Aditya R. Khanal

Dr. Aditya R. Khanal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tennessee State University's College of Agriculture. He joined the faculty in 2015 and currently serves as the Graduate Program Director/Coordinator of the Department of Agricultural Business and Education. His academic career focuses on agricultural economics with expertise spanning finance, risk management, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Dr. Khanal's educational background includes:

• PhD in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• MS in Finance from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• MA in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
• BS in Agricultural Sciences from Tribhuvan University, Nepal

As an agricultural economist, Dr. Khanal specializes in determining profitable and risk-minimized practices for farms of all sizes. His research encompasses predictive and analytical modeling, farm and food business entrepreneurship, and factors influencing farm household decisions regarding land use, technology adoption, capital structure, credit, and government programs. His work examines how these factors affect farm productivity, household incomes, and food security. Dr. Khanal has particular expertise in small farm economics, analyzing how resource-constrained farmers navigate financial challenges and implement risk management strategies.

Dr. Khanal's publication record demonstrates significant contributions across multiple domains of agricultural economics. His research shows consistent focus on small farm business viability, with particular attention to income diversification strategies including agritourism and off-farm work. He has conducted extensive analysis of technology adoption patterns, particularly examining internet access and precision agriculture implementation among small farm operators. His work on food security spans both domestic U.S. contexts and international settings, with publications examining food demand patterns in rural households and food security challenges in countries like Malawi.

Dr. Khanal has received numerous prestigious honors and awards:

• 2022 Emerging Scholar of Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA)
• Outstanding Young Scholar Award from Agricultural Finance and Management Section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA)
• 2017 Highly Commended Award for Excellence for work on US small farms (#LiteratiAwards)
• AAEA Foundation Young Professional and Graduate Student Travel Grant, 2013
• Outstanding PhD Student Award, Department of Agricultural Economics, LSU, 2014
• Gamma Sigma Delta Graduate Student Merit Honor Roll Award, April 2014
• Graduate Student Travel Grant from Graduate school of Louisiana State University

Dr. Khanal has secured approximately $3.6 million in extramural grant funding as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator. He has served as major advisor for 10 graduate students, guiding them through thesis completion and graduation. His professional engagement includes service as associate editor, topic editor, and reviewer for multiple agricultural economics journals. He has presented research at 18 national and international conferences, often serving in organizational roles as moderator and panelist.

Dr. Khanal leads the FSIL-Nepal project and has been featured in AgriLinks by the US Government's Feed the Future Initiatives. His research extends across international contexts, with projects examining agricultural challenges in Bangladesh, South Korea, and Nepal, demonstrating his global perspective on agricultural economics and food security issues.