Dr. Saman Bandara is an Associate Professor of Economics at the College of Business and Social Sciences, West Virginia State University. Before joining WVSU, he served as an Associate Professor of Agribusiness and Economics at the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina.

Dr. Bandara earned his Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics from West Virginia University and an MBA in Finance from Fayetteville State University. He also holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Economics and a B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

At West Virginia State University, Dr. Bandara teaches courses in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Policy Analysis, Agricultural Marketing, and Business Finance. He is also actively involved in academic service, regularly serving as a referee for leading academic journals.

Dr. Bandara’s research encompasses rural economic development, environmental economics, health economics, agribusiness, climate change, and finance. He has led and contributed to numerous research projects as Principal and Co-Principal Investigator and frequently publishes his findings and presents at international conferences.