Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture, has promoted Christine Wilson to the position of Senior Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs. In addition to her current responsibilities, Wilson will now oversee Purdue Ag Online to ensure delivery of high-quality, financially viable online programs and courses.
“Dr. Wilson has successfully made significant transformations in the Office of Academic Programs. I look forward to seeing the impact her leadership will have in the key area of online learning,” said Engel.
Wilson joined the College of Agriculture in 2020 leaving her position at Kansas State University, where she was a professor and director of undergraduate programs for the college’s agricultural economics department. Wilson had begun her academic career as an assistant professor in Purdue’s agricultural economics department, where she served from 2001-08. She returned to Kansas State to serve as assistant dean for academic programs for student services and retention in the college of agriculture, a position she held for seven years. Prior to her academic positions, Wilson worked in industry as a grain market analyst for Koch Industries.
An award-winning educator, Wilson has been recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State, the David Mugler Outstanding Teaching Award from the Kansas State Ag Alumni Association, the Kansas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association’s Distinguished Teaching Awards. Wilson also received the Richard L. Kohls Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Award from Purdue’s College of Agriculture in 2007 and the Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award from Purdue in 2008.
Seeing the opportunity to provide leadership for Purdue Ag Online for the college as a new challenge, Wilson said she looks forward to continuing the development of innovative and exciting program opportunities in the online space.
"We have outstanding people in the College of Agriculture, and I am surrounded by exceptional colleagues in the Office of Academic Programs. I am excited to expand my responsibilities to our Ag Online initiatives, where we, too, have an outstanding team of professionals,” Wilson said. “We are the No. 3 college of agriculture in North America and No. 5 in the world in the 2023 QS World University Rankings, and we can further expand our reach and impact with high-quality online programs.”
