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Cory Walters Highlight
Cory Walters
Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics,
University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Everyone has weaknesses. When you think that you don’t, then you’ve exposed your true weakness.
About Cory
- Grew up on a grain farm in Montana growing wheat, canola, barley, and peas—was always warned by his father not to go into the agricultural industry.
- Worked for a summer at an aluminum plant, but he hated it—credits this experience with helping him understand how to decide what works best for him and what risks he was willing to take.
- Attended Montana State University, where he started as a computer science major, but quickly realized that his failing grades meant he should be doing something else.
- Unsure what step to take next, he took a random class in Arabic, which led to him spending time traveling Morocco, Egypt, and Syria.
- After meeting with faculty members, he decided to ignore his father’s advice and ultimately earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business.
- Says he began to get interested in economics because of its “rigorous framework designed to help you make decisions.”
- Decided to go back to school to receive his master’s degree in agricultural economics and his Ph.D. in economics from Washington State University.
- Now teaches in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, focusing on farm income risk management and policy-important areas of federal crop insurance.
