Award for Global Engagement

Dr. Terry L. Roe is a globally recognized economist, dedicated educator, and leader in the field of global economic development.

Dr. Roe has devoted his 40-plus-year career with the University of Minnesota to the field of economic research and education. As an adviser and educator he has been a major thesis adviser to 25 master’s of science students and 58 Ph.D. students in Applied Economics, with 44 from non-English-speaking countries. His students have gone on to make an impact in the field of development and economic policy. His courses are considered a core and essential part of the graduate education in applied economics. He also integrates international understanding by teaching his students not only cutting-edge theories and methods but also emphasizing how resource endowments, cultural practices, governance, and other political, social, and cultural factors can have an impact on development outcomes.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Roe has made major contributions in the areas of dynamic modeling of multi-country general equilibrium frameworks, the theory of information, and the impact of government interventions on growth outcomes. With more than 90 published papers and seven books, he has been an invited speaker in more than 25 countries. Dr. Roe began his career as a resident economist for three years in the Ministry of Agriculture in Tunisia where he conducted research and trained young Tunisian economists. Since then he has been engaged in research and training in the economics of country development and capacity building in Egypt, Haiti, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, Turkey, and Poland.

Dr. Roe has been invited to participate in high-profile events, including two days of policy discussions with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni; an invitation by the U.S. Library of Congress to present on foreign economic development and U.S. development to newly elected members of the U.S. House of Representatives; and, following a presentation to the Russian Academy of Science, he was invited to address the Duma Assembly.

Dr. Roe’s global outreach and engagement has elevated the strong economics tradition at the University of Minnesota. His contributions in the field of economic growth, international trade, and agricultural policy have spanned the globe. Equally, as an educator, he has mentored graduate students worldwide, building the capacity of economists and, ultimately, strengthening international development and growth.