 from Western Illinois University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.He was Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Dean of the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.From 2001 to 2006, he served as senior officer for technology commercialization and economic development for the Urbana-Champaign, and for six months as interim Vice President for Academic Affairs.