College of Agriculture
2026 Hovde Award nominees sought
Purdue University is accepting nominations for the 2026 Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Each year, Purdue University recognizes a faculty or staff member whose work has strengthened rural communities across Indiana through education, outreach and engagement. Nominations are now open for the 2026 Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence.
Any active member of Purdue’s faculty and staff, including field staff, is eligible for the award. Nominees can serve any college, school, division or unit, whether at West Lafayette, Indianapolis or a regional campus.
“The Frederick L. Hovde Award recognizes Purdue faculty and staff whose work exemplifies our land-grant mission by making a meaningful difference in the lives of people and communities across Indiana,” said Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. “Through teaching, research, Extension and engagement, these individuals help ensure that Purdue’s knowledge and expertise reach those who can benefit most. We are grateful to the Indiana Farm Bureau for its longstanding partnership in honoring this commitment to service.”
The nomination deadline is noon Sept. 4. Nomination packets should be submitted via email to agdean@purdue.edu. At least one — and no more than five — one-page letters of support must accompany the nomination form. For eligibility requirements, nomination guidelines and the nomination form, visit the Frederick L. Hovde Award webpage.
The recipient will receive an $800 cash prize and plaque. The award, which has been given annually since 1972, is sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau in appreciation of Hovde, who was Purdue’s seventh president and served from 1946-71.
The 2025 recipient was Maria Marshall, the James and Lois Ackerman Chair in Agricultural Economics. Marshall was recognized for her outstanding contributions to rural communities through her teaching, research and Extension efforts focused on family business management, entrepreneurship, rural development and disaster recovery. She also serves as the founding director of the Purdue Institute for Family Business and director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development.
About Purdue Agriculture
Purdue University’s College of Agriculture is one of the world’s leading colleges of agricultural, food, life and natural resource sciences. The college is committed to preparing students to make a difference in whatever careers they pursue; stretching the frontiers of science to discover solutions to some of our most pressing global, regional and local challenges; and, through Purdue Extension and other engagement programs, educating the people of Indiana, the nation and the world to improve their lives and livelihoods. To learn more about Purdue Agriculture, visit this site.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a research institution ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. As a land-grant university committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free.
Media contact: Devyn Ashlea Raver, draver@purdue.edu
Sources: Megan Kuhn, mmkuhn@purdue.edu
Agricultural Communications: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu, 765-494-8415
