One of the best parts of my job as director of the ag advancement office is hearing from alumni about the benefits of having a Purdue Agriculture degree. One alumnus said his first employer was so impressed with his Purdue degree in agricultural mechanics that he hired him without even conducting an interview.

By way of a thank-you, that alum has been a long-time supporter of the Quarter-Scale Tractor Pull Team in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Not only is it an activity he enjoys, but he also believes the students gain valuable professional experience by designing and building the tractors and competing against other schools.

He's not unusual. I often receive phone calls from alumni who want to see if there's an opportunity to support Purdue that also appeals to their unique interests or affiliations. Foremost, they want future generations of Boilermakers to enjoy the same success they have achieved.

In addition to saying thank you, these friends of Purdue Agriculture want to support individuals and initiatives they believe in. Some of these stories are familiar to long-time readers of Connections - people like Fred van Eck who liked our approach to timber improvement so much that he gave Purdue a forest; Harry Pearson's fans at Indiana Farm Bureau who endowed four scholarships to give freshman student leaders a boost; or the Indiana Soybean Board, which endowed a professorship to ensure more research into soy diesel, crayons and soy-based jet fuel.

Helping turn somebody's good idea into a scholarship, support for a favorite professor or funding for a research project is another part of what I like about our job. Matching donor intentions to Purdue Agriculture's goals helps maintain the international reputation Purdue Agriculture has achieved. It requires an investment of time, talents and resources so that those who follow will reap an even greater harvest in the future.

Like getting a job based solely on the reputation of Purdue Agriculture and its alumni.

We are pleased to welcome Jorge Mantica, BS '89, to our Advancement staff. Jorge has a degree from the Department of Agricultural Economics and a wealth of experience in the private sector as a seed consultant for Landec Ag, a field sales manager for Reneesen (a joint venture between Cargill and Monsanto) and a sales manager for DuPont/Pioneer Specialty Grains.

Jorge is a native of Nicaragua and a veteran of the U.S. Army. He is responsible for the Departments of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Botany and Plant Pathology, and Youth Development and Agricultural Education, plus Purdue Extension. Please welcome Jorge, his wife, Paula, and sons Estevan and Alejandro to the Purdue Ag family. He can be reached at (765) 494-8672 or by e-mail at jmantica@purdue.edu

Contact Irvin at mirvin1@purdue.edu