Howard is a Professor at the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Associate Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Howard previously served as the Executive Director of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, where he oversaw the distribution of financial aid granted to strengthen food security. Prior to that, Howard oversaw agricultural economic redevelopment and stability programs in Afghanistan and Iraq for the US Department of Defense. He earned his MPA in Advanced Management and Finance from Columbia University.