My name is Rosemary E. Isoto and I’m a PhD candidate in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE) at The Ohio State University. I am originally from Uganda, and I received my undergraduate and masters studies in Makerere University, Uganda. My research interests include migration, nutrition, microfinance institutions, health shocks and agricultural productivity. I am specifically interested in examining the role of remittances sent by national and international migrants on household nutrition in Tanzania. This plays a huge role in understanding how to improve the food security situation among rural households who may or may not be able to receive remittances. Besides that, I am also interested in assessing the impact of microcredit borrowed by households in increasing their agricultural productivity through mitigation of health shocks. I received my first year funding for another masters from Integrated Pest Management –Collaborative Research Program (IPM CRSP). Thereafter, AEDE department offered me financial support for the rest of PhD studies. I am heartily grateful to IPM CRSP for this support and consider it a gateway to my PhD studies at The Ohio State University.
To me, when I first started at Ohio State University, it was very overwhelming because there was a lot to get acquainted with in a short time. The weather was daunting as it is so different from back home, and the stress of being far away from family was a lot to bear. However, I found a lot of support within the campus community, especially with Pat Rigby and the AEDE family. Everyone was willing to help me in any way possible to make my stay less stressful.
There is a lot to adjust to as an international student. However, Ohio State has a lot to offer in terms of academic support and social support; you just need to know where to find it. Ohio State, through the AEDE department, has provided me with an opportunity to be an independent instructor for (AEDE/INTSTDS 4536) Economic Development of Sub-Saharan Africa, a course through which I have been able to share my vast international knowledge with undergraduate students. Overall, this has been a very gratifying experience for me. I hope to be able to advance my career in academia given the wealth of knowledge and experience I have received from The Ohio State University. Specifically, I hope to be able to remain within the university setting where I will be able to further my research and share my knowledge for the benefit of society.