Chanita Holmes

Chanita Holmes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech since 2022. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from SUNY Binghamton (2019), an M.A. in Economics (2013), and prior degrees from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, including a B.Sc. Economics & Statistics (2009) and M.Sc. Economics (2011). Her research focuses on rural and regional development, labor market disparities, education, health equity, and mechanisms to improve educational attainment globally.

Her work emphasizes applied microeconomics, employing econometric tools to evaluate policies addressing gender, race, and socio-economic disparities. Recent studies include food security surveys at Virginia Tech, analysis of maternal mental health linked to household food security, and the impact of migration on labor markets. She also investigates early physical maturity’s role in labor outcomes and parental influence on adolescent education.

Publications span journals like Applied Economics Letters and Economics Human Biology, with recent work exploring policy implications of food access and migration history. Awards include recognition for early academic contributions at the University of the West Indies (2009).

Her professional experience includes roles as Assistant Research Professor at Virginia Tech (2019–2022) and instructor at Shelton State Community College (2018–2019). She actively contributes to community projects, such as tracking economic mobility in Hampton Roads and service provision for vulnerable youth in Loudoun County.