Economist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Scott H. Irwin is the Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing and professor in the department of agricultural and consumer economics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Career.
Irwin earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural business from Iowa State University in 1980 and both an MS and PhD in agricultural economics from Purdue University in 1983 and 1986, respectively. He currently teaches courses on commodity price analysis and futures and options market research.
Main contributions.
Irwin is a national and international leader in the field of agricultural economics. His research on agricultural markets is widely cited by other academic researchers and is in high demand among market participants, policymakers, and the media. One of his papers was selected as the "Top 25 Paper Published in the First 25 Years of the Journal of Economic Surveys".
Irwin is best known for his work on the impact of speculation in commodity market. He has been an active participant in the world-wide debate about the market impact of financial index investment in commodity markets, popularly known as financialization. Irwin has published numerous academic articles on the subject and has been called upon to provide testimony before the US Congress, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as publishing op-ed articles in the New York Times and the Washington Times. He has been invited to make presentations to numerous international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, International Energy Agency, and International Institute of Finance.
Other contributions.
Irwin has developed agricultural extension programs that have helped farmers throughout the world make informed production, marketing, and financial decisions.
Controversy.
Scott H. Irwin was blamed, along with Craig Pirrong, by journalist David Kocieniewski for not disclosing ties with the financial industry. He has been paid for consulting services and research by private funding from financial companies. David Kocieniewski adds "Mr. Irwin declined to provide a list of his clients, and the university said its disclosure requirements did not compel him to do so". This report was hugely criticized by financial journalist Felix Salmon for being misleading and unethical. David Kocienewski answered to issues raised by Felix Salmon but the latter found Kocienewski's answers unconvincing.
Awards.
Irwin is a member of the Agricultural &amp; Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and was named a Fellow in 2013. 
References.
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