union address in all but the first year of a new president’s term).

Since August 2017, Monroy has worked as operations manager of The District Church, a nondenominational “Christ centered, neighbor loving, justice-seeking community for transplants, natives and beyond,” according to its website. Monroy is creating a leadership skill development curriculum, with tracks for ministry and for entrepreneurs, and a six-week financial literacy program for low-income parents. She is also a founding member of a proposed charter school for low-income, limited English-proficient adult learners.

Monroy’s DACA status expires in 2019. Recently, three federal judges blocked Trump’s attempt to rescind DACA, but in the current political climate, her future remains uncertain. In the meantime, she’ll continue efforts to help immigrants with less education and fewer options than she has.

Read about the other 2018 alumni award recipients:

• Alumna/us of the Year: Regina Horst Chacha
• Distinguished Service Award: Gilberto Perez Jr.
• Previous recipients

This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2018 Crossroads. Read more articles��here.

A 2002 91����Ƶ graduate, Wrenn majored in business administration and economics. He is now an assistant professor of environmental and resource economics at Penn State University. He earned at MA in economics in 2008 and a doctorate in agricultural, development and environmental economics in 2012, both from Ohio State University.

Wrenn will speak Oct. 5 in the West Dining Room from 12:10-1 p.m. on “Learning by Viewing? Social Learning, Regulatory Disclosure, and Firm Productivity in Shale Gas.” The lecture series is sponsored by the Longacre Family Endowment.

Describe your doctoral research and current research interests.

My dissertation work at Ohio State University was in the area of urban/land use economics and the impact of regulatory uncertainty on urban land use patterns. In my current work at Penn State, much of the research is an extension of my dissertation work and focuses on urban economic and urban land use issues. I am specifically interested in household location choice – i.e., what factors determine where households choose to live within and between cities – and how land use regulations impact how urban areas respond to demand shocks and manage urban growth.

In addition to this research, since coming to Penn State, I have started doing research in the area of unconventional energy development and the impact of hydraulic fracturing on labor and environmental outcomes.

I am also part of a large five-year, $20 million U.S. Department of Energy grant that focuses on integrating economic, engineering, and climate models to do risk and impact assessment.

How did your academic studies and professors at 91����Ƶ prepare you for your graduate studies/current work?

Looking back, I can say without hesitation that one of my main motivations for going to graduate school can out of discussions I had with business and economics professors Chris Gingrich and Rick Yoder [now professor emeritus]. I wasn’t even planning to major in economics when I came to 91����Ƶ – I was just going for a business degree. However, after taking Chris’s courses my first year and talking with him outside of class, I decided to double-major in economics and business. From there, I continued to become interested in economics and even worked with Rick Yoder on a research project my senior year.

After graduation, I worked with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) for three years, but I knew even then that I wanted to go to graduate school when I returned. I corresponded with Chris while working with MCC and he helped me a great deal in knowing what things I needed to improve to make my application stronger and what to expect during and after the application process. I can’t know the counterfactual, but I believe that one of the main reasons for my pursuit of graduate work at this level was because of my time at 91����Ƶ.

What do you think made your application to graduate school stand out among others?

I think it was a combination of my real-world experience working with MCC and my preparation work beforehand that really helped my application. PhD work in economics is very quantitative and I wasn’t completely prepared for it when I returned from MCC. So, as I stated above, I got some good advice from folks at 91����Ƶ and increased my math base a good bit, which I really think helped improve my application.

What do you think makes 91����Ƶ graduates distinctive?

I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, I think it is the overall sense of “purpose” that most 91����Ƶ graduates seem to possess. When I came to 91����Ƶ, I really took a purely academic approach to my studies and focused largely on grades and traditional academic outputs. However, as my time at 91����Ƶ progressed, I because more interested in how I could make a difference with what I was learning, and what the overall purpose of my work and research was going to be. I attribute a lot of this change to positive spillover effects from being around other people who saw the world the same way. 91����Ƶ is an infectious environment in this way and for me it really changed who I was as a person and how I defined myself and my work – as it still does.

What attracted you to attend 91����Ƶ as an undergraduate?

