Jonathan McFadden ('15 PhD ag econ) was interviewed in the September 8th MSN.com story, "The USDA relocation to Kansas City is ripping apart the lives of its employees. Here are some of their stories."
McFadden, 33, accepted a position at the Economic Research Service right after earning a PhD in economics from Iowa State University. He viewed the federal government as a placeholder, tiding him over until he found a university job. Still, he plunged into his research, asking questions such as, how can farmers best respond to climate change? How are farmers using genetically engineered crops?
“There’s tremendous value in being able to stop by someone’s cubicle and just say, ‘Look at this graph, can you see this data point? What are your thoughts?’ ” McFadden said. “It was a really great time in my life.”