Kolady selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar

Deepthi Kolady, associate professor in the Ness School of Management and Economics, has been selected as a 2022-2023 Fulbright U.S. Scholar. As a Fulbright scholar, Kolady will be visiting Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2023.

Kolady received her doctorate in agricultural economics from Cornell University and M.S. in agricultural economics from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, India.

“In my current research, I investigate the determinants of producers’ decisions regarding sustainable agricultural production practices and addresses how consumer demand and preferences influence agricultural production practices and generate markets for differentiated food products,” said Kolady. As one of the 2022–2023 Fulbright U.S. Scholars, Kolady will conduct research focusing on rice producers’ preferences for agricultural carbon markets in Thailand.

The Fulbright Program is “the flagship international academic exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.” Funds for the program are appropriated by Congress and other foreign governments.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program “offers diverse opportunities for U.S. academics, administrators and professionals to teach, research, do professional projects and attend seminars abroad.” Kolady will use this award as an opportunity for professional development, experiencing new cultures and expanding the scope of her research focus geographically.

“Thailand is a major rice producer in the world. There are increasing concerns about the greenhouse gas emissions from rice/paddy production,” Kolady said. “There is an emerging interest in using carbon market programs to incentivize producers to adopt more sustainable production practices in countries like the United States. Carbon market programs are designed to reward agricultural producers for the ecosystem services they provide through their adoption of sustainable production practices.

“However, our understanding of the challenges of implementing carbon market programs in developing countries is limited," Kolady continued. "The Fulbright award allows me to expand my current research on producers’ preferences for carbon market programs in the United States to Thailand and compare how producers’ preferences for carbon markets vary between developed and developing countries. It will help me to better understand the challenges and opportunities of the carbon market program as a policy tool to address greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in two very different farming and food systems and political economies.”

Fulbright awards provide substantial opportunities to develop international relationships between thought-leaders, experts, home institutions and host countries.

“I hope that my collaborations with Chulalongkorn University will increase SDSU’s reputation in Thailand, attract more undergraduate and graduate students to our programs and lead to enduring research collaborations between the two institutions,” Kolady said.