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From the
Dean
Colleagues,
Greetings! Some sunshine and warmer weather have finally arrived (for now – we do live in Indiana), providing relief from a winter that seemed to drag on and on. At the same time, the past two months have been so packed with activity, announcements, and events that for me they have flown by. This is a challenging time for our College – there is so much momentum around the things we do and the support we enjoy, and at the same time all of us are grappling with what the budget issues mean for us personally and for our programs. I was recently in Washington with our three CARET (Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching) representatives to advocate for federal funds for our programs. I have said this before: it is a humbling experience to listen to these three individuals talk with our Congressional delegation about why what we do as a College matters to them personally. During last week’s Distinguished Agriculture Alumni event, we heard nine outstanding graduates share stories about how their experience in our College made a difference in their lives. Last Saturday, about 20 of our Dean’s Advisory Council members gave up a part of their weekend to share their insights with us. We recently learned that Dr. David Salt in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture has been named the 2010 McCoy Award recipient – Purdue University’s highest research award. And, we named a terrific scientist, Dr. Karen Plaut from Michigan State University, as our new Associate Dean and Director of Agricultural Research Programs. There is much more, but the bottom line is that there is a lot of good news to share about what our faculty, staff, and students are accomplishing, and much continuing support from our alumni and friends. At the same time, there is no question that the uncertainty around our budget situation is on the minds of everyone in the College. I know our College leadership team appreciates the very real challenge of staying focused on our teaching, research, and Extension activities when you are worried about how a change in the health care plan or the retirement ‘rebalancing’ will affect you personally, or even wondering if your job is safe in these times. Our budget challenges are very real. But as I listened to Mr. Diaz and Mr. Sandel at the College-wide budget information session and the questions that followed, I was reminded that the University is adopting a broad-based strategy for finding the dollars. They are not going after ‘quick fixes’ like extended furloughs, but rather comprehensive reviews of how we purchase supplies, how we manage energy costs, how we organize IT, etc. Savings in these areas will help reduce any cuts to our College budget. The benefits changes are not yet settled, and are clearly on the minds of everyone. But even the ideas discussed are ‘job preserving’ in the sense that dollars found there mean dollars that won’t come from job reductions. None of this is easy, and no one wants to have to make these cuts, but at this point the University approach seems deliberate and thoughtful. What we aren’t seeing is announcements like the one in Georgia, where the elimination of 4-H is proposed, or in Nevada, where the College of Agriculture will be dissolved. On behalf of all our College leadership team, thank you for staying focused on our students and our stakeholders during this uncertain time. Certainly they need us more than ever. And, it takes a special professional to stay focused on the task at hand when there is much personal uncertainty running around. But I’m not surprised, because that is kind of professionals who work for our College. Thanks for continuing to share your opinions and insights on the budget as we move forward. And thanks for all you do for the College and those we serve.
All the best,
News Around Purdue Agriculture
Purdue Agriculture appoints new Associate Dean and Director of ARP
"My deepest thanks go to Interim Associate Dean and Director Mark Hermodson for his exceptional leadership of ARP over the last few months," said Dean Akridge. "I also am grateful to the search committee--Arun Bhunia, Sylvie Brouder, Natalia Doudareva, Beth Forbes, Ken Foster, Doran French, Al Heber, Chuck Hibberd, Cate Hill, Harm Hogenesch, Guri Johal, Ann Kirchmaier, Neil Knobloch, Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer, Pam Morris, Bill Muir, Gene Rhodes, Becky Rice and Dale Whittaker--and many others who worked so hard to help bring Dr. Karen Plaut to Purdue Agriculture."