Honestly, I originally visited 91����Ƶ because I was interested in running cross country and track and I wanted to stay closer to home (I was raised about 45 minutes away from 91����Ƶ). However, the ultimate reason that I chose 91����Ƶ over several other places was the atmosphere I encountered when I visited. I really like the small and intimate setting of the campus, and my short interactions with staff and professors solidified my decision. I am from a small, rural town and I really didn’t want to go to a large school. 91����Ƶ provided me with a great education, great training for life and work, and a wonderful atmosphere and overall college experience.

What are some favorite memories of your time at 91����Ƶ?

One of my most fond memories at 91����Ƶ involves my cross-cultural trip to East Africa. Before that I time, I had never traveled to or experienced life in a developing country, and my experience on trip changed both me and my perspective on the world. I really believe that going on that cross-cultural trips was one of the key factors in my decision to serve with MCC after graduation.

I also have memories of one particular spring break and the service trip I led to Louisiana. I and about 20 other students traveled to western Louisiana to volunteer at a Baptist camp for a week. It was one of the best trips, and weeks, of my time at 91����Ƶ. And lastly, I guess my most fond memories at 91����Ƶ involve my friends. I had a close group of friends at 91����Ƶ and we had a lot of fun.

Describe your research and professorship at Weber State.

I am in my third year as an assistant professor of economics at Weber State University. My research is focused on understanding the environmental and economic impacts of land use, and the valuation of non-market environmental amenities. One study analyzes the value of recreational trail access for the local community, focusing particularly on the heterogeneity of valuations in different neighborhoods in the city.

The “heterogeneity of valuations in different neighborhoods” is essentially saying that different communities in Ogden place different premiums of access to trails. We are interested in examining which communities/neighborhoods place the highest value on the trails, and which communities/neighborhoods in the city do not value the trails as much.

We also find improvements in trail accessibility have been significantly capitalized into home values. For another project, we conducted experiments with nearby urban households to understand intra-household monetary trade-offs across time with the goal of informing policies that could promote greater investment in the future at the household level.

I am also currently conducting research with a former Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) colleague analyzing property markets in Indonesia, particularly focusing on differences between rural and urban property markets, and the role land tenure plays in determining property prices.

Weber State is an open enrollment institution, serving the community of Northern Utah. A large number of students have families and work 20 to 40 hours a week. I mostly teach courses in microeconomics, statistics and quantitative methods, and last summer I taught at our partner university in Shanghai. I also serve on the University’s Environmental Issues Committee, and am the faculty adviser to the Chinese Student Association.

How did your academic studies and professors at 91����Ƶ prepare you for your graduate studies and current work?

The most important lesson I learned at 91����Ƶ was to make connections between disciplines. A PhD requires a deep dive into one particular field, but my liberal arts background gave me the ability to maintain balance in my life and keep perspective. ��

What do you think made your application to graduate school stand out among others?

I believe three things made my application stand out for graduate school. First, I spent three years working with MCC in Indonesia, where I gained valuable experience in the field of economic development. Second, the economics major at 91����Ƶ has a great track record of placing students successfully into graduate programs. When I applied to graduate school, the reputation of previous students opened door which may not have been available otherwise. And third, I believe my letters of recommendation from 91����Ƶ faculty, and particularly the letter from my advisor Professor made my application stand out. Chris knew me well through classes, but also friendly tennis matches and frequent cups of coffee. And even though I graduated four years prior, Chris took time to provide support and guidance through the application process. These strong student-teacher relationships are a clear advantage of 91����Ƶ’s model of education, which larger institutions cannot easily replicate.

I believe 91����Ƶ facilitates those relationships in ways that larger institutions cannot easily replicate. And now, as I am in the position of writing letters of recommendations for my students, I recognize how much stronger of a recommendation I can make for students with whom I have worked closely on research or with whom interact with outside the classroom.

What do you think makes 91����Ƶ graduates distinctive?

I believe a liberal arts education prepares students to be more versatile on the job market and more thoughtful citizens. There are big problems that need to be tackled in this world, and I think 91����Ƶ graduates are distinctive in their ability and willingness to take on those problems.

