Twelve agriculture students named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars

Twelve student-athletes from Purdue University’s College of Agriculture were named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for their academic excellence during the 2020-21 school year. In total, 85 Boilermakers earned the honor, setting a record for the university. 

To qualify, awardees must achieve a grade-point average of 3.70 or better during the school year. 

Hayley Bush, Cassidy Hardin and Ethan Smiley earned the award for the second time in 2021. Taylor Mortensen and Tessa Sheets are three-time recipients.

Hayley Bush

Hayley Bush

Agricultural Economics

Union, Kentucky

Volleyball

Emma Ellis

Emma Ellis

Animal Sciences

Charlotte, North Carolina

Volleyball

Brooks Royal

Brooks Royal

Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Fitzgerald, Georgia

Football 

Ethan Smiley

Ethan Smiley

Botany and Plant Pathology

Beech Grove, Indiana

Wrestling

cassidyhardin1.jpg

Cassidy Hardin

Biochemistry

Bargersville, Indiana

Basketball 

Megan Casey

Megan Casey

Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Mason, Ohio

Track and Field

Emma Tate

Emma Tate

Botany and Plant Pathology

West Lafayette, Indiana

Track and Field

1-mortensen1.jpg

Taylor Mortensen

Animal Sciences

Hershey, Pennsylvania

Track and Field 

keesling1.jpg

Emma Keesling

Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Modoc, Indiana

Track and Field 

1-sheets1.jpg

Tessa Sheets

Animal Sciences

Chatham County, North Carolina

Track and Field

1-smeltz1.jpg

Jackson Smeltz

Agricultural Economics

Lafayette, Indiana

Baseball 

1-wilhoit1.jpg

Kasey Wilhoit

Agronomy

Franklin, Indiana

Softball

Featured Stories

Four people in a greenhouse stand next to a lush growth of petunia flowers.
Plants employ rare method to produce valuable chemical compound

Land plants have spent nearly half a billion years honing a vast array of metabolic skills that...

Read More
A landscape photo of a waterfall in Sweden, taken by Sam Lillie.
FNR Field Report: Sam Lillie Provides Sweden-Norway Study Abroad Week 3 Recap

Senior Sam Lillie provides a recap of the Week 3 action during the Sustainable Natural Resources...

Read More
FEMI team for Java House project in lab by coffee makers they tested.
Brewing up safety: Purdue Food Science and the Heartland Food Products Group team up to revolutionize coffee cleanliness

Coffee makers are everywhere — from kitchens to office break rooms — brewing up...

Read More
Luiz Brito stands with global collaborators in a field.
Advancing animal genetics through global collaboration

Global partnerships strengthen Purdue animal genetics research.

Read More
Luiz Brito and Hinayah Rojas
Industry partnerships drive genetics research at Purdue

Purdue researchers partner with industry to advance animal genetics.

Read More
Researchers stand together on a set of stairs.
Inside Purdue's animal genetics program

Animal genetics leaders at Purdue drive innovation and student success.

Read More