Investiture honors Joseph P. Janzen as The Clearing Corporation Foundation Endowed Associate Professor in Derivatives Trading
Professor Joseph P. Janzen was formally invested as The Clearing Corporation Foundation Endowed Associate Professor in Derivatives Trading in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on May 12.
The endowed professorship was established through the generosity of The Clearing Corporation Charitable Foundation, whose support strengthens Illinois’ leadership at the intersection of agricultural markets and finance.
Janzen is an agricultural economist whose research examines how and why commodity prices change, and what those changes mean for farmers, agribusinesses, and consumers. His work focuses on how futures and options markets operate and how these tools help people manage risk in uncertain and rapidly shifting global markets. By studying how prices are formed and how markets respond to new information, Janzen’s research provides insight into how agricultural markets function and how they can better support decision-making.
An active member of the farmdoc team, Janzen extends his research to producers and the industry through timely market analysis and outlook. His Extension work includes contributions to farmdoc daily, presentations to agricultural and financial audiences, and engagement with national media, including the Financial Times, The New York Times, and Bloomberg.
Through his teaching, Janzen prepares students to analyze commodity markets and interpret price signals in uncertain environments. He teaches courses including Advanced Price Analysis, Commodity Price Analysis, and Applied Statistical Methods and Data Analytics II.
Janzen earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agribusiness and agricultural economics from the University of Manitoba and his doctorate in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis. He previously served on the faculty at Montana State University and Kansas State University before joining the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020. He was promoted to associate professor in 2025.
“Joe’s work strengthens our ability to understand and respond to the forces shaping agricultural markets,” said College of ACES Dean Germán Bollero, “Through his research, teaching, and extension, he is helping the industry, producers, and students make more informed decisions based on sound economic analysis. We are grateful to The Clearing Corporation Foundation for investing in this important area of scholarship.”
Clearing Corporation Charitable Foundation
The Clearing Corporation Charitable Foundation, a private 501(c)(3) organization, is dedicated to advancing education and research on issues impacting the derivatives and financial services industries. Guided by its mission to support undergraduate and graduate programs at U.S. universities, the Foundation strengthens academic study related to derivatives markets and industry practice. In 2007, the Foundation demonstrated this commitment through a landmark $2 million grant to the College of ACES, establishing The Clearing Corporation Foundation Endowed Chair in Derivatives Trading in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, reinforcing Illinois’ long-standing leadership in futures and options research.
The endowed chair builds upon a tradition dating back more than 70 years, when faculty helped position the University of Illinois as a premier institution in the futures industry. By investing in faculty expertise in derivatives trading, the Foundation ensures that students benefit from scholarship, research, and engagement with the evolving global marketplace.
This gift was championed by Illinois alumnus, Professor Ronald Filler, a member of the Foundation’s Board. Filler has built a distinguished career in the global derivatives markets, including senior leadership roles in futures and prime services and service as a Public Director of the National Futures Association, the principal industry regulator for the futures/derivatives industry, Past Chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Global Markets Advisory Committee, and Member of several industry boards and advisory committees over the past 48 years. He was inducted into the Futures Industry Association Hall of Fame and has taught law school courses on derivatives and financial services at five U.S. law schools. His advocacy for the endowed chair reflects both his professional commitment to strong derivatives markets and his belief in the power of education to prepare the next generation of leaders.