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From the Dean
Last week, we held our College’s Celebration of Teaching Excellence and I know many of you were able to attend the events. If you did not, you missed an outstanding day highlighted by excellent seminars from Linda Prokopy, recipient of the Graduate Teacher/Mentor Award and Rod Williams, recipient of the Kohls Undergraduate Teaching Award. There was also a luncheon for our teaching and advising/student service award winners, as well as a teaching workshop and a showcase/poster session of teaching innovations. My thanks to Marcos Fernandez, Dennis Buckmaster, Shawn Donkin, and the Office of Academic Programs staff for this excellent day!
For me, the day was also important because it served as a spotlight on our first land-grant mission - teaching and learning. The Celebration of Teaching Excellence reminds us all that what happens in the classroom, what happens in advising and counseling sessions, what happens in judging contests, in undergraduate research experiences, on study abroad trips, in graduate mentoring, is incredibly important. In my role, I get to spend a lot of time with our alumni and when they recount stories of their time in our College, virtually all can recall an encounter with a faculty or staff member that had a major impact on their life – and some were truly life changing.
Sometimes the memory is of an instructor whose course inspired their career choice. Sometimes it is an academic advisor who administered some ‘tough love’ and forced them to ‘buckle down’ and get serious with their studies or saw something in them that they did not see, opening a path they did not know was in front of them. Sometimes it is a staff member who simply provided a listening ear as they were working through a difficult time, providing much needed support that allowed them persevere toward their degree.
Every time I hear these stories, I am reminded of the work our faculty and staff do every day, creating those moments that will be recounted at some point in the future by one of our alumni. You likely won’t hear about it now, and in all likelihood our students may not even yet know the importance of the moment, but those moments happen every day in our College – in the classroom, in the lab, in student clubs, on study abroad trips, in advising sessions and more.
This College has a very proud tradition of teaching excellence and there is plenty of evidence to back up that claim – in the number of Murphy Award winners, members of the Teaching Academy and the Book of Great Teachers and the number of PACADA Advising Award winners. Our focus on teaching and our students is reflected in strong results in the Gallup-Purdue Index, where our College's alumni gave the highest marks on campus to their engagement with our faculty and staff. Likewise, it is evident in the exit surveys where our graduating seniors also rank our College’s interaction with students, quality of courses in their major, and advising highest on campus and much higher than the average of our AAU peers.
Of course, metrics like the Gallup-Purdue Index and the senior exit survey reflect the past. But, tradition and past experience are useful because they help set expectations for the future. It is now on all of us to maintain our College’s tradition of excellence in graduate and undergraduate education. This will take real work: our students continue to change, pedagogy is changing and the nature of faculty work continues to evolve. That said, creating and delivering the strongest possible experience for undergraduate and graduate students is some of the most important work that we do in the College. And, our Purdue Board of Trustees sent a strong message about University priorities when they recently required student mentoring to be a part of faculty promotion and tenure requirements.
A few years ago, Dr. Sally Thompson, former Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, delivered a lecture at the University of Minnesota (where she was being named a distinguished alumna) entitled “Fundamentally, We are All Teachers”. She was focused on economists, but the point applies more broadly: All of us teach at some level, whether in the traditional sense on campus with graduate and undergraduate students; when we advise/counsel; in Extension settings; or even as a mentor to our colleagues. I'm looking forward to working with all of you to ensure that those students with whom we have the privilege to work in our College today and in the future receive an even more extraordinary Purdue Agriculture experience than did our alumni.
All the best,
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Purdue Agriculture People
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Ag Research Spotlight: Zoltan Machaty
 The Ag Research Spotlight shines each month on an individual whose work reflects our commitment to the six strategic themes that guide Agricultural Research at Purdue. This month's spotlight is on Zoltan Machaty, Animal Sciences, whose work underscores the theme, “Utilizing molecular approaches to expand the frontiers of agriculture and life sciences.”
Full story: https://ag.purdue.edu/arp/Pages/Spotlight-Machaty.aspx#
Diversity Champion Spotlight: Linda Lee
 The Diversity Champion Spotlight recognizes an individual or group whose efforts help us build a diverse and inclusive community and/or improve the climate in the College of Agriculture. This month’s spotlight is on Linda Lee, Professor of Agronomy.
Full story: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/in_focus/2016/September/DiversityChampionSpotlight.pdf
Graduate Research Spotlight: Jessica Zuponcic
 The Graduate Research Spotlight highlights graduate students and their work. This month's spotlight is on Jessica Zuponcic, Agricultural and Biological Engineering; advisor Meng Deng.
