Agricultural Economics

Purdue agricultural economics advisors receive national awards

Story by Chad Campbell
June 9, 2021

Andrew “Andy” Oppy and Jodie “Jo” Thomas, advisors in the Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics, have been selected by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising to receive prestigious annual awards.

Oppy was selected for the NACADA Outstanding Advising Award- Primary Advising Role. Thomas was chosen to receive the NACADA Outstanding New Advisor Award- Primary Advising Role. The advisors will be honored at the 2021 NACADA Awards Ceremony in October.

“The work Andy and Jo do for our students is outstanding, and these awards are well-deserved,” said Karen Plaut, Purdue’s Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. “This is a great accolade for both of them, as well as agricultural economics and the college.”

“Our advisors are the ‘face of the department,’ and we are extraordinarily fortunate to have Andy and Jo positively impacting the lives of agricultural economics students,” said Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and department head of agricultural economics.

In February, Oppy and Thomas received the Purdue Academic Advising Association (PACADA) awards for Outstanding Advisor and Outstanding New Professional, respectively. In the 20 years both awards have been given at Purdue, 2021 was the first time the two went to advisors in the same college. The honors led to Oppy and Thomas’s nominations for the NACADA Advising Awards.

Scott Downey, Purdue professor of agricultural economics (in car), congratulates Andy Oppy and Jo Thomas during a February drive-through celebration for the PACADA awards. (Purdue Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)

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