Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture, is leading a 24-person search advisory committee to identify candidates to succeed Charles O. Rutledge as the next vice president of research. Purdue President France Córdova has decided to reorganize the office, which will report directly to her. The search committee will present a list of finalists to Córdova, who will make the final selection. The vice president for research is responsible for more than $420 million in projects, including sponsored programs funded by federal grants, industry, foundations, state and local governments, and private sources.

A Purdue team took the bronze medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition Nov. 3-4 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Three of the seven team members — Mary J. Stine, Erin Rosswurm and John Shumm— are ABE students. The team engineered bacteria to participate in bacterial warfare in a “rock-paper-scissors” type competition. The team designed and engineered killing mechanisms in E. coli from standard biological parts (DNA components in the BioBricks database) and mathematically modeled the system.

McGrew

Carolyn McGrew rejoined the Ag Communication staff in December. She had worked for the department from 1987 to 1990 as a copy editor in news. For the past six years, she has been freelancing as an editor. She is the project manager for a series of electronic field trips to the laboratories of Purdue scientists designed to increase science learning by middle-school students. The project is funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The National Association of Conservation Districts selected Janet Ayres, BA ’73, PhD ’83, as the recipient of its 2007 NACD Friend of Conservation Award. The award recognizes an individual, business or agency for outstanding contributions to the conservation of our nation’s natural resources. It is intended for someone outside of the association who consistently practices good conservation and contributes to the cause. Ayres, a Purdue faculty member since 1977, also received the State Senior Faculty Continued Service Award from Epsilon Sigma Phi, Lambda Chapter, in recognition of continued leadership, initiative and excellence in Extension programming.

Chris Boomsma earned three first prizes in two graduate student competitions in November. A PhD student, Boomsma earned first prizes in the crop ecology and management division and for his oral presentation in crop physiology and metabolism at the American Society of Agronomy meeting in New Orleans. He also won first prize with his poster in the graduate student competition at the North Central Extension-Industry Soil Fertility Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

Thomas L. Housley received the Crop Science Teaching Award from Crop Science Society of America during the organization’s annual meeting in New Orleans in November. Housley, a faculty member since 1975, was honored for applying basic science education to solving agronomic problems through a postdoctoral study in the Agronomy Department at the University of Wisconsin.