Agricultural Economics Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication Extension

Visionaries: Helping communities build better futures

Story by Jon Wright
September 2, 2022

Everybody’s job requires some multitasking, but Roberto Gallardo takes it to another level. In addition to being the full-time director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD), he started wearing another hat when he picked up a second, nearly full-time role.

As he mentions at the end of the video here, Gallardo has drawn on his deep background in extension and outreach to aid the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs with their Next Level Connections (NLC) Broadband Grant programs. He has done that all while overseeing the PCRD’s efforts and team of almost 20 staff.

“Typically, it’s been Monday and Fridays here in West Lafayette, and then Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday down in Indy or wherever I am needed,” Gallardo said.

Another hat Gallardo wears while in this additional leadership role is the selection of a long-term NLC Broadband Program Director to aid in the continued success of these initiatives.

With a passion for crunching numbers, helping others, and sharing the findings of the PCRD, Gallardo has a firm position in what he calls the “engagement trenches.”

But it’s not all work and no play for Gallardo, he joked that he has always had dreams of getting his pilot’s license and once his teenage daughters leave for college, it may be another “hat” this talented Renaissance man adds to his collection.

Meet the Filmmaker/Blogger

Jon Wright, student filmmaker and blogger

Jon Wright is a lecturer in the Brian Lamb School of Communication and teaches COM 217 (Science Writing and Presentation). He is currently majoring in agricultural communication, which will be his fourth Purdue degree. He lives with his wife Casey (also a Purdue alumna) and their son, Matthew, in Lafayette, Indiana.

About Visionaries

This blog and video are part of the Visionaries series, which highlights the work and lives of researchers in the Purdue University College of Agriculture. The content for this series is created by the students of ASEC 280 (Digital Storytelling).

See More Visionaries Stories

Explore other videos and blogs created by our student-filmmakers

Videos are also available on the Purdue Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication YouTube channel

Featured Stories

Woman in a grocery aisle reviewing the labels.

Shop smarter this summer: An ag economist's guide to smarter grocery shopping

By learning how to cut through the hype and focus on what truly matters, you can shop smarter...

Global analysis network provides leverage for new Thompson Chair

Channing Arndt, research professor in agricultural economics and director of the Global Trade...

Electron microscopy close up of cotton fibers in gray scale

Mapping the development of cotton fibers through multiomics profiling

Daniel Szymanski and his former postdoctoral scholar Youngwoo Lee, lead author on their paper...

A photo of the coast of Costa Rica, including trees and shoreline

Students Experience Wonders of Costa Rica Through Study Abroad Trip

The Costa Rica Rainforest Experience study abroad trip allowed students to experience the wonders...

Jared Trask sits with brown and white chickens in a grass field

Of mice, birds and men: Purdue researcher builds a simulation of how wild birds and rodents affect the spread of avian flu on farms

Trask is writing a new narrative about rats, birds and people as he pursues his doctorate in...

FNR Celebrates Awards, Honors from Spring, Summer 2026

Several Forestry and Natural Resources students, staff and recent alumni have been recognized for...