Tell us A Little About Yourself?
I grew up in the north of Argentina, close to Paraguay and Brazil, where I went to school and to college obtaining a degree in Economics. My first job was in a bank, Banco del Chaco, lending to agricultural organizations, in particular cooperatives. I came to the US with a Rotary scholarship to study for one year at the University of Pennsylvania. As I was ready to head back to Argentina, they told me that with one more semester I would obtain a master’s degree in Economics, so I stayed and completed this degree. I later applied for a scholarship to continue my studies from the Organization of American States (OAS) who covered 2 years of the PhD program and directed me to study at North Carolina State University (NCSU). A third year of my studies was covered by a scholarship from the American Association of University Women. At NCSU, I taught Introduction to Statistics Applied to Management, Accounting, and Economic Problems. After graduation I worked at the World Bank on a research project that focused on the political economy of agricultural pricing policies in 18 developing countries, project directed by Dr. Anne Krueger then World Bank chief economist. In 1989 I accepted an assistant professor position with a focus on international trade and development at the Department of Economics at Iowa State University, where I obtained tenure and was promoted to associate professor. In 1996, I moved to the University of Nebraska, where I joined my husband Dr. Richard Perrin. I have one son Nickolas who grew up in Lincoln and is an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles, a grandson Enzo (2 years old) and a granddaughter Clio (9 months old).
What is your position at UNL? I am the Judith and Roy Frederick Professor of Agricultural Economics.
What drew you to this career path and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln? While growing up I assisted my father, a surgeon, in a public hospital. I then realized that the problem in poor regions was not the lack of medical attention but the lack of income as people could not afford the most basic meds. This initially drove me to Economics. While in the US, I learned the difference between a private university and a land grant university. It is the mission of land grant universities that is consistent with my values and drove me to ISU and to UNL.
What is the most memorable moment in your career? There is no one memorable moment but a few. The idea of pursuing a degree in the US was a dream, but somehow I was able to do it. The idea of teaching in a US university was also a dream, but somehow I was able to do it. The idea of devoting a big part of my work to research in agricultural economics, an important area in development, international trade and policy, was a dream and I was able to do it. These are all memorable to me.
Is there a personal highlight or achievement you would like to share? I am a woman economist during a time in the profession when this was not all that common. I did not think or realize that this was the case until much later, when looking back at my career. I think that being able to balance profession and motherhood is a personal highlight/achievement I feel the most proud of.
What is your greatest achievement? Rather than list a number of awards I received through time, I think my greatest achievement has been the opportunity to pass whatever knowledge I have to others. It is the success of my students as professionals that is my greatest achievement.
What is something that most people don’t know about you? People do not know how passionate I am about equal opportunities for all.
What do you enjoy outside of work? I enjoy time with my family. I enjoy reading history. I enjoy traveling. I enjoy cooking.
What’s your advice to the next generation? It is not networking but conviction and hard work that will make your dreams a reality. Be kind to others and follow your heart.