Administration

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman has appointed Purdue Dean of Agriculture Vic Lechtenberg, PhD '71, to the Research, Education and Economics Task Force. The 2002 Farm Bill created the task force to evaluate the merits of establishing one or more national institutes focused on disciplines important to the progress of food and agricultural science. The eight-member task force will report its findings to the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture.

Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Professors Don D. Jones, PhD '76 and Alan Sutton (see Animal Sciences section below) have received the Frederick L. Hovde Award for Excellence in Education Service.

Jones and Sutton have assisted the Indiana Pork Producers Association's Environmental Assurance Program, the Indiana Beef Cattle Association Environmental Committee, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Waste Management Committee. They have also served on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's Confined Feeding Task Force.

The department's distinguished alumni and service awards were presented during Purdue's Gala Weekend festivities April 24-26. The awards recognize alumni and friends of the department who have achieved significant accomplishments in areas involving agriculture, engineering or technology. The 2003 ABE Outstanding Alumni are Joseph K. Boddiford Jr. (MS '73), Yael Edan (PhD '90), Mauri Fortes (PhD '78), Levon L. Mathews (BS '81), David W. Smith (BS '67, MS '69), and William C. Werner (BS '82). The Spring Banquet speaker was William R. Carteaux (BS '84). The 2003 ABE Outstanding Service Award recipient is David Daugherty (BS '61, Animal Sciences).

Agricultural Communication

Jennifer Doup, BS '00, received the department's Outstanding Service to Students award. She is the department's academic adviser and also advises the student organization Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. Jennifer Doup, Laura Hoelscher, MA '74, PhD '84 Mindy Jasmund , BA '01 and Ginny Retzner, BS '01 received the Award of Excellence from the Association for Women in Communications, Greater Lafayette Professional Chapter, for their positive portrayal of women in the media. The team designed and developed promotional and informational materials for the 2002 Purdue Extension Midwest Women in Agriculture conference.

Agricultural Economics

Corinne Alexander and Maria Marshall joined the department as assistant professors in January. Alexander received her PhD in agricultural economics at the University of California, Davis. Her research interests include agricultural marketing and organization, biotechnology, decision-making under uncertainty, contracts for value-added products, and experimental economics. Marshall has a master's degree in economics from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She received a PhD in agricultural economics from Kansas State University, with a specialty in international trade and development with an emphasis on technical trade barriers.

Agronomy

A team of Purdue Agronomy students placed second in the Collegiate Turf Bowl competition in Atlanta, Ga. It was the second time Purdue has competed in the five-year-old event. Purdue entered three teams, finishing second, 25th and 27th. Team members included Russ Apple, Todd Armbruster, Jonathan Baker, Steven Biehl, Joe Blumke, Josh Cage, J.D. Cash, Maureen Clark, Cristi Craven, Andy Eick, Cliff Meyer, and Adam Peercy. Aaron Patton, a graduate research assistant, coaches the team. Penn State won the event with 326.5 points, followed by Purdue with 321.

Professor Chris J. Johannsen, PhD '69, has been named a Fellow by the Indiana Academy of Sciences. Johannsen has been a faculty member since 1985.

W. Kess Berg, a graduate research assistant, received the Gerald O. Mott Graduate Student Award in Crop Science.

Ann Kline, a graduate research assistant, received the Indiana Seed Industry Graduate Study Award, presented by the Indiana Crop Improvement Association.

Animal Sciences

In addition to winning the Hovde Award (see Agricultural and Biological Engineering section above), Alan Sutton received the Meritorious Service Award from the Indiana Pork Producers Association. Sutton's research in environmentally friendly diet composition and dietary effects on animal waste has helped set standards for feed formulation in the pork industry.

Dave Gerrard , BS '83, MS '85, PhD '92, has been named a University Faculty Scholar. Purdue developed the Faculty Scholars Program in 1998 to recognize outstanding faculty who are on an accelerated path for academic distinction. Gerrard, a professor in the muscle and meats program, has been a faculty member since 1995.

Biochemistry

Ann Kirchmaier received a 2003 Kimmel Scholar Award. The Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research annually selects up to 10 grant recipients who receive $100,000 per year for two years to support innovative cancer research. Kirchmaier, an assistant professor, joined the faculty in 2002.

Botany and Plant Pathology

Muthukumar Balasubramaniam was recognized as the department's outstanding teaching assistant at the Annual Celebration of Graduate Student Teaching banquet in April. Balasubramaniam was selected from10 departmental teaching assistants for this recognition.

Nick Carpita, BS '92, professor of plant physiology, was elected to the American Society of Plant Biology's executive committee for a three-year term.

Fred Whitford, Purdue Pesticide Programs director, received the Distinguished Service Award for 2003 from the Indiana Arborist Association.

Jody Banks, professor of botany and plant pathology, has been appointed co-editor of The Plant Cell.

William Johnson, assistant professor of botany and plant pathology, was appointed associate editor of the new electronic journal, Crop Management.

Ray Martyn, professor and department head, has been elected to a three-year term as councilor representing the North Central Division of the American Phytopathological Society.

Entomology

Pablo Benavides, a doctoral student, won the President's Prize for his poster presentation at the Entomological Society of America annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition, Benavides won Purdue's A.H. Ismail Interdisciplinary Program Doctoral Research Travel Award. His presentation will be made July 15 at the International Plant Protection Congress in Beijing, China.

Professor Richard Edwards is working at the University of Zagreb (Croatia) as part of a nine-month Fulbright Research Scholarship. Edwards is a specialist in management of field crop pests.

Photo by Tom Campbell People passing Smith Hall may be guilty of a double take when they see identical twins in the window. Rest assured, one Tom Turpin on campus is plenty. Turpin (at right, we think), Purdue's renowned entomology professor, put the life-sized cardboard cutout in his secretary's office, "so nobody would throw anything at my window." The cutout was part of a state fair display.

Food Science

Students in the department have voted Kirby Hayes, MS '98, PhD '02, the department's outstanding teacher and Maribeth Cousin the department's outstanding counselor. Hayes, who joined the faculty in 2002, is an assistant professor. Cousin, a professor, has been a faculty member since 1978.

The American Oil Chemists Society presented its 2003 student award to Hugh Lippman, a PhD candidate. The award was presented May 6 at the society's annual meeting and exposition in Kansas City.

Forestry and Natural Resources

Extension forester John R. Seifert received the 2003 Conservationist of the Year award from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Seifert was honored for his forest landowner education programs, continuing professional forestry education programs, leadership in the Indiana Forest and Woodland Owner's Association and other forestry groups.

William Chaney, professor of tree physiology, received the 2002 Meritorious Service Award from the Indiana Arborist Association. Chaney, a faculty member since 1970, was honored for excellence in the practice of arboriculture.

4-H Youth Development

The Purdue University chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta presented Roger Tormoehlen, BS '80, MS '82, PhD '85, with its alumni award of merit. The award was presented at a campus ceremony April 9. Gamma Sigma Delta is the honor society of the Schools of Agriculture, Consumer and Family Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.