Adesoji O. Adelaja (born February 20, 1956) is an economist and John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy at Michigan State University.[1]
Born in Lagos in 1956, Adelaja attended Pennsylvania State University in the United States, where he received his B.S. and pursued graduate study at West Virginia University, receiving two M.S. degrees and his Ph.D.[1] Upon completing his doctorate, Adelaja taught at Idaho State University for a year, then joined the faculty of Rutgers University in 1986, later becoming department chair of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Director of the Ecopolicy Center, Director of the Food Policy Institute, Founder of the Food Innovation Center, Cook College Dean of Research, Dean of Cook College, and Executive Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources.[2] He became John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy at Michigan State University in 2004.[3] In 2002, he was inducted into the Roll of Outstanding Alumnus at the College of Agriculture at the Pennsylvania State University. In 2018, the West Virginia University School of Business inducted Adelaja into its Roll of Distinguished Alumni.[4]