What attracted you to attend 91����Ƶ as an undergraduate?

I often make life choices based on the choices of successful role models who went ahead of me. While I was interested in attending a liberal arts university that placed a strong emphasis on small class sizes, high quality teaching, and cross-cultural experiences, the main reason I attended 91����Ƶ was because of 91����Ƶ alumni. Growing up, many of the adults I knew and respected were 91����Ƶ alumni (including my dad), so I determined that the commonality of attending 91����Ƶ was not a coincidence. I concluded 91����Ƶ would prepare me well if I wanted my future self to be a citizen with similar values and experiences as my role models.

What are some favorite memories of your time at 91����Ƶ?

My cross cultural to the Middle East with Linford and Janet Stutzman gave me new perspective on the complexities of conflict.

As a part of a “Sustaining the Peacebuilder” course, we took a trip to Pennsylvania to participate in an Alternatives to Violence training with inmates at Graterford maximum security prison. The professor was Earl Zimmerman. That experience completely shattered my preconceived notions about our criminal justice system, and even today I frequently reflect back on that experience.

I enjoyed attending the American Economic Association annual conference with economics professors Chris Gingrich and Rick Yoder. At the conference, we went to presentations from top academics and leaders of the Federal Reserve. That experience motivated me to consider studying economics at graduate school.

Describe your doctoral research and current research interests.

My dissertation work at Ohio State University was in the area of urban/land use economics and the impact of regulatory uncertainty on urban land use patterns. In my current work at Penn State, much of the research is an extension of my dissertation work and focuses on urban economic and urban land use issues. I am specifically interested in household location choice – i.e., what factors determine where households choose to live within and between cities – and how land use regulations impact how urban areas respond to demand shocks and manage urban growth.

In addition to this research, since coming to Penn State, I have started doing research in the area of unconventional energy development and the impact of hydraulic fracturing on labor and environmental outcomes.

I am also part of a large five-year, $20 million U.S. Department of Energy grant that focuses on integrating economic, engineering, and climate models to do risk and impact assessment. ��

How did your academic studies and professors at 91����Ƶ prepare you for your graduate studies/current work?

Looking back, I can say without hesitation that one of my main motivations for going to graduate school can out of discussions I had with business and economics professors Chris Gingrich and Rick Yoder [now professor emeritus]. I wasn’t even planning to major in economics when I came to 91����Ƶ – I was just going for a business degree. However, after taking Chris’s courses my first year and talking with him outside of class, I decided to double-major in economics and business. From there, I continued to become interested in economics and even worked with Rick Yoder on a research project my senior year.

After graduation, I worked with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) for three years, but I knew even then that I wanted to go to graduate school when I returned. I corresponded with Chris while working with MCC and he helped me a great deal in knowing what things I needed to improve to make my application stronger and what to expect during and after the application process. I can’t know the counterfactual, but I believe that one of the main reasons for my pursuit of graduate work at this level was because of my time at 91����Ƶ. ��

What do you think made your application to graduate school stand out among others?

I think it was a combination of my real-world experience working with MCC and my preparation work beforehand that really helped my application. PhD work in economics is very quantitative and I wasn’t completely prepared for it when I returned from MCC. So, as I stated above, I got some good advice from folks at 91����Ƶ and increased my math base a good bit, which I really think helped improve my application.

What do you think makes 91����Ƶ graduates distinctive?

I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, I think it is the overall sense of “purpose” that most 91����Ƶ graduates seem to possess. When I came to 91����Ƶ, I really took a purely academic approach to my studies and focused largely on grades and traditional academic outputs. However, as my time at 91����Ƶ progressed, I because more interested in how I could make a difference with what I was learning, and what the overall purpose of my work and research was going to be. I attribute a lot of this change to positive spillover effects from being around other people who saw the world the same way. 91����Ƶ is an infectious environment in this way and for me it really changed who I was as a person and how I defined myself and my work – as it still does.

What attracted you to attend 91����Ƶ as an undergraduate?

