Economics professor John Crespi has been announced as the next interim director for the Center of Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD.)

Crespi will serve one year in his position as interim director, which began Aug. 16.

Catherine Kling was the director of CARD for seven years, from 2013 to 2018, before leaving Iowa State for a position at Cornell University. After she left, Dermot Hayes, Iowa State professor of economics and finance, served as interim director from June to August.

Crespi is an agricultural economist with areas of focus in industrial organization and food marketing. His current teaching duties include undergraduate classes on food markets and agribusiness finance.  

He is also part of the ISU Brain Initiative, which is a group of faculty and staff on campus whose goal is to accelerate brain research. Crespi contributes research regarding consumer choice and food decisions.

Crespi received two degrees in English and economics from California State University, Sacramento. From there, he earned a master’s in economics from Colorado State University and a doctorate in agricultural and resource economics from University of California, Davis.

The Center of Agricultural and Rural Development “conducts innovative public policy and economic research on agricultural, environmental, and food issues,” according to their website.

Researchers at CARD combine engagement with academic success to think about the best ways to inform society about their research; they also research the impacts of alternatives to policies including trade and agriculture, food and nutrition, biorenewables and others, according to their website.