Distinguished Faculty Lecture 2025–2026

Interconnected Economies: Trade in the Age of Global Value Chains

What do a coffee mug, a smartphone, and a pair of sneakers have in common? Each is the result of a global journey, assembled across countries, shaped by the hands of people we’ll never meet. For Johanna Attoh, professor of economics and finance, these everyday items offer a powerful entry point into how trade connects lives. Born and raised in Costa Rica, her early exposure to international trade sparked a lasting fascination with the movement of goods, value, and opportunity.

In the annual WWU Distinguished Faculty Lecture, Attoh will explore how global value chains, sprawling networks of production, link distant economies and influence development. Drawing from Adam Smith’s foundational ideas and modern case studies, she’ll invite listeners to rethink how our daily choices tie into broader systems of cooperation and exchange.

Attoh lives in College Place with her husband, a local physical therapist, and their two young children. As a family, they enjoy hiking, paddle boarding, snowboarding, and spending time outd