Chandio Named New Extension Economist

By Rabail Chandio

Rabail Chandio has joined Iowa State University Extension and Outreach as an assistant professor and extension economist.

She will oversee popular land valuation programs, including the Iowa Land Value Survey, and the annual Soil Management and Land Valuation Conference held in May, as well as the Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey, conducted every five years.

Rabail holds a doctorate from The Ohio State University, and earned her Bachelor of Science in economics and mathematics in her native country, Pakistan.

She is excited about the opportunity to research and represent Iowa land value information.

“I will get to apply the research work that I am doing for an audience that is very interested in this information,” she said. “The combination of extension and research that I will be doing will allow me to look at a problem from the research perspective and then also share my findings with the people.”

Chandio said her introduction to university research and extension happened when she was a child in Pakistan, following her father, a professor of Siraiki literature. Her father sometimes took her along to visit his colleagues, who were working on in-field research.

Chandio started Aug. 16 and fills a position previously held by extension economist Wendong Zhang.

Chad Hart, professor in economics and extension grain markets specialist at Iowa State, said Chandio possesses the skills to continue leading Iowa’s respected land value programs.

“We are glad that Rabail (Dr. Chandio) joined the ISU Extension and Outreach farm management team as the farmland values specialist,” said Hart. “Her background in agricultural finance, knowledge of USDA’s systems, and enthusiasm for the continuing evolution of extension programming on farmland values make her a valuable addition to our team.”