Honestly, I originally visited 91����Ƶ because I was interested in running cross country and track and I wanted to stay closer to home (I was raised about 45 minutes away from 91����Ƶ). However, the ultimate reason that I chose 91����Ƶ over several other places was the atmosphere I encountered when I visited. I really like the small and intimate setting of the campus, and my short interactions with staff and professors solidified my decision. I am from a small, rural town and I really didn’t want to go to a large school. 91����Ƶ provided me with a great education, great training for life and work, and a wonderful atmosphere and overall college experience.

What are some favorite memories of your time at 91����Ƶ?

One of my most fond memories at 91����Ƶ involves my cross-cultural trip to East Africa. Before that I time, I had never traveled to or experienced life in a developing country, and my experience on trip changed both me and my perspective on the world. I really believe that going on that cross-cultural trips was one of the key factors in my decision to serve with MCC after graduation.

I also have memories of one particular spring break and the service trip I led to Louisiana. I and about 20 other students traveled to western Louisiana to volunteer at a Baptist camp for a week. It was one of the best trips, and weeks, of my time at 91����Ƶ. And lastly, I guess my most fond memories at 91����Ƶ involve my friends. I had a close group of friends at 91����Ƶ and we had a lot of fun.

At a recent university colloquium, economics professor presented research suggesting a different paradigm for net distribution. Gingrich’s study, conducted in Tanzania in 2016 during sabbatical leave, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, examined consumer demand and willingness to pay for different kinds of mosquito nets.

“The fear is when these nets are given away for free, people aren’t going to use them because they have no emotional or financial investment,” said Gingrich, during his colloquium presentation. In areas where free distribution has occurred, he added, it’s common to find them being used as window screens, fishing nets and in other non-prescribed ways.

Gingrich, who conducted in Tanzania during a previous sabbatical leave, designed an experiment in which participants received 10,000 shillings (about $4) and were offered a series of chances to buy different kinds and sizes of nets priced between 2,000 and 8,000 shillings.

After surveying 800 participants over a four-week period in two different regions of the country, Gingrich found they had a “very high propensity to buy” mosquito nets, even though they were also allowed to buy nothing and keep all the money they’d been given. Further analysis of the 5,600 data points generated during the study also shows that participants’ choices aligned with the logical consumer behaviors predicted by Econ 101 demand curves.

“I think this is empowering for the average Tanzanian,” Gingrich said. “W�� know that they are treating these goods like a rational consumer.”

Free distribution programs, which aren’t generally designed to give recipients choices about the kind of net they receive, can send a message of “Don’t complain, you’re poor. If we have one size net, just take it and use it and be quiet,” Gingrich continued. “And this [research] tells us otherwise about people’s preferences …. They make calculated decisions that suit their own situations day to day, and make a rational decision based on that kind of environment.”

Gingrich noted that the sort of subsidized purchase program supported by his research might complement, rather than replace, free distribution programs aimed at the poorest of the poor.

“I’m convinced there might be an opening here for both a co-payment model – which takes advantage of a person’s incentive to actually use the net – and a giveaway model,” he said.

For professionals already in business or leadership roles, the graduate certificate is an intermediate step between a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the field. The coursework can be applied towards an or an .

91����Ƶ’s graduate business coursework emphasizes “applied leadership for the common good,” says community justice advocate and educator Andrew Nussbaum, MA `15 (), who took several of the core courses while earning a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership. “I have been able to apply my learning in both a local and global context with new skills, new colleagues and new understanding.”

91����Ƶ’s faculty members, all holding doctorates in their field, bring a variety of expertise and foundational knowledge gained through domestic and international business and non-profit experiences.

Graduate Certificate in Business Administration

The 15-unit , which can be completed in less than a year, provides foundational skills and tools necessary to lead effectively in business, public agencies or nonprofit entities.

“Organizational leaders have both an opportunity and a responsibility to facilitate a turn toward solving many of the complex problems we encounter in the world today,” says . “This certificate offers leaders the foundational knowledge and contemporary data to recognize the need for change, and the philosophy and tools to lead a stakeholder-inspired process toward more sustainable and just outcomes.”

