MISSISSIPPI STATE -- New Mississippi State University Extension Service assistant professor Kim Morgan said she hopes to use her experience in consumer behavior, market research and economic analysis to find solutions relevant to agribusiness managers.

Morgan assumed her duties July 1 in the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics. She said she felt the position with the department was an excellent career choice.

“The people involved in the interview process convinced me that the university is the right fit for me and welcomed my family into the Starkville community,” she said.

A native of Midland, Mich., Morgan grew up in rural northern New Jersey. She is a graduate of the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1993, a master’s degree in food and resource economics in 1997, and a doctorate in food and resource economics in 2007. She also worked for eight years as an economic analyst at the Florida Agricultural Market Research Center, a service unit within the university’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“I want to establish public outreach and client advising practices that focus on development of value-added marketing and alternative production system solutions for agribusinesses,” Morgan said.

Since arriving at MSU, Morgan has worked on a survey of Mississippi Gulf Coast city and county public managers. She said she wants to investigate the economic impact that the coastal hazards of hurricanes, oil spills and water quality problems on public agencies.

“Dr. Morgan has hit the ground running,” said agricultural economics department head Steven Turner. “As she learns more about the agricultural and business environment in Mississippi, her experience and ambition will generate benefits, both immediate and long term, for our citizens.”

She plans to attend the Deep South Fruit and Vegetable Annual Meeting in Mobile this December to talk with participants about tourism and Internet marketing opportunities.

“I am excited to focus my academic productivity on areas relevant to the health and wealth of the agribusiness community in Mississippi,” Morgan said. “I look forward to interacting with researchers, educators, Extension personnel and students, and establishing a productive relationship with agribusiness industry members.”

Writer: Patti Drapala