Alumni Stories

Sharing the gift of knowledge

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

It’s 1986, and the scene opens with J.R. Ewing, the charming but scheming oil tycoon of the television saga “Dallas,” played by Larry Hagman, being chauffeured by jeep through pasture and forest.

Alumni Close-Up: The Impact of Purdue’s People

Friday, June 30th, 2023

As R.D. Schrader studied for his master’s degree in agricultural economics, his route on the West Lafayette campus was a well-worn triangle: from his apartment to classes in the Department of Agricultural Economics to the gym.

Alumni Spotlights

Friday, June 30th, 2023

Alumni Spotlights featuring Kavitha Dasu, Don Lamb, and the hosts of the Arthro-Pod podcast, Jody Green, Jonathan Larson, & Michael Skvarla.

Then & Now

Friday, June 30th, 2023

First-year vet student Elliot Westrich thinks zoological veterinary medicine is likely his calling, but he has three years to go, including a year of clinical rotations. John Burkhardt, whose choices took him from the family farm to a distinguished career in drug discovery, thinks keeping an open mind is a great idea.

Growing future scholars through Red Gold Executive’s memorial

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

When Steve Smith (BS ’75, agricultural sciences), senior director of agriculture for Red Gold, passed away in 2021, tributes quickly poured in. People who worked with Smith viewed his many contributions to state and federal agricultural policies, as well as to a variety of agricultural coalitions and businesses, as both innovative and visionary.

Alumni Close-Up: Honoring History, Building Community

Friday, January 13th, 2023

Head an hour south of Louisville and east from Interstate 65 to the hills (or “knobs,” as they’re called) of Nelson County, Kentucky, and you’ll find J.W. “Wally” Dant III (BS ’85, forestry and natural resources) on the 350 rolling acres of Log Still Distillery.

Alumni Spotlights

Friday, January 13th, 2023

Alumni Spotlights featuring Nancie Oxley, Travis Park, and Robert P. (Bob) Schowe.

Then & Now

Friday, January 13th, 2023

In the fall of 2021, the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program commemorated a half-century of making the earth a better place during its 50th anniversary celebration. One of the program’s earliest graduates became an award-winning professor in the College of Agriculture, and one of its most recent graduates now works as an environmental planner. Read on to find out how the program led them down different paths.

Alumni Close-Up: A Home Field Advantage

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022

The thing about being an entrepreneur, or a visionary of any sort, is that sometimes your ideas will seem ridiculous. At first.

Neil Mylet (BS ’08, ag econ) is used to that. As an entrepreneur, he says, “You have to want to go against everything you’ve been taught but also utilize everything you’ve been taught.”

Partnering to Nurture Diverse Ag Leaders

Tuesday, June 14th, 2022

All the work in the College of Agriculture’s Office of Multicultural Programs (OMP) connects to a mission staff are passionate about: creating a sense of belonging.