Abbott appointed interim Purdue Associate Dean and Extension Director

Angela Abbott, the assistant dean for outreach and engagement for the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) and associate director for Purdue Extension, has been named interim associate dean and Purdue Extension director effective the beginning of March. Abbott assumes this role as current director Jason Henderson leaves to become the vice president of extension and outreach programs at Iowa State University.

Abbott joined Purdue Extension and HHS in 1999. She was promoted to associate director in 2014.

Ken Foster, interim dean of the College of Agriculture, praises Abbott’s credentials and commitment to Purdue Extension.

“Dr. Abbott is an accomplished and experienced leader. She and her colleagues have made a significant impact on the health and wellness of Hoosiers. She has also led Purdue Extension with Dr. Henderson during the past eight years and is ideally suited to assume the responsibilities of interim director.”

Abbott earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ball State University and her doctorate in educational leadership from Creighton University. She is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Before joining Purdue Extension, she worked for the American Dairy Association and in several healthcare settings.

“I am honored to serve in this interim position. Every day in every county in our state Purdue Extension professionals are making a difference in the lives and future of our fellow citizens. My job in this role is to continue to advance and support that work,” said Abbott. “   

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