Professor Balagtas is a Professor of Agricultural Economics and Interim Director of the Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability at Purdue. He conducts research on the economics of agricultural markets, including agricultural and food policy, the industrial organization of agricultural markets, and poverty and food security. He has won research quality awards for his work on international dairy trade, competition in U.S. dairy markets, and food security among rural households in Bangladesh. Current projects include economic analyses of consumer behavior in food markets, competition in the supply chain for beef, and supply and demand for food away from home. Professor Balagtas served as a Senior Economist at the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, and was a Fulbright Senior Scholar and Visiting Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Davis, an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University, and a B.A. in Economics from Miami University. He lives in West Lafayette with his wife, Arlene, their three sons, and a beagle.