Thomas Mihret Mengestie is a Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, at Bonga University, Ethiopia. He holds an MSc in Development Economics from Hawassa University (CGPA 3.92, thesis graded “Very Good”) and a BA in Economics from Debre Markos University (CGPA 3.91).
His research is in agricultural and development economics, with a regional focus on Southwest Ethiopia. His work examines agro-processing, value chain coordination, digital agriculture adoption, and financial inclusion among smallholder farmers. He applies quantitative and qualitative methods and is proficient in Stata, EViews, and SPSS. His scholarly output includes an article published in the Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics (May 2026). He also serves as a peer reviewer and received a Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing from the South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics (June 2026) for his contribution to the journal’s quality. His commitment to teaching and institutional service has been recognized by Bonga University, which awarded him a Certificate of Good Work Performance for 2018 E.C. He ranked second among the lecturers of the College of Business and Economics for diligently carrying out his assigned responsibilities and for his performance results.
At Bonga University he began as an assistant lecturer and has served as a lecturer and researcher since 2012 E.C. He teaches several undergraduate economics courses. He has served on the departmental Curriculum Committee and the Research and Publication Committee, contributing to curriculum development and research quality assurance. His continuing professional development includes the Higher Diploma Program in teaching and learning (Bonga University, 2021), a master class on online teaching (ASU Online, 2024), and a six-day Faculty Development Programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Agriculture: Emerging Technologies for Sustainable and Smart Farming (The Neotia University, India, July 2026). He has also completed professional training in risk management, personal security, and diversity and inclusion, delivered by Save the Children and the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation (2022).
His methodological competencies include applied econometrics, quantitative data analysis, and the design and evaluation of development interventions, using Stata, EViews, and SPSS. He also has experience in training and academic facilitation. His research is increasingly oriented toward understanding how technological change, digital transformation, market dynamics, institutional development, financial innovation, and evolving economic structures are shaping the opportunities and challenges faced by individuals, businesses, households, and communities. He is particularly interested in connecting economic theory and rigorous empirical analysis with real-world economic challenges and emerging transformations in developing economies.
Looking ahead, his scholarly agenda seeks to examine structural transformation, inclusive economic growth, digitalization, financial inclusion, employment and livelihoods, productivity, entrepreneurship, agricultural and industrial development, market institutions, inequality, and sustainable economic development. His long-term goal is to contribute to a stronger and more policy-relevant evidence base for inclusive, innovative, resilient, and technology-driven economic development, with particular relevance to Ethiopia and other developing economies. Through interdisciplinary research and applied empirical methods, he aims to contribute to understanding emerging economic challenges and identifying practical pathways toward higher productivity, broader economic opportunities, and sustainable improvements in living standards.