Case Studies
Some of us are fortunate to have taken graduate courses that featured Harvard School of Agribusiness Case Studies. Our professor at ASU from 1987 to 1990, Dr. Richard S. Gordon, 1925-2006, was a regular attendee every Summer at Harvard as they reviewed the candidate cases, selected one or two, and then drafted the framework for each case for addition to the long-standing series. Subsequently, students would be required to analyze the cases, often 4 or five each semester and prepare responses to the problems alluded to by the group of scholars. You could tell they had some fun constructing these, challenging students to "think big."
The
group included not only current university educators, but past
professors, and several former and current leaders from the
agribusiness industry. I speculate it was a group of about 16
to 20.
Dr. Gordon gave his students a truly global view of agribusiness, particularly how the sciences can address and solve monumental problems facing humanity. His wit and humor, love of music, and musical skill are remembered dearly.
