Six agriculture students named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars

July 14, 2020

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ix student-athletes from Purdue University's College of Agriculture have earned the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award for the 2019-2020 academic year. Each year, the honor is given to students on varsity rosters who maintain a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher.

Among the honorees, Tessa Sheets ranked in the top 16.5% of Big Ten Distinguished Scholars by achieving a 4.0 GPA.

This year's recipients, pictured below, represent the departments of agricultural economics, animal sciences, food science and botany and plant pathology.

Hayley Bush playing volleyball

Hayley Bush

Junior, Agribusiness - Agricultural Finance

Union, Kentucky

Volleyball

Madeline Lilly

Madeline Lilly

Junior, Agribusiness - Food Marketing

Monticello, Indiana

Cross Country

Taylor Mortensen Cross Country

Taylor Mortensen

Junior, Animal Sciences

Hershey, Pennsylvania 

Cross Country

Natalie Mudd Swimming

Natalie Mudd

Senior, Food Science

Fishers, Indiana 

Swimming & Diving

Tessa Sheets Track and Field

Tessa Sheets

Junior, Animal Sciences

Chatham County, North Carolina 

Track & Field

Ethan Smiley

Ethan Smiley

Sophomore, Botany and Plant Pathology

Beech Grove, Indiana 

Wrestling

Photos from Purdue Athletics and Madeline Lilly

Plant scientists maintain critical research to save data and irreplaceable plants

The College of Agriculture accounted for more than a third of Purdue researchers who asked for access and support to continue critical research when facilities closed this spring.

With about 15 wiliwili trees in the Lilly Greenhouses, and only 150 left in the wild after an insect pest decimated its population, Purdue oversees an important concentration of this deciduous tree native to Hawaii. Scott McAdam, assistant professor of botany and plant pathology, has been growing the trees for three years.

Read Full Story >>>

Researcher hungry to improve healthiness of processed foods

“My research is at the intersection of food science and nutrition – creating new foods that impact health,” explained Sarah Corwin, a doctoral candidate in the department of food science. “We are translating science all the way to something that could impact lives.”

Read Full Story >>>

Wrestling and plant genetics a perfect pair for student

By Chad Campbell Ethan Smiley always looked forward to his science classes, but with a police officer for a father, a nurse for a mother and an older brother in law school, a career in agriculture never crossed his mind. If not for Purdue, Ethan Smiley says he never would have considered a career in…

Read Full Story >>>

Plant scientists maintain critical research to save data and irreplaceable plants

The College of Agriculture accounted for more than a third of Purdue researchers who asked for access and support to continue critical research when facilities closed this spring.

With about 15 wiliwili trees in the Lilly Greenhouses, and only 150 left in the wild after an insect pest decimated its population, Purdue oversees an important concentration of this deciduous tree native to Hawaii. Scott McAdam, assistant professor of botany and plant pathology, has been growing the trees for three years.

Read Full Story >>>

Researcher hungry to improve healthiness of processed foods

“My research is at the intersection of food science and nutrition – creating new foods that impact health,” explained Sarah Corwin, a doctoral candidate in the department of food science. “We are translating science all the way to something that could impact lives.”

Read Full Story >>>

Wrestling and plant genetics a perfect pair for student

By Chad Campbell Ethan Smiley always looked forward to his science classes, but with a police officer for a father, a nurse for a mother and an older brother in law school, a career in agriculture never crossed his mind. If not for Purdue, Ethan Smiley says he never would have considered a career in…

Read Full Story >>>