Finalists named for Animal Sciences Department HeadThree candidates have been invited to interview for the animal sciences department head position. Each candidate will present a public seminar. They are scheduled as follows: James Reecy, Iowa State University Shawn Donkin, Purdue University James Murray, University of California at Davis The seminars will be streamed & made available for viewing by Purdue faculty and staff via the department head search link on the animal sciences home page (http://www.ag.purdue.edu/ansc/) . The candidate CVs and evaluation forms are also available via this site. A big thanks to the search committee: Layi Adeola, Todd Applegate, John Baugh, Chris Bidwell, Ryan Cabot, Barry Delks, Paul Ebner, Joe Garner, Mickey Latour, Don Lay, Donna Lofgren, Bill Muir, Tamilee Nennich, Darryl Ragland, Mark Russell, and Craig Williams for an outstanding job in securing excellent candidates for the department head position. Also, a big thank you to Suzanne Nielsen who has done a great job chairing this committee and Becky Rice for her always amazing support.
College honors nine Distinguished Agriculture AlumniNine individuals were recognized as Distinguished Agriculture Alumni during a campus ceremony on March 5. The award honors mid-career Purdue Agriculture graduates who have made significant contributions to their profession, or society in general. The 2010 honorees represent a broad range of career fields, said Dean Jay Akridge. "These nine people represent who we are and what we do so well," Akridge said. "They are businesspeople, educators, farmer/ranchers, entrepreneurs and researchers - and they are all leaders. We take great pride in our alumni, and these are nine of our best." Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/general/2010/100304AkridgeDistinguishe.html Ag Economist: U.S. economy is in a period of recovery
Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/outreach/2010/100304DeBoerRecovery.html
Podcasts enhance students' garden experiences
Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/academics/2010/100210SicilianoTours.html
Vitamins stored in bathrooms, kitchens may become less effective
Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/100302MauerDeliquescence.html
Projection shows water woes likely based on warmer temperatures
Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/100216CherkauerWarming.html
Hoosiers acquire a taste for local foods through Indiana Flavor
Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/outreach/2010/100302HutchesonProgram.html
Popular nanoparticle causes toxicity in fish, study shows
Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/100301SepulvedaNanosilver.html
Country ants make it big in the city
Awards and Recognitions
Dr. Mauer has published prolifically, presented her work frequently at national and international meetings, and collaborated widely with other researchers at Purdue and elsewhere. She has mentored dozens of graduate students as either major professor or committee member and has opened her lab to many undergrads and high school students. Her program is very well-funded from a variety of sources. Mark your calendar and plan to join us on May 5th from 2-4 p.m. in the Dean’s Auditorium in Pfendler Hall to hear Dr. Mauer's research seminar and to celebrate her receiving the Agricultural Research Award for 2010.
Dr. Linton was also recognized at a ceremony on March 5, 2010 as the Outstanding Alumnus in the College of Agriculture and Life Science at Virginia Tech for 2009-2010, representing the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech.
University News
Nominations sought for Special Boilermaker AwardNominations are being accepted for the Special Boilermaker Award, given annually by the Purdue Alumni Association. The Special Boilermaker Award was established in 1981 to recognize a member of the Purdue faculty or staff who has contributed significantly to the quality of life and/or the betterment of the educational experience for a substantial number of Purdue students. Nominations should be submitted by June 1. More information about the award is available here. Strategic sourcing FAQ available onlineAs the Sustaining New Synergies Task Force evaluates University processes and develops implementation plans, frequently asked questions will be answered to help keep the campus community informed. Read more: http://www.purdue.edu/sustaining/initiatives/sourcing/FAQ-Sourcing-100302.pdf Purdue featured at Department of Energy Web sitePurdue is in the spotlight at the U.S. Department of Energy Web site for efforts in supporting and advancing scientific research and discovery. The spotlight includes professors of interest, exceptional students, and science and educational news. See the page at www.osti.gov/EDUconnections. Mark your calendar
March 15-19: Spring Break March 23: HLC Accreditation Team visit to College of Agriculture March 31: 33rd Annual Food Science Club Symposium, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Pfendler Hall Dean’s Auditorium. More information April 17-18: Spring Fest on campus from 10 am – 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. College of Agriculture and other units from across campus present this educational event. Spring Fest information on the web: http://www.purdue.edu/springfest/ April 26: Indiana MultiEthnic Conference, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites May 14: College of Agriculture Commencement |
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