Professor Lofchie is the Chair of the International Development Studies Academic Program, is former Chair of the Department of Political Science, and served as the Director of the James S. Coleman African Studies Center from 1978 to 1989. 

Professor Lofchie teaches undergraduate and graduate introductions to comparative government, and offers graduate seminars on the political economy of Africa and structural adjustment. His research focuses on the politics of economic reform in Africa. His book The Policy Factor: Agricultural Performance in Kenya and Tanzania (Lynne Rienner, 1989) explores agricultural policy and urban bias in Kenya and Tanzania. Professor Lofchie's work has become an influential source for scholars and policy makers seeking to understand the dynamics of famine in Africa. He has worked as a consultant to U.S.A.I.D. and World Bank projects and is developing a large web-based project on teaching materials for 100 of the world's less commonly taught languages.