Jane Kolodinsky

Jane Kolodinsky, MBA, PH.D, is a proven leader in the development, management, delivery, growth and evaluation of cross-cutting and transdisciplinary coursework and programs spanning the fields of entrepreneurship, food systems, design, public communication, and applied economics. After earning her B.S. (’81) and MBA (’83) from Kent State University, she earned her Ph.D. in applied consumption economics with minors in marketing and agricultural economics at Cornell University (’88).  Prior to accepting the position as Dean of the School of Business as Western, Jane was employed at the University of Vermont as Professor and Chair of the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics where she also served as Associated Dean of Research and Director of the Center for Rural Studies.

Her cross-disciplinary experience spans teaching, research, outreach and administration. She secured funding for over 100 grants totaling over 8 million dollars, serving as both P.I. and co-P.I., has taught hundreds of students and served on almost 70 graduate student committees at both the M.S. and Ph.D. levels. She champions DEIJ+ initiatives, and has led the development of several contemporary and unique undergraduate and graduate programs.

Dr. Kolodinsky is also a scholar who has published almost 200 refereed journal articles and presented her work on 5 continents . She has served on the Editorial Board of 9 journals. Jane was awarded two Fulbright scholarships at the Institute for Social Medicine in Germany (1998), and as Research Chair at the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta, Canada (2021). She is a fellow of the American Council on Consumer Interests and the Gund Institute for the Environment and was appointed University Scholar at the University of Vermont (2107).

Jane brings a wealth of experience in administrative, faculty and research roles to Western where she began her position as Dean of the School of Business July 1, 2023. She is excited to call the Gunnison Valley and all it has to offer home and is looking forward to continuing her journey in administration and academia as a Mountaineer.  Go Western.

Publications

Here are some recent highlights:

• Garner, Jennifer A., Karla L. Hanson, Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn H. Sitaker, Alice S. Ammerman, Donald Kenkel, and Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler (2023). Cost Analysis and Cost Effectiveness of a Subsidized Community Supported Agriculture Intervention for Low-income Families. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Read Here
• KolodLacasse, H., Kolodinsky, J., Reynolds, T., and Darby, H., (2023). Modeling Hemp as an Innovative Input: An Application of the Diffusion of Innovations in a Sample of Hemp Aware Consumers. Agriculture and Human Values. Read Here
• Falkner, Amanda; Jane Kolodinsky; Tyler Mark; William Snell; Rebecca Hill; Amelia Luke; Jonathan Shepherd; Hannah Lacasse (2023). The Reintroduction of Hemp in the United States: A Content Analysis of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans. Journal of Cannabis Research. 5, 17. Read Here
• Kolodinsky, Jane, Jeffrey Buzas, Nick Rose, and Yuqing Zheng. 2022.“Neither, either, or both? Who sees GM and non‐GM food labels?” Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, 1–17. Read Here 
• Pratt, B. W., Erickson, J. D., Kolodinsky, J., Monsen, E., & Wales, W. J. (2022). Shades of Green: Modelling Differences in Thought and Action among Electric Utility Regime Actors in the Energy System Transition. Sustainability, 14(20), 13287. MDPI AG. Read Here
• Wang, W., Hollas, C., Chase, L., Conner, D., and Kolodinsky, J., (2022). Challenges in Agritourism and Access to resources: A US regional analysis. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. Belarmino, Emily, Jane Kolodinsky, Alice S. Ammerman, Leah Connor Volpe, Covington Brown, Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Marilyn Sitaker, Weiwei Wang, Jared McGuirt, Michelle Carfagno, Emily Hunsinger, and Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler (2022). Growing Opportunities for Equitable, Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Food Systems Education: A Review of Food Systems Education at Land-Grant Institutions and Development of Open-Access Materials. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Kolodinsky, Jane and Daniel Tobin (2020). Teaching about Diversity and Racism in Food Systems: An Example for Agricultural Economics and Related Departments. Applied Economics Teaching Resources. Volume 2. Read Here
• Kolodinsky, J., M. Sitaker, L. Chase, D. Smith and W. Wang (2020). Food Systems Disruptions: Turning a Threat into an Opportunity for Local Food Systems, Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development. Read Here
• Moser, Michael, Kati Gallagher, Mairi-Jane Fox, and Jane Kolodinsky (2020). From Measurement to Application: Wellbeing Indicators in Socio-Ecological Systems. Book Chapter in The Research and Action Agenda for Ecological Economics. Kolodinsky, Jane and Jayson Lusk (2018). Mandatory Labels can Improve Attitudes toward Genetically Engineered Food. Science Advances. Read Here
• Hamshaw, K., Inwood, S., Kolodinsky, J., and Needle, M. (2017). Generating knowledge to inform regional planning for sustainability: The roles of community engagement and indicators in the ECOS Project. In S. Kenney, B. McGrath, R. Phillips (Eds.), The Handbook of Community Development: Perspectives from Around the Globe. London: Routledge. Pp 159-173. Battista, G. A., Lee, B. H., Kolodinsky, J., & Heiss, S. (2015). Exploring Health Care Accessibility by Rural Seniors Using A Mixed-Methods Approach. Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board. 2531:137-145.

External Professional Affiliations

• Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, New England Public Policy Center, Board of Advisors, 2022-
• NAREEE Board of Directors (2021-2023) National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, United States Department of Agriculture; Executive Committee, 2021-22
• CFARE Board of Directors (2019-present) – Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Programming chair
• The Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society Board of Directors and Editorial Board
• Fulbright Research Chair, College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada 2021
• Fellow: Gund Institute for the Environment, 2018
• University of Vermont University Scholar, 2017
• American Council on Consumer Interests, 2017: Trailblazer, 2023