Full story: https://ag.purdue.edu/arp/Pages/Spotlight-Zuponcic.aspx#.V9hVS02U3q4
Purdue Agriculture launches GMO information web site
 Visitors to Purdue Agriculture on the web will find a new site, The Science of GMOs, here: https://ag.purdue.edu/GMOs. The site was created to share information on genetically modified organisms with a broad public audience. The content was generated and reviewed by Purdue College of Agriculture faculty and staff members. With on-camera interviews, infographics and short write-ups, this site provides accessible answers to many of the GMO questions that are concerning people today. We hope this web site will help the public better understand the science behind GMOs and better inform the debate about this set of technologies/products. Thanks to the many faculty members contributed their expertise to the site: Tamara Benjamin, Ken Foster, Peter Goldsbrough, Bill Johnson, Christian Krupke, Marshall Martin, Rick Meilan, Linda Pfeiffer, Mike Schutz, and Mark Tucker.Thanks also go to the departmental and Agricultural Communication staff members who helped to make this site happen: Maureen Manier, Jessica Eise, Osmar Lopez and Russ Merzdorf.
Conversation with incoming Chair of CSSAC, Tiffany Eakin
 Tiffany Eakin, Office of Academic Programs, will become the chair of the Clerical and Service Staff Advisory Committee on September 13, 2016. She has already has big plans for her term that include continuing the CSSAC Newsletter, Campus Connection, employee trips and awards for employees from the Professional Development Committee.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2016/Q3/q-and-a-with-tiffany-eakin,-incoming-chair-of-cssac.html
College enrolls record number of undergraduates
 The Fall 2016 semester kicked off with 2,736 undergraduates in the College of Agriculture, our highest enrollment since 1982, when we enrolled 2,748. Applications for 2016-2017 were up 7% over the previous year, we admitted 9% more students, and our total enrollment increased 5% over last year. This year, our undergraduate population includes 77% Indiana residents, 15% out-of-state residents, and 8% international students. Women continue to be in the majority, with 58% vs. 42% men. Underrepresented minority students make up 7% of our undergraduate population.
Ken Foster to step down in Agricultural Economics
 Dr. Ken Foster has announced that he will step out of the role of head of the Department of Agricultural Economics to return to his scholarly activities, effective Fall 2017. "My deepest appreciation goes to Ken for his leadership as department head over the past 8 years," said Dean Jay Akridge. "He has been a terrific ambassador for the Department of Agricultural Economics in the College, on campus, around the state, and nationally." Dr. Bernie Engel, head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, will chair the search advisory committee for the next Agricultural Economics department head and the following Agricultural Economics faculty and staff have agreed to serve on the committee:
--Mike Boehlje, Distinguished Professor
--Larry DeBoer, Professor
--Michael Delgado, Assistant Professor
--Ben Gramig, Associate Professor
--Mike Gunderson, Associate Professor
--Tom Hertel, Distinguished Professor
--Kim Mullen, Business Manager/Training Coordinator
--Holly Wang, Professor
--Nicole Widmar, Associate Professor
--LeeAnn Williams, Director of Undergraduate Advising/Student Services
A/P Staff advancement work begins
The 2016-2017 Administrative/Professional Staff Advancement Program is underway. All A/P staff should have received the materials via email. Advancement documents are to be processed and approved through the individual department committees this fall before they are submitted to the Dean’s Committee for evaluation (due January 4). It is recommended that staff update their advancement documents each year to make it much easier when they are eligible to submit a document for advancement. For details, visit the College of Agriculture’s A/P Staff Advancement Program web site under the “Faculty & Staff” tab on the Purdue Agriculture home page.
For more details, follow this link: https://ag.purdue.edu/Pages/advance_info.aspx
Attention Researchers: FTC Charges Academic Journal Publisher OMICS Group Deceived Researchers
The Federal Trade Commission has charged OMICS Group, Inc. for hundreds of online academic journals that have been released with deceiving academics and researchers and hiding publications fees that now range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Full Story: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/08/ftc-charges-academic-journal-publisher-omics-group-deceived
A reminder about tracking civil rights and diversity training
 The College of Agriculture is committed to making ongoing improvements to policies and practices to assure that race, ethnicity and gender are not barriers to success. During our USDA Federal Civil Rights Compliance Audit in 2012, it was brought to our attention that we did not have a formal tracking system in place to verify that all faculty, staff and graduate students received appropriate training. In order to comply with this, individuals are required to receive training in civil rights (the regulations), diversity awareness or sexual harassment each year. Therefore, we created a system utilizing the Qualtrics survey tool to have individuals self-report completion of their training. Rather than mandate a specific training, we are asking you to comply by recording training you have been to already or attend any training that fits your needs and interests and enhances your knowledge/understanding of diversity, civil rights or sexual harassment.
