Craig Carpenter

Dr. Craig Carpenter completed his bachelor’s degree from Kalamazoo College and has a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University. His major field was economic development with a focus in applied econometrics. Dr. Carpenter holds a joint appointment as an Extension Specialist in the Community, Food, and Environment Institute at Michigan State University Extension, and as an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He specializes in community and regional economic development. Dr. Carpenter’s research expertise includes the interaction of race, ethnicity, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.

Dr. Carpenter’s primary goal is to help communities and businesses organize, understand research and local economic data, make informed decisions, and take action about community and economic development issues. Pursuantly, he develops research-based educational and data materials on local/regional community, economic, and business development issues, while publishing this research in academic journals. His programs underscore regional economic coordination, cooperation, and action, resulting from understanding their regional and historical context based on publicly available data.