Oklahoma State University food and agricultural economist Jayson Lusk announced this week that he has officially accepted an offer to be the next head of the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University, beginning after July 1. He will also be nominated for the post of distinguished professor at Purdue.

Lusk currently serves as Regents professor and Willard Sparks endowed chair in the department of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University and also serves as the Samuel Roberts Noble Distinguished Fellow at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my 12 years at Oklahoma State and appreciate the support and opportunities OSU has afforded me,” Lusk said on his blog. “I've had great students and colleagues and have made wonderful friends in Stillwater (Okla.), but now’s the time to move on to a new challenge.”

Lusk noted that Purdue’s College of Agriculture is routinely ranked in the top 5-10 worldwide and that the department of agricultural economics has a long history of excellence and leadership in the profession.

“It's a large department with about 50 faculty members, almost 150 graduate students and 600 undergraduates. It's a big job and I'm looking forward to it,” Lusk said.