The view ahead - winter 2020

In Envision we share the stories and paint the pictures of what’s happening at Purdue Agriculture — whether in the labs, farms or forests, down the highway, or across continents and oceans. In this issue, we also provide insights into the ingenuity, determination, collaboration and compassion seen throughout the college.

The microbiome team we feature is composed of faculty from multiple departments who collaborate with faculty across Purdue. Individually and collaboratively, they’re investigating the mysteries of the human and animal microbiome, and how to manipulate them to benefit health and even produce future fuels.

Meanwhile, faculty members in Forestry and Natural Resources and in Botany and Plant Pathology are probing the mysteries of forests, or, as forest ecologist Songlin Fei describes them, “the silent workers.” Although their areas of study diverge, Fei, Jingjing Liang and Gordon McNickle unite in their goal to conserve forests in the face of climate change.

Almost three years ago, the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German in nearby Delphi stunned the nation and brought condolences and donations from people around the world in support of the girls’ families. When they learned of the families’ decision to create a memorial park, Cale Bigelow and Aaron Thompson in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture engaged students in the project. The students’ involvement is now contributing to making the park a reality.

What I provide here are simply snapshots of the stories in this issue. I encourage you to take some time to envision what is happening at Purdue Agriculture.