Paul McNamara

Paul McNamara currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign after beginning his career at the University with an appointment as an extension specialist. In his current role, Dr. McNamara uses tools from consumer economics and health economics to help consumers, communities, and public-policy makers enhance the welfare of health-care consumers. Other work and research has focused on the economics of agricultural development in a range of countries. Dr. McNamara also serves as the Project Director for the USAID-funded Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS) project, which works with country governments to strengthen extension systems and services to farmers. Through MEAS, Dr. McNamara has overseen numerous capacity building exercises, field-level extension programs, and extension-related research. Dr. McNamara received his PhD from the University of Minnesota, MPP from the Kennedy School at Harvard University, and his BA from Wheaton College.