Ebby Luvaga, teaching professor in economics, is the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Service in Student Recruitment and Retention Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. She is the primary advisor for all first-year agricultural business students, coordinator for undergraduate academic advising in the department, and supervisor for the student peer mentor team that works with the department’s learning communities. She has been a leading force in developing and maintaining learning communities for students in economics, agricultural business and business economics. She is also a strong advocate for underrepresented and minority students in the department.
Luvaga teaches a variety of courses and is a major contributor to the department’s efforts to attract and retain students. They interact with her from their first day of classes until deep into their junior and senior years. She has also served as an active instructor in international travel courses. During her career at Iowa State, Luvaga has led 33 such courses, guiding students on academic tours through Australia, Argentina, Belize, Panama, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. She provides students the opportunity to experience the economic, cultural and structural differences among countries and reveals how the global economic system functions within the different countries.