USDA 2018 Agricultural Outlook Forum Student Diversity Program winner

When Caitlinn Lineback began her freshman year as a pharmacy student, she says she quickly learned that was not her niche. Instead, she chose a program where she could combine her love of science with her experience in agriculture and she says, “I found my home.”

Now a junior in the Department of Food Science, she also works as an undergrad research assistant where she is currently studying issues related to bacteria in retail environments.

Based on her essay about agricultural careers and challenges, Caitlinn Lineback is a winner of the USDA 2018 Agricultural Outlook Forum Student Diversity Program.

As an AOF winner, Caitlinn will travel to Washington, D.C. where she will network and experience real-world opportunities in agribusiness, research, and agricultural policy. On Feb. 22-23, her week-long tour will conclude at the USDA’s largest annual meeting in Arlington, Virginia where she will hear current leaders share their vision for the future of agriculture.

Caitlinn is excited about her role in the future of agriculture and ways to feed a growing global population. “I like the fact that there are no defined answers. Every day is a new challenge and keeps me on my toes,” Caitlinn said.

Featured Stories

Christopher Uribe participates in undergraduate research
From curiosity to care

As a first-generation college student, Christopher Uribe was looking for an environment that...

Read More
Mark Russell photograph taken in the Purdue Union
More than a horseman: Mark Russell’s lifelong commitment to helping others grow

For some people at Purdue, he is known as a horse expert, a respected colleague who listens, a...

Read More
Student and professor in the laboratory.
Purdue team announces new therapeutic target for breast cancer

A Purdue University team led by Kyle Cottrell has discovered a new therapeutic target for...

Read More
Angie Abbott, Purdue announces new Extension director
Purdue announces new Extension director

Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture, has appointed Angie Abbott as associate...

Read More
Customers standing in checkout line at grocery store
Consumer Food Insights survey assesses 2025 grocery spending

Consumers made substantial changes to their grocery shopping in 2025, largely driven by economic...

Read More
Forest Point Cloud
AI helps find trees in a forest: Researchers achieve 3D forest reconstruction from remote sensing data

Existing algorithms can partially reconstruct the shape of a single tree from a clean point-cloud...

Read More