Purdue Agriculture’s 20 most-read stories of 2020

"2020

was a year unlike any other, with numerous challenges, opportunities and accomplishments across our college,” said Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of the College of Agriculture. “Through it all we were proud to share Purdue Agriculture’s stories with the incredible community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and so many other supporters.”

Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Communication wrote and published more than 180 stories in 2020. Shared on ag.purdue.edu and the college’s social media pages, these stories attracted visitors from 142 different countries and received over 335,000 views.

We invite you to read and relive the college’s 20 most-read stories from Purdue’s 151st year.

10

"For me, college is not a time to go with the flow; it is a time to act decisively, find my specific interests, discover opportunities and open doors for my future."

-Rachel Brummet

rachel-social.jpg

9
"I knew almost nothing about drainage, but that quickly changed."

-Eileen Kladivko

kladivko_field-drainage-1-e1607370313283.jpg

8

"The world looks different from 1,000 feet. There is a certain scale, a certain pace. Everything looks smaller, moving slower down below. The view from above makes everything look a little less problematic."

-John Lumkes

lumkes.png

7

"That was very frustrating to me. This severe stroke came and totally turned my life upside down."

-HERB OHM

ohm-genemarker.jpg

6
"We weren't sure what do do. Businesses were closing and events were being canceled left and right."

-WOODY NICHOLS

feature-1660.jpg

5
"When the pandemic hit, we had to think fast. I don’t think anyone was sure of the right thing to do, but we had to try something."

-Lee Stanish

lee-smoking-e1595000468253.jpg

4
"Companion animals are wonderful stress-buffers. It's well-documented that people who owns pets, especially dogs, find them helpful under times of stress."

-Candace Croney

pu8_0797-fullres-e1585600699637.jpg

3

"I don't know any place else I could have this kind of hands-on experience. This is why I came to Purdue."

-ALYSON MCGOVERN

bees1-1.jpg

2
"First of all, don't call them murder hornets."

-BROCK HARPUR

13hornet.jpg

1

If there’s a surplus at the farm, why is there a shortage in the grocery store?

theroadfromfarmtotable-_social-image--scaled.jpg

Featured Stories

Dr. Ted Cable holds a raccoon in his younger years; Cable visits the Taj Mahal in India while working at Kansas State; Cable holds his book Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World.
Meet Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Ted Cable

Dr. Ted Cable, Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources’ 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award...

Read More
High-clearance agricultural sprayer in a field with electrical transmission tower and lines in background
Indiana farmland values hold steady amid regional shifts

Indiana farmland prices remained relatively stable in 2026, according to the latest Purdue...

Read More
Ben carter points to something on a computer to group of three students in a lab classroom, all in white coats. There are chemicals and biological research tools on the lab bench in the foreground.
Biochemistry prepares young undergraduates for graduate school and biotech careers with new molecular genetics course

In a new molecular genetics course, freshman and sophomore biochemistry majors emulate graduate...

Read More
Sherri Reinsch, research associate and hellbender husbandry coordinator gently handles a hellbender in the lab. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)
Minecraft Meets the Hellbender

The eastern hellbender salamander will never win a wildlife beauty pageant. It’s believed...

Read More
Ozan Citfci stands in Food Science Building.
Food engineering innovator joins Purdue Agriculture

Purdue University’s College of Agriculture is thrilled to welcome Ozan Ciftci, a renowned...

Read More
Ryan Folk in a greenhouse.
Plant evolutionary biologist joins Purdue Agriculture

Ryan Folk, an emerging leader in the world of plant evolutionary biology, has joined...

Read More