Nurlan Utesov

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. My research examines how contracts, governance, and technological change shape incentives and performance in agricultural systems, combining economic theory with advanced econometric methods. My job market paper analyzes the modernization of Wisconsin’s potato supply chain, showing how technological innovation and contractual coordination jointly improve efficiency and market outcomes. A second line of work uses newly digitized Soviet archival data to study mechanization, procurement, and land use under coercive institutions. Across these projects, I aim to advance econometric methods and contribute to debates on modernization with insights relevant to both scholars and policymakers.