Thomas Krumel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, North Dakota State University
First NCRCRD Fellow for 2026 Announced
The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) has named Thomas Krumel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University, as its newest NCRCRD Fellow.
Dr. Krumel’s fellow project, “Federal Grants and Rural Resilience: A Policy Evaluation of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program and the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program in the North Central Region” will evaluate the impacts of two major U.S. Department of Agriculture investments aimed at strengthening rural economies and decentralizing the U.S. meatpacking industry.
The project focuses on the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program and the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program, both of which support small- and mid-sized processors. By examining employment outcomes at funded facilities and potential job spillover effects in surrounding communities, the research will assess how these programs contribute to rural resilience in the North Central region.
Dr. Krumel brings extensive experience researching the meatpacking industry and rural labor markets, positioning the Fellow project to provide rigorous, policy-relevant insights and to lay the groundwork for future national research efforts. Additional information about Dr. Krumel’s project and other Fellow projects are documented on the NCRCRD’s Current Fellows web page.
About the NCRCRD Fellows Program
The NCRCRD Fellows Program supports approximately two Fellows each year. Only faculty or staff from land-grant Institutions in the North Central Region are eligible for the program. NCRCRD Fellows collaborate with the NCRCRD (in person or virtually) to pursue research and/or outreach that benefits the North Central Region. NCRCRD continues to accept Fellow proposals for 2026 with a start date of September 2026.
Other NCRCRD Funding Opportunities include small grants, collaboration grants, and regional working groups.
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The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) is one of four Regional Rural Development Centers in the United States. NCRCRD’s work links the research and educational outreach capacity of our region’s 34 land-grant universities with rural communities to help address a wide range of development issues unique to our 12-state region.
The Center’s work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.