Dr. Gustavo Ferreira will be the guest speaker for the 37th Annual Streich Family Lecture Series on Free Enterprise at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, in Bridwell Auditorium in the Dillard College of Business Administration at Midwestern State University.

Ferreira is an economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP). His current work focuses on analyzing fraud in international trade of organic agricultural products.

Ferreira joined the NOP last year after working for three years at the USDA’s Economic Research Services and five years as a faculty member at Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics. He also worked for the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center as a post-doctorate researcher and participated in a multi-institutional project funded by the University of Minnesota’s Food Protection and Defense Institute. He received his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Louisiana State University in 2009.

The Streich Lecture Series is part of the Dillard College of Business Administration’s International Week activities. According to Dr. Robert Forrester, the Dillard Distinguished Professor of Energy Finance and Chair of Economics, Finance, and General Business, International Week is one of many educational and cultural events held to raise awareness about the breadth of international education, activities, and resources available in the college and community.

Dr. Michael Mills, Director of International Education, will lead a discussion with students and professors who have participated in the Study Abroad program at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, in Dillard 178. Ex-patriots (those who are residing permanently or temporarily in a country other than their native country) will share their experiences living in the United States as compared to their home in a panel discussion from 2-3:30 p.m. in Dillard 101. Charles Blankson of Ghana, Mikael Svensson of Sweden, and Yvonne Franke of Germany are panelists. Students will make presentations at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, in Dillard 101.

The Streich Family Lecture Series is named in honor of the Streich family, owners of former area Gibson’s Discount Centers, and is designed to give MSU students, staff, and the public insight into the American free enterprise system in relation to today’s economic status. Former speakers include Bloomberg economist Richard Yamarone, Texas businessman T. Boone Pickens, Dr. Robert Z. Lawrence of the Brookings Institute, Lindley H. Clark Jr. of The Wall Street Journal, international economist Dr. John Marthinsen, and Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.

Admission is free. The event is sponsored by the Dillard College of Business Administration, the Mamie Raborn Center for Economic Education, and Delta Sigma Pi. For more information, call the Dillard College of Business at 940-397-4379.