Catherine Larochelle

Catherine Larochelle is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her research focuses on evaluating agricultural technologies and programs, particularly their adoption mechanisms and impacts on productivity, income, and food security. She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from Virginia Tech and has conducted extensive international fieldwork in countries like Nepal, Rwanda, Malawi, and Ecuador.

Her funded projects include transformative initiatives like integrating native wildflowers into grazing systems to support pollinators and enhancing legume-based product commercialization in Africa. She teaches courses such as Agricultural Production and Consumption Economics and leads experiential learning programs in Ecuador.

Dr. Larochelle has received awards including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Global Faculty Scholar (2021) and Outstanding Dissertation Award (2012). Her work bridges academic research with real-world applications, emphasizing global development and sustainable agricultural practices.

Her advisory role supports graduate students who present at international conferences, and she collaborates with organizations like CIAT and USDA on projects addressing food security, biodiversity, and technology adoption.