William Burke

William Burke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University (MSU), affiliated with the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. His research focuses on agricultural policy, food security, and poverty dynamics in Africa, with extensive fieldwork in Zambia, Malawi, and The Gambia. He holds an MSc and PhD from MSU (2009, 2012), following Peace Corps service in The Gambia (2001–2003). Burke’s work includes analyzing fertilizer subsidies, soil management, and gender disparities in resource access. He has held roles at Stanford University and consultancies with organizations like the MwAPATA Institute in Malawi.

Research interests include poverty dynamics, sustainable intensification, and cost-benefit analysis of agricultural policies. He contributes to multivariate statistical methods, notably developing the 'craggit' package in Stata. Awards include the 2017 Bruce Gardner Memorial Prize for policy analysis and recognition for top-cited papers in Agricultural Economics. Burke advises the Food Tank Board and serves on The African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics editorial board.

• Educations: PhD & MSc in Agricultural Economics (MSU, 2012 & 2009)
• Awards: Multiple accolades for policy research and academic contributions
• Labs/Initiatives: Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy, MwAPATA Institute collaboration

His recent work addresses climate impacts on Malawi’s agriculture, fertilizer price volatility, and gender gaps in land access. Teaching includes multivariate statistics and survey design at MSU, Stanford, and the University of Zambia.