Aleksan (Alex) Shanoyan, professor of agricultural economics and Coffman University Distinguished Teaching Scholar, has received the Mary L. Vanier Professorship in recognition of his excellence as an educator and researcher of food and agribusiness systems.
Since joining K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics in 2012, Shanoyan has educated students about agribusiness management and marketing strategy. As a scholar, he explores supply chain resilience, food security, consumer behavior, and the integration of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in local, regional and international agriculture systems.
“What excites me about agribusiness is its scale and reach — covering the entire journey from inputs in the field to products on our tables,” he said. “What motivates and inspires me as an agricultural economist is the opportunity to support agricultural producers, industry leaders and policymakers in navigating risks and making sound decisions along that journey.”
Shanoyan’s teaching has earned regional and national recognition in addition to university accolades. The U.S. Department of Agriculture honored him in 2020 with an Excellence in College and University Teaching in Food and Agricultural Sciences Regional Award. In 2025, Shanoyan received the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Western Agricultural Economics Association’s Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. A Presidential Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from K-State followed in 2026.
“Dr. Shanoyan is an outstanding educator and scholar whose work reflects the very best of K-State’s land-grant mission,” said Dan Moser, dean of the College of Agriculture. “His commitment to student success, innovative and engaging teaching methods, and applied research that strengthens food and agribusiness systems worldwide make him highly deserving of the Mary L. Vanier Professorship.”
Shanoyan earned a doctorate in agricultural, food and resource economics from Michigan State University; a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois; and a bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from Armenian National Agrarian University.
A lifelong proximity to farming and early work experiences in the agri-food sector sparked Shanoyan’s interest in agribusiness, but he credits his continued pursuits in the field to the encouragement of his mentors and professors. Now, he hopes to offer the same guidance to his own students.
“At K-State, we have the most hardworking, respectful and engaged students a teacher could ask for,” Shanoyan said. “Guiding and challenging them to grow through their academic experiences in and out of the classroom, then watching them succeed and make an impact through their professional careers, is the most rewarding aspect of my work.”
As Kansas State University’s strategic partner for philanthropy, the KSU Foundation inspires and guides philanthropy toward university priorities to boldly advance K-State. Endowed faculty professorships help recruit and retain leading scholars whose teaching, research and service elevate the university’s impact.