Bonnie Johnson
May 07, 2025
Media ArticleGabriel E. Lade has been appointed to a five-year term as the C. William Swank Chair in Rural-Urban Policy at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). His appointment is pending final approval by the university’s Board of Trustees.
This role recognizes Dr. Lade’s leadership in rural-urban, agricultural, and environmental economics. As a new faculty member in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics (AEDE), he brings national recognition for his research, student mentorship, and dedication to solving real-world challenges.
“Dr. Lade is a leading voice in understanding the economic dimensions of environmental policy and rural-urban challenges,” says Cathann A. Kress, vice president for agricultural administration and CFAES dean. “His scholarship and public engagement align perfectly with the mission of the Swank Chair.”
Dr. Lade’s research focuses on issues such as land use, environmental regulation, biofuels, renewable energy, and rural water quality. He has published more than 20 major articles in respected journals like the American Economic Journal and Environmental Science and Technology. His work is widely used by both researchers and policymakers.
Previously, Dr. Lade served as an economics professor at Macalester College and Iowa State University, with visiting roles at Cornell University and the University of Minnesota. He holds a PhD in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis.
As Swank Chair, he will direct the C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy, lead applied research, teach undergraduate and graduate students, and work with agricultural and community leaders in Ohio to support rural and urban sustainability.
The Swank Chair is supported by the Nationwide Foundation and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and was created to support leadership in solving economic and legal challenges at the rural-urban interface.
Photo by: cfaes.osu.edu
