By Tracy Turner
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gabriel E. Lade has been appointed to a five-year term as the holder of the C. William Swank Chair in Rural-Urban Policy at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), pending final approval by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees.
This prestigious appointment recognizes Lade’s outstanding research and leadership in agricultural, environmental, and rural-urban economics. As the newest faculty member in the CFAES Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics (AEDE), Lade brings to the role a national reputation for impactful research, a strong commitment to student mentorship, and a collaborative spirit.
“Dr. Lade is a leading voice in understanding the economic dimensions of environmental policy and rural-urban challenges,” said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES. “His scholarship and public engagement align perfectly with the mission of the Swank Chair and will help elevate CFAES’s leadership in advancing policy solutions at the intersection of agriculture, environment, and community.”
Lade’s research spans a wide range of topics critical to both rural and urban communities, including environmental regulation, land use management, renewable energy, rural water quality, and the economics of biofuels. His work has been published in top peer-reviewed journals such as the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Environmental Science and Technology, and Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
He has authored more than 20 high-impact articles, many focused on pressing rural-urban issues such as pollution exposure, energy policy, and the effects of environmental crises on communities. His work is widely cited and has helped shape academic and policy conversations on energy and environmental economics across the country.
Lade has served as an associate professor of economics at Macalester College and held faculty positions at Iowa State University and visiting appointments at Cornell University and the University of Minnesota. He earned his PhD in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis.
In his new role, Lade will lead the C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy, which produces applied economic research on the issues shaping the future of rural and urban communities. He will also teach undergraduate and graduate courses and advise students working on rural-urban economic challenges.
His outreach will connect with Ohio’s agricultural leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders to help inform practical solutions that support both rural vitality and urban sustainability.
Established by the Nationwide Foundation, friends, colleagues and members of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the endowment supports the work of a distinguished professor whose research, teaching and public service focus on the economic and/or legal dimensions of the rural and urban interface, including issues relating to farming on the urban fringe, quality of life, externalities and environmental regulations, management and the industrialization of agriculture.
C. William Swank, who served as Ohio Farm Bureau executive vice president from 1968-1996, and helped Ohio Farm Bureau grow into the organization it is today, all the while keeping the economic and social well-being of farm families top of mind. During his 40-year career, Swank received the Ohio State University Board of Trustees Distinguished Service Award, Ohio Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service Award and is a member of the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame, to name just a few.