About

Professor Damon’s research broadly focuses on household poverty reduction strategies and food security issues. Research projects include investigating the impact of international migration on families living in Central America, studying the economics of bushmeat in East Africa, evaluating the effectiveness of education programs in Latin America, and examining food consumption patterns in the United States. She is currently working on several projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Indonesia. Professor Damon has worked at a number of international organizations, including the World Bank, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and Prospera- Australia Indonesia Partnership for Economic Development. She is passionate about teaching and was the recipient of the 2023 Jack and Marty Rossman Excellent in Teaching Award. Her doctorate is in agriculture and natural resource economics. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three children, and grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York.  

Professor Damon is also the director of the International Development concentration.

BA: University of Vermont, 1997

MS: Michigan State University, 2001

PhD: University of Minnesota, 2008