Jill McCluskey named Alumna of 2022 by UC Berkeley Ag & Resource Economics Dept.

Jill McCluskey
Jill McCluskey, Regents Professor and Director of the School of Economic Sciences

Regents Professor Jill McCluskey was named alumna of the year by the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics (ARE) at the University of California, Berkeley.

A leading scholar of the economics of product quality and reputation, food labeling and standards, food access, and consumer preferences for new technology, McCluskey received her doctorate at UC Berkeley in 1998.

“This award from my alma mater means a lot to me,” McCluskey said. “I received outstanding mentorship and learned to love doing research while I was a student at Berkeley. I hope that I do the same for my students here at WSU.”

Acclaimed for her research and involvement, McCluskey is the first woman to direct WSU’s School of Economic Sciences. A Fellow and past president of the Agricultural & Applied Economic Association, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), McCluskey has served as major professor to 47 WSU doctoral graduates, many of whom have gone on to professorships at research universities. She is an editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. She also serves on several boards, including the Board on Agricultural and Natural Resources of the National Academies of Sciences and the International Association of Agricultural Economists.

She cofounded the Lauren McCluskey Foundation, which honors the legacy of her daughter and raises awareness of dating violence and stalking on campuses.

McCluskey will give the talk, “How Women Saved Agricultural Economics and Other Ideas from a Berkeley Graduate,” Friday, Oct. 14, at Berkeley. Her talk will be followed by a ceremony and reception.

“I hope this award inspires others,” McCluskey said. “I have experienced many challenges and setbacks, but I have persevered, received a lot of support from WSU and my community, and benefitted from WSU programs,” such as the spousal-hire program, the WSU children’s center, and family-medical leave.

Berkeley was a special place for me,” she added. “My mentors believed in me and expected me to succeed. Believing in the skills and abilities of my own students at WSU, especially female and minority scholars, has given them the confidence to solve difficult problems and compete at the highest levels.”