Two CARD economists, Chad Hart and Alejandro Plastina, were recently promoted by Iowa State University. Plastina was awarded tenure and promoted from assistant to associate professor, and Hart was promoted from associate to full professor. Both promotions are effective for the 2020-21 academic year.

Plastina is an Extension and CARD economist specializing in agricultural production and technology, with an emphasis on farm business and financial management. Prior to joining Iowa State University in 2014, he was senior economist at the International Cotton Advisory Committee in Washington, DC.

Hart is an Extension and CARD economist specializing in the interaction between the agricultural commitments within the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the agricultural policies and programs of WTO members, crop insurance, international trade, biofuel policy, federal agricultural policy, and crop marketing. He joined CARD as a postdoctoral research associate in 1999 and has been with the university since.