Purdue University alumna Halee Fisher, who earned degrees in Agricultural Economics and Political Science, was recently appointed as the Senior Advisor for Research, Education and Economics (REE) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It’s a natural progression for her career in agricultural policy – a course set in motion during her time at Purdue.
Fisher didn’t always envision herself in politics.
“Freshman year Halee Fisher would laugh if she knew I was in the position I am today,” she admits. “My journey wasn’t a straight path. But all my experiences led me here.”
Fisher grew up in rural Indiana, where she fell in love with agriculture as a 10-year 4-H-er. She participated in the Purdue Youth Institute as a high school sophomore, presenting a research paper on zoonotic diseases and vaccine development to the World Food Prize in Iowa.
From there, she earned a prestigious Borlaug-Ruan International Internship in El Batán, Mexico, where she assisted with a CIMMYT research project on plant breeding. She was hooked.
“I knew as soon as I got back that I wanted to be in the College of Agriculture at Purdue,” says Fisher. “It’s Indiana’s most prominent agricultural space and I could feel the family culture.”
She began at Purdue as an agricultural economics major but wasn’t sure on her direction. She asked Agricultural Economics professor emeritus Larry DeBoer for advice.
“He took me to the window in his office and we both stuck our heads out,” she recalls. “He said, ‘This is your window of opportunity. Halee. Make the most of the resources, the things that interest you, that spark your imagination.’”
Fisher took that to heart, serving as an Ag Ambassador and student president of the Old Masters and Rising Professionals program. She relished meeting people from different backgrounds, in all stages of their careers.
At the recommendation of her advisor, Jo Thomas, Fisher took a political science class her sophomore year.
“I stepped into that classroom and it was like a lightbulb went off,” she remembers. “It was exactly the intersection of agriculture and policy that I loved.”
She added a second major in political science and her passion for policy only grew from there.
Fisher studied abroad in Austria, learning about international agricultural policy, and interned with the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service and American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington D.C. with support from the Public Policy Internship Program.
Those experiences turned into an unexpected opportunity during her senior year.
Just as the 118th Congress convened, Fisher received an offer to become the Legislative Correspondent for her home district Congressman, Rudy Yakym III. She had six credits left before graduation, but she jumped at the chance to return to Capitol Hill.
Shortly after, she started as a Legislative Assistant on the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee with Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. Fisher spent her days working on the research, pesticide, biotechnology and horticulture portfolio, and her nights finishing her coursework online.
She celebrated her graduation on the Hill, wearing her black-and-gold gown and tossing her cap in front of the Capitol Building.
“It wasn’t glamorous, but it was the best decision I ever made,” she says. “There’s no guidebook on how to succeed in D.C. policy. It’s a true trial by fire.”
Fisher had spent two years honing her policy skills on the House Agriculture Committee when she was invited to interview with Scott Hutchins, the nominee for Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE) at the USDA.
“He’s another Indiana native and has multiple degrees from land-grant universities, so we had a lot of connections,” she says. “I really loved his vision of what he wanted to do at the USDA.”
Fisher’s appointment to the USDA was announced in June. She now acts as a Senior Advisor to five agencies under the REE mission area and connects with stakeholders across the country to understand their needs.
“The leadership opportunities at Purdue made me into a better policy worker,” she says. “I’m also a better communicator and leader because of the experiences I had there.”
Fisher has come full circle in her role overseeing research and land-grant universities. Now she consults with the very professors and agricultural leaders she looked up to during her college years.
“I constantly say D.C. is run on relationships,” Fisher explains. “Purdue really helped me build the people skills I use now that I’m here.”
Fisher with Congressman LaMalfa at a House Agriculture Meeting Despite her busy schedule, Fisher makes time to mentor students who are considering careers in policy. She hopes to strengthen the growing Purdue alumni network in Washington D.C.
Fisher is a passionate advocate for aspiring Purdue politicians, but her advice applies to all Boilermakers:
“Get out of the classroom – of course, your Purdue education is important! But go out and have experiences. Join an organization. Form those relationships. That’s what follows you.”