Report training at: https://ag.purdue.edu/civil_rights/Pages/report.aspx
Training modules available for faculty and staff
Risk Management, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance and the Office of the Vice President for Human Resources, announces the availability of the Risk Management Employment Claims Initiative education program. The program helps employees and supervisors understand employment-related issues such as discrimination, harassment, disability awareness and accommodations, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), overtime rates, and other university leave policies. Participants will complete four training modules and corresponding certification quizzes: 1) Equal Opportunity; 2) Americans with Disabilities Act; 3) Wage and Hour Issues for Employees and Supervisors; and 4) Family and Medical Leave Act and University Leave Policies.
The training modules and instructions for accessing the certification quizzes are located on the Purdue Employee Portal. Each training module is approximately 20 to 25 minutes long. Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Equal Opportunity will also fulfill College of Agriculture requirements for civil rights training as required by the USDA. All faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to complete these training modules. Faculty and staff participation in these training modules impacts the College's share of insurance costs.
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Awards and Recognitions
 The undergraduate program in Agricultural and Biological Engineering has been ranked the top such specialty program in the country by U.S. News & World Report for the sixth consecutive year. The magazine released its annual rankings Sept. 13. Earlier this year, the magazine rated Purdue’s graduate program in Agricultural and Biological Engineering number 1 in the country for the eighth consecutive year. Bernie Engel, head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, credited the rankings to the work of the faculty and staff and to their support of students. "Students, thank you for your strong performance in and out of the classroom and for representing our program so well in all that you do," he said. "A special thank you to faculty and staff for all that you do in supporting students and putting students first. We are fortunate to be part of two great and supportive colleges – Agriculture and Engineering."
 Bill Field, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, was named an Honorary Fellow of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) at its annual meeting in July. This recognizes a non-member who had promoted issues and demonstrated leadership in fields relevant to assistive technology or rehabilitation. Dr. Field is also the head of the Purdue AgrAbility Program, which received the RESNA Leadership Award at the same meeting. The RESNA Leadership Award recognizes an agency, company, association, or university for their significant contributions to the advancement of the fields of assistive technology or rehabilitation engineering.
 Barbara Golden, Biochemistry, has been re-appointed a Dean’s Fellow for the 2016-2017 academic year. She will continue to work with Dean Jay Akridge and Senior Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs Karen Plaut on a project focused on the success of associate professors. The first few years after promotion to associate professor is an important time for our faculty, and one that we have not truly addressed as a College. Dr. Golden focuses on the broad question of how the College and departments can better support the success of associate professors.
 Lisa Mauer, Food Science, is one of five Purdue faculty members selected by the Office of the Provost to participate in the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program during the 2016-17 academic year. The Big Ten Academic Alliance-ALP is designed to develop the leadership and managerial skills of faculty who have demonstrated exceptional ability and administrative promise. It is specifically oriented to the challenges of academic administration of major research universities and to the preparation of faculty members to meet those challenges.
 Heather Pasley, a Ph.D. candidate in Ecological Sciences and Engineering, Agronomy, has been awarded the Monsanto STEM Fellowship. Monsanto Company is awarding scholarships to minority graduate students who are pursuing their Master’s or PhD degrees in agriculture and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related majors. Four doctoral students received the Monsanto STEM Fellowship which includes a $50,000 award. This award is part of the company’s continued broad focus on innovation and investment in agriculture.
 Katie Carnahan, a sophomore studying agricultural systems management from Paulding, Ohio, was named the 2016 Outstanding North Central Division Intern for Helena Chemical Company upon completion of her summer internship. Working as a Summer Sales and Marketing Agronomy Intern for the Shelbyville, IN, Helena retail location, she was selected from 59 interns from 23 universities across the country. The scholarship award is designed to encourage creativity and innovation among the interns and provide assistance with college expenses.
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Purdue Agriculture in the News
Purdue opens first field phenotyping facility in North America
 Dean Jay Akridge and Senior Associate Dean Karen Plaut took part in dedication ceremonies on Aug. 29 for the Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center, a 25,500-square-foot facility at the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education. The center, which is the first field phenotyping facility in North America, will support state-of-the-art research in automated field phenotyping, the process of measuring and analyzing observable plant characteristics. The Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center is a core component of the Plant Sciences Research and Education Initiative, part of Purdue Moves, announced in 2013 to broaden Purdue's global impact and enhance educational opportunities for students.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/purdue-opens-first-field-phenotyping-facility-in-north-america.html
Center for Global Food Security awards grants for projects in 13 countries
 On August 17, The Purdue Center for Global Food Security announced 19 research grants in 13 countries for student projects dealing with food security research as a part of the U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security Program. "Our goal is to help prepare the next generation of young scientists and engineers who can effectively tackle the growing complexity around the global food security agenda," said Gebisa Ejeta, a distinguished professor of agronomy at Purdue and director of the Center. Grants totaling $440,000 will be awarded to 13 students from 13 U.S. universities. F unding comes from a five-year, $5 million grant to Purdue from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/center-for-global-food-security-awards-grants-on-u.s.-student-research-projects-in-13-countries-over-three-continents.html
Boiler Bridge connects Purdue campus, Extension to communities statewide
 A statewide series of community events hosted by the College of Agriculture will help college-curious students and parents learn more about all fields of study at Purdue while showcasing local Purdue Extension programs. Free and open to the public, Boiler Bridge events are intended to connect the Purdue University campus to communities throughout Indiana. Purdue academic counselors will be available to answer questions concerning college costs, available scholarships, financial aid, campus life, career opportunities, placement resources and more. Experts will be able to answer questions about any field of study at Purdue. "Boiler Bridge is a comprehensive, one-stop, local event for students and parents to learn more about all Purdue can offer them," said Jason Henderson, director of Purdue Extension and associate dean of the Purdue College of Agriculture.
