Peace Corps & papayas: OSU graduate student finds inspiration abroad
Friday, December 19, 2025
Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu
From Cameroon to the Cook Islands, Tim Wetzel, an Oklahoma State University graduate student, is working to ensure smallholder farmers have access to the resources they need to thrive.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science focusing on international relations at Western Illinois University, Wetzel said a friend recommended he consider a position in the Peace Corps.
The opportunity brought together his passions for helping others and international agriculture, Wetzel said. He decided to join the Peace Corps, and soon, Wetzel, originally from Decatur, Illinois, found himself with the opportunity to serve in the Republic of Cameroon, located in West-Central Africa.
“The development world drew me in hard while in the Peace Corps and connected me to a network of people,” Wetzel said. “This began my aspirations for my own little nerdy corner within agriculture.”
Wetzel worked with smallholder farmers in Cameroon to increase their income. One of his team’s first projects was the creation of a pig production facility, Wetzel said. It began with just 10 swine: two boars and eight sows.
Additionally, the Cameroon team was able to provide work support for the farmers to help build capacity and increase their monthly income, Wetzel said. The additional income made an impactful difference in the community, he added.
“Tim did a good job connecting with his community in the ways he knew he could,” said Duke Maher, fellow Peace Corps volunteer. “I was just blown away by his ability to be immersed and connected to the people.”
Maher said Wetzel was especially intentional in building relationships.
“Tim was very focused on the good he was doing in the community and the relationships he developed because he had a good perception of the needs there,” Maher said.
Wetzel transitioned from the Peace Corps to the OSU Master of International Agriculture Program in August 2022, allowing him to travel and conduct research internationally as part of his graduate coursework.
“As soon as I found out about the opportunity for graduate research in the Cook Islands, I started thinking about all the constraints and issues faced there,” Wetzel said. “This was a unique opportunity to research to understand and really focus on smallholder farming and their resource constraints while pursuing my master’s degree.”
The Cook Islands are a collection of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, on the northeast side of New Zealand and south of Hawaii. About 16,000 people live on the islands, which have around 150,000 tourists every year, Wetzel said.
“What made Tim stand out was his humility to look at the bigger picture and listen, and to integrate himself to understand and make a change,” said Karl Rich, Master of International Agriculture Program director.
Wetzel’s research in the Cook Islands examined barriers preventing farmers from selling their products locally or to the tourism market, Wetzel said. He questioned the structural and cultural barriers that prevented farming from being a full-time operation and main source of income for many farmers, Wetzel added.
Wetzel received far more gifts of coconuts and papayas than he could possibly eat while in the Cook Islands, he recalled.
“I think a lot of people forget that all research has a human relation,” said Meghan Macaulay, fellow Peace Corps volunteer and Wetzel’s partner. “Tim respects and wants to make a positive impact, not just for the sake of his degree, but to positively impact everyone he collaborates with.
“He wants to be there for people and be the best version of himself,” Macaulay said. “Whether that is with friends, someone who needs help, or gathering data and research.”
During his time in the Cook Islands, Wetzel said he observed how New Zealand’s shift in banana imports — from the Cook Islands to a Central American country — affected local communities. This change had a devastating impact on the Cook Islands, but it was a necessary shift for New Zealand, he said, adding this sparked his interest in researching how communities can become more self-sufficient.
The experience Wetzel gained from his research in the Cook Islands showed him he can not only conduct research, but he can also be good at research, he said.
“I think it has also driven my personal goal to understand without judgment and reinforces the importance of personal and professional goals,” Wetzel said.
Wetzel said he would tell future students: “Be quiet. Use your ears and eyes, and be some place that demands expansion of vision of what life is. OSU has really given me skills that I didn’t know I needed.”
Story by: Lydia Bell | Cowboy Journal