Biography: Titus Awokuse is the associate dean for research and strategic partnerships at MSU’s International Studies and Programs. He previously served (from 2015-2021) as chairperson in MSU's Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. Prior to joining MSU, he was chairperson and professor in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics at the University of Delaware. His research interests and activities examine how international trade and food market liberalization policies enhance economic growth, improve food supply chains, and promote food security in developing countries. He has published his scholarly research papers in leading professional journals and his works have been cited in the popular press, including the Canadian Journal of Economics, Economic Letters, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Global Food Security, Journal of Comparative Economics, and World Development, the Economist, LA Times.

He is an internationally respected scholar who has consulted for national governments, international development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private businesses. Awokuse also made notable contributions to the agricultural and applied economics profession through his leadership roles and service on various committees, advisory boards, and professional associations. He currently serves as an elected member of the Agricultural and Applied Economic Association (AAEA) and is on the Executive Board of the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium. He served as journal editor of Agricultural and Resource Economics Review (from 2007-2010) and served as member of editorial board of several academic journals. He was a former Chair of the National Association of Agricultural Economics Administrators (NAAEA) section of the AAEA. He earned a Ph.D. in in applied and agricultural economics from Texas A&M University.

Biography: Kathryn Fillinger was appointed Finance and Program Officer for TPP in 2019. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the accounts, while also providing administrative and financial support for TPP. Prior to her current position in International Studies and Programs, Kathryn was a Project Coordinator for the Facility of Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), a multi-million dollar research initiative at MSU. Kathryn is an alumna of MSU’s College of Social Science, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Sociology.