Required courses address such topics as business ethics and policy, organizational behavior, and finance and accounting. Students are allowed a maximum of two elective courses, one of which can substitute for a course on comparative perspectives on business and society. Electives from the MBA program of study are offered in technology, information and data analysis; marketing management; human resources; entrepreneurship; and project management and grant writing.

Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership

The can be completed in 18 months. The 17-unit program focuses on developing and broadening leadership skills through the study of organizational behavior and change, teambuilding, mentoring, and conflict transformation techniques. Students are encouraged to reflect on current and past practices, through readings, writings, and the completion of individual and team projects.

Students interested in this program may already have an MBA or other business skills, but desire to improve their management and leadership abilities.

“Most managers in organizations have learned how to manage people, money, and programs. What they usually lack, however, are the skills to lead sustainable change in their departments or organizations,” said professor , a specialist in organizational leadership who has trained or consulted with over 100 organizations, including in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. “This certificate equips participants to both understand the systems they lead and the tools to effectively lead and change them.”

Coursework includes “Leadership and Management for the Common Good,” which highlights ecological, social, and economic stressors of organizations at local and global levels, and approaches to leading people, systems, and organizations in positive ways. Other classes focus on organizational behavior; leadership theory and style; effecting and leading change within organizations; and developing healthy organizations through team building and collaboration. A 2-unit mentorship program is also required.

Faculty with a wealth of expertise and experience

91����Ƶ’s faculty members include current and former business owners, as well as non-profit and NGO professionals.

’s professional experience in business, including 12 years with an NGO in Kenya, lend perspective to his analysis of the role and impact of business and organizations within ecological limits and dynamic social systems, resulting in an integrated lens of sustainability, stewardship and justice. Leaman has a master’s in public administration and a PhD in public and international affairs.

served with several community development and conflict transformation organizations, including five years as executive director of a community development organization in southern Arizona. He has an MBA and a PhD in sociology, with a specialization in religious and organizational conflicts.

holds a doctorate in sociology. She lived and worked in South Africa for 16 years and the Middle East for 17 years. She was an organizational development consultant (with NGOs and blue chip companies undergoing post-Apartheid workplace diversity shifts), and has also worked in the domestic and gender-based violence field, and as a community development specialist.

brings significant international experience and a background in commercial banking and microfinance to courses in business ethics and policy, at the level of the employee, the firm, and the macro economy. Cowles has a master’s of theological studies, an MBA and a PhD in the social foundations of education.

specializes in development and international economics. He has a master’s in agricultural economics and a PhD in economics. His research topics have included the fair trade coffee market, mosquito net delivery systems, sustainability and effectiveness of microfinance programs, and issues surrounding financial crises.

has founded, co-founded and/or directed numerous small businesses and nonprofit organizations in community economic development, sustainable agriculture, energy management, and commodity futures trading in energy. Smith has a master’s of architecture and a PhD in social systems sciences. He is founder-CEO of , a solar development company that developed the .

, a certified public accountant, specializes in financial accounting reporting issues. He has three graduate degrees: an MBA, a master’s in accounting, and a PhD in accounting. His work experience includes the controllership of a large farm equipment company in southeastern Pennsylvania and summer projects with a local construction contractor, tire retreader, and an aviation company.

Fair trade may not be the panacea for coffee farmers that its proponents want it to be, according to , PhD, professor at 91����Ƶ, and his former student, Emily J. King.

Based on research they conducted from September 2010 to April 2011, Gingrich and King found that that the fair trade system for marketing coffee – under which farmers receive a minimum price for their product regardless of the market price – provides limited benefits to a tiny minority of farmers worldwide, despite the premium that consumers pay for that coffee.

“Consumers spend between $2 and $10 extra on fair trade for every dollar that reaches participating farmers,” wrote the authors in their abstract of “,” published in the 2012 issue of The Journal of Cooperatives.

“By comparison, projects that aim to improve coffee farmers’ production, processing, and marketing skills show the potential to provide benefits at a lower cost and also reach a broader clientele.”

Fair trade best when coffee prices low

Gingrich and King say when coffee prices are low, fair trade does benefit participating farmers, offering each producer as much as $100 per year on the average. But when market prices for coffee are relatively high, the annual benefits from fair trade fall to an average of $35 per participating farmer.

“Those in the fair trade system are doing fairly well,” Gingrich said in an interview with an 91����Ƶ reporter.�� “But, in order to join a fair trade cooperative, farmers usually have to be land owners, which means that fair trade cooperatives are out of reach for the most economically disadvantaged and marginalized farmers in developing countries.”

Fewer than 2 percent of the world’s coffee farmers sell any of their coffee under fair trade terms. Despite the small number of fair trade producers, the quantity of fair trade coffee on the market exceeds demand, noted Gingrich and King in their article.

For the foregoing reasons, the authors question whether “fair trade provides an attractive new paradigm for the global coffee market.”

Proponents of fair trade argue that the true benefits of fair trade “extend beyond higher prices for coffee farmers,” benefits that Gingrich and King acknowledge. “Fair trade farmers receive access to credit and technical information,” they say, as well as social benefits, such as increased women’s leadership and community development programs provided through the cooperatives.

Development projects may reach more producers

Nevertheless, in their article they tentatively concluded that “fair trade may not be the most cost-effective method of benefiting coffee producers.” They suggested that general development projects, such as quality improvements focused on productivity, may be able to reach more of the most disadvantaged producers, including those who do not own the land they farm or who are not cooperative members for other reasons.

“Part of writing the article was a call for more research,” said King in an interview. “As fair trade continues to grow, you gain more insight into how the movement can reach its full potential.”

King, a 2012 graduate of 91����Ƶ, now works in Illinois at a store affiliated with , a nationwide retailer of fair trade products. In the absence of clarity on better ways to increase financial benefits for coffee producers, King says she remains a staunch supporter of the fair trade system.

As an undergraduate, King was mentored by Gingrich in the independent study project that led to the article published in The Journal of Cooperatives. In addition to doing first-hand research, she got college credit for her work. “I had always been interested in fair trade,” she said. “In researching it, I brought together my major in peacebuilding and development with my minor in economics.”��

“Does Fair Trade Fulfill the Claims of its Proponents? Measuring the Global Impact of Fair Trade on Participating Coffee Farmers” is accessible at

“My supervisors and division chief have taken time to bring me on board with projects that I am interested in,” said Harnish, a senior at 91����Ƶ (91����Ƶ). “I have had the opportunity to work on projects ranging from preparing reports and presentations to compiling and vetting data for a database.”

Competitive from 91����Ƶ

“One of my big fears when I put in my deposit at 91����Ƶ was that I would not have access to the same opportunities students at some of the larger and more well-known universities do,” said Harnish. “My acceptance into this fellowship calmed that fear as well as reaffirming the fact that 91����Ƶ has prepared me to enter my field.”

Harnish’s BEA internship was part of a junior fellowship from the Joint Program of Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland.

“I knew I did not want to return to throwing mulch again this summer and immediately looked into the program,” said Harnish. “The fellowship program matches each fellow with a bureau and I was fortunate enough to end up in an economics agency.”

The fellowship program placed undergrads in federal statistical agencies and hosted field visits and seminars on survey methodology. Weekly seminars were held on the University of Maryland campus.

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Statistician of the United States and tour many of the other bureaus, including the ,” said Harnish.

Beyond theory

In addition, Harnish found the fellowship program was a way to move “beyond theory and explore math.”

“While I enjoyed my course in survey methodology, I was more interested in the possibility of working for one of the federal economics agencies. I saw this program as a good way to move beyond theory and explore the math.”

In his internship, Harnish said he got hands-on experience using concepts taught by Chris Gingrich, professor of , and , associate professor of business and economics. In addition, “Chris (Gingrich) and Jim (Leaman) pushed me to develop my communication skills, both written and verbal, which was very helpful.”

Gnagey went to work to find answers, spending two years in research, culminating in a . The award is based on Gnagey’s work as a graduate student at The Ohio State University for his paper, “A Semi-Parametric Analysis of Land Developer Costs and Development Timing.”

“My current research goal is to study changes in rural land use, specifically conversion of agriculture land to residential housing,” said Gnagey. “Greater understanding of development patterns and regulatory policies generate ways to better plan communities while also achieving more efficient economic outcomes.”

Gnagey used a statistical technique that relies less on economic assumptions-and more on incorporating geographical features in environmentally sensitive areas-to analyze land developer’s decisions of the timing and location of subdivisions in a rural Maryland county, close to the Chesapeake Bay.

“The goal of this research is to model changes in land use, particularly the conversion of agricultural land to residential housing,” said Gnagey. “Policies have been implemented to control fragmentation and potential damages to the ecosystem, but they are understudied. If we can understand how communities have grown in the past we can encourage economic growth and preserve the environment and natural resources for the future.”

Gnagey hopes the data he collects will show where land developers subdivide land and the characteristics that lead to those decisions. “I will include variables such as the characteristics of developers, land and the surrounding land while using new spatial statistical techniques to further explain development patters better than prior research has been able to.”

, professor of at 91����Ƶ, said Gnagey’s work at 91����Ƶ and time with helped him further understand land development issues. “His work in Indonesia following the 2004 tsunami undoubtedly helped him understand the economics of daily household decisions amidst challenging circumstances.”

Gnagey, who praised his adviser and fellow graduate students for their support on this research, emphasized his work is far from over.

“My manuscript still needs improvements before it can contribute to academic journals, but this award confirms that I am on the right track,” sad Gnagey.

Following the completion of his PhD, Gnagey envisions applying for jobs at liberal arts universities.

“Liberal arts schools often require professors to undertake a significant teaching load, but many of my professors at 91����Ƶ demonstrated balance between a full-time teaching load and quality academic research, something I aspire to.”

More information on the Business and economics department can be found at .

To view an interview with Chris Gingrich visit .

Chris D. Gingrich, who teaches in 91����Ƶ’s business and economics department and MBA program, says everyone agrees that malaria is the largest health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, causing 300-500 million clinical episodes per year and claiming more than 1.5 million lives, including more children under age five than any other illness.

And, he adds, everyone agrees that insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are the most cost-effective defense against malaria yet developed.

But the experts diverge on how to get ITNs distributed and put to use, as widely and as quickly as possible.

Jeffrey Sachs, a famous economist and public health advocate affiliated with Columbia University, has been campaigning for an expenditure of $3 billion per year to fund the free distribution of enough ITNs to cover every man, woman and child every night in Africa, reported the Oct. 26, 2007, issue of Science. (The species of mosquito that spreads malaria feeds mostly between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.)

The Sachs “give-nets-to-everyone” approach has been backed by certain public policy researchers and epidemiologists working out some of the best-known institutes in the world, including the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of California Los Angeles.

Gingrich and his three colleagues – two based in Britain and one in Tanzania – are less certain that free net distribution is the best long-term, most sustainable solution for developing countries. They are among the first to collect and present “empirical evidence regarding the economics of ITN (insecticide-treated nets) delivery.”

In their latest article – “Price subsidies and the market for mosquito nets in developing countries: A study of Tanzania’s discount voucher scheme” – published in Elsevier’s Social Science & Medicine in June 2011, the Gingrich team reported that a nationwide voucher system used in Tanzania, whereby consumers pay a fraction of the cost of a mosquito net, had caused net purchases to increase from 18 to 62 percent among targeted households.

Here’s how the voucher scheme has worked in Tanzania since 2005: When pregnant women go for their prenatal check-ups, offered free under the government-supported health system, they get a voucher (printed and supplied to clinics by the non-profit organization Mennonite Economic Development Associates). Similarly, caregivers of infants receive a voucher at the time of a child’s measles vaccine. In 2010, this voucher covered 90 percent of the cost of buying an ITN.

The women can take this voucher to any participating retailer – it’s usually a small local shop owned by someone who supplies them with the basics, like soap, sugar and batteries – and until recently the women could choose the color, style, fabric type and such that they prefer (yes, mosquito nets come in different brands, models and designs). They then hand over their voucher and walk away with a net that retails for maybe $5 for as little as $.50 out of their pockets.

Pregnant women and infants are targeted for the Tanzanian voucher program, explains Gingrich, because they are more likely to die from an episode of malaria than are non-pregnant women, older children and men.

Gingrich, who has traveled to Tanzania on three separate occasions for his research, believes that consumers are more likely to value and use an ITN, if the method of distribution takes into account the “dignity of being able to make your own choice.”

However, recent changes in the program include supplementary distribution of free nets and a move toward uniform net size, color, and design. “I don’t want to be told what kind of car to drive, and I believe women [in Tanzania] don’t want to be told what kind of net they get to have,” says Gingrich.

“When donors conduct large-scale distribution of free nets, it is true that nets will reach more people very quickly, but I am not convinced that they end up being used as intended over the long term,” he says. “A couple of weeks ago I was in a region where nets had been widely distributed for free, and I saw them used for fencing, in vegetable gardens and as soccer goals.”

Gingrich does his research with Kara G. Hanson and Tanya J. Marchant of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and with Hadji Mponda who recently became Tanzania’s national minister of health. They previously had an article on this subject published in the July 21, 2010, issue of Health Policy and Planning, a bi-monthly issued by Oxford University Press. The article was entitled “Household demand for insecticide treated bednets in Tanzania and policy options for increasing uptake.”

Gingrich brings to his work considerable experience as a Mennonite Central Committee worker on development issues, with three years in Haiti and two in Nepal. He holds a BS and MS in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois and a PhD in economics from Iowa State University.

His malaria-net research was supported by Mennonite Economic Development Associates during a 2007-2008 sabbatical from 91����Ƶ. In previous years, Gingrich focused his research on the effectiveness and sustainability of microfinance programs and the relationship between economic globalization and agricultural development.

When thinking about his upcoming sabbatical last year, 91����Ƶ economics professor Chris Gingrich knew he wanted to do something that wasn’t in his own backyard.

“I contacted a few different international organizations,” Gingrich said. “I basically expressed that I had a year to offer and if anyone could use my specific skills for a project, I would be glad to get involved. MEDA ended up being the right fit.”

Specifically, MEDA presented Chris with a project that would take him halfway across the globe. He was placed with a project in Tanzania that worked with the distribution of insecticide treated mosquito nets that were used to prevent malaria. The Tanzanian National Voucher Scheme (TNVS) project of the Tanzanian government promotes the distribution of these nets in the private sector with subsidized vouchers provided for citizens to purchase the nets. The goal of the project is to develop a sustainable supply chain for the nets even after the project ends.

“It’s quite a unique program in Africa, especially considering the large scale,” Gingrich said. “It has already had some positive effects, but the project also has seen its share of criticism.”

Most of this criticism is due to the remaining families who are not receiving nets fast enough, or not receiving them at all. Knowing this, Gingrich looked to research the specifics of why there was still a substantial population without access to mosquito nets. While many of the project’s critics blamed the price of the co-payments that were associated with the net vouchers, Gingrich’s research would lead him to a different conclusion.

“Price ended up being a much smaller cause of the problem than people had suggested,” Gingrich said. “Other variables like lack of education regarding malaria were more likely to contribute to individuals not buying nets.”

Most of his data were collected through the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and were crucial for his research.

“I was lucky to have such good data available to work with,” he said. “There is no way the research could have been completed within the year otherwise.”

In addition to his research, Gingrich spent a good part of September and October last year and May of this year in Tanzania. This time abroad also helped him in developing his conclusions.

“It’s easy to blame something like price when you are critiquing the situation,” Gingrich said. “In actuality, however, a mother’s decision to buy or not buy a mosquito net involves many other variables such as living environment and education. It is very much a case by case situation.”

As the project continues, the hope is that other African nations pick up this project in some form, and the idea of using the private sector to distribute nets is something that becomes favorable to a government and its people.

Now back at 91����Ƶ, Gingrich is happy to have been part of a global project such as the TNVS.

“It was very fulfilling to be part of a cutting-edge project like this and to be able to come up with some very good results through my research,” Gingrich said. “I just hope that the research will have an impact and positive changes can be made through my work. I was fortunate to meet so many of the individuals associated with MEDA in Tanzania and I feel very lucky to have had the experience.”