Gerad Middendorf

Dr. Gerad Middendorf is a Professor of Sociology at Kansas State University (KSU), affiliated with the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work within the College of Arts and Sciences. His expertise spans rural and environmental studies, sociology of agriculture, and international development. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University (2002), an M.A. in International Affairs/Latin American Studies from Ohio University (1992), and a B.S. in Business Economics/Finance from Southern Illinois University (1987).

His research focuses on the social implications of agricultural technologies, biofuels development, and agrarian landscape transitions. He has collaborated on NSF-funded projects on agrarian landscapes, DOE-funded work on biofuels and rural communities, and USDA/SARE projects on Latino labor in Midwestern agriculture. His notable publication includes The Fight Over Food (2008), analyzing movements in the global agrifood system.

Dr. Middendorf’s work appears in peer-reviewed journals such as Rural Sociology, Agriculture and Human Values, and Investigación & Desarrollo. He has no explicitly listed awards or advisees. His research emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and policy-relevant analysis of agriculture and rural economies.