Full story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/boiler-bridge-to-connect-purdue-campus,-extension-to-communities-statewide.html
Weak commodity prices lead to a sentimental decline in the minds of producers
 After months of increases in producer sentiment toward the U.S. agricultural economy, the August reading of the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer showed that declining commodity prices are weighing on the minds of producers. "This was in sharp contrast to July when farmers' optimism about future prospects pushed the barometer up, despite their concerns about current economic conditions," said Jim Mintert, the barometer's principal investigator and director of Purdue's Center for Commercial Agriculture. The barometer is based on a monthly survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers and includes measures of sentiment toward current conditions and future expectations.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/weak-crop-prices-lead-to-sharp-decline-in-producer-sentiment.html
Purdue entomologist awarded USDA grant for neonicotinoid research
 Ian Kaplan, Entomology, and his team have received a $3.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to fund their research into the environmental, ecological and socioeconomic effects of neonicotinoid pesticide use. The five-year grant is part of the USDA-NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative, a program providing funds for research in plant breeding and genetics, pests and disease, production efficiency and profitability, technology and food safety hazards. Dr. Kaplan and his Entomology colleagues, Christian Krupke and Rick Foster, are leading a team of researchers from Ohio State University, Michigan State University, the University of New Hampshire and Clark University.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/purdue-entomologist-awarded-usda-grant-for-neonicotinoid-research.html
Purdue researcher, student aim high with UAV airflow research
 Richard Grant, Agronomy, and an aeronautical engineering technology student joined an international team of researchers in Germany this summer to explore a new use for unmanned aerial vehicles - known as UAVs or drones - in meteorological research. The project, funded by the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, is one of the first to use UAVs to explore the nocturnal boundary layer, a stable atmospheric layer that forms during nighttime hours when the ground is cooler than the air. While daytime airflow is mostly predictable and measurable, nighttime airflow is poorly understood and difficult to measure, said Dr. Grant.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/purdue-researcher,-student-aim-high-with-uav-airflow-research.html
National Conference for Food and Agribusiness to focus on two new research initiatives
 Purdue University's Center for Food and Agricultural Business and Center for Commercial Agriculture have teamed up to present the 2016 National Conference for Food and Agribusiness, focused on two new research initiatives. The conference, which is themed "Driving Data to Insights," runs Nov. 16-17 at the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station. Purdue researchers will provide information on farmers' decision-making processes through the Multi-Generational Farm Study and an in-depth look at the health of the overall agricultural economy through the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/national-conference-for-food-and-agribusiness-to-focus-on-two-new-research-initiatives.html
One-sixth of land on Earth is highly vulnerable to invasive species
 A study co-authored by Jeffrey Dukes, Forestry and Natural Resources, shows that o ne-sixth of the Earth's land is highly vulnerable to invasive species, and most countries have a limited capacity to protect their natural resources from non-native animals, plants or microbes . Researchers from Purdue and multiple institutions teamed up to create the first worldwide analysis of invasive species threats, providing a global-scale outlook on how the introduction and spread of invasive species could shift in coming decades as a result of increasing globalization and climate change. Invasive species can spread quickly and dramatically alter landscapes, ecosystems and human health and livelihoods, often with harmful consequences.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/one-sixth-of-land-on-earth-is-highly-vulnerable-to-invasive-species.html
Purdue entomologist receives NSF grants for collections-based research
 A team led by Jennifer Zaspel, Entomology, was awarded two grants totaling more than $3.6 million from the National Science Foundation to help fund collections-based research . With support from the NSF, Purdue's collections-based data will be made more readily available to researchers, allowing them to trace the history of insect-borne diseases, determine changes in water quality and monitor climate changes in the environment. The funding comes at a time of heightened awareness of the importance of maintaining natural history collections, said Dr. Zaspel, director of the Purdue Entomological Research Collection.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/purdue-entomologist-receives-nsf-grants-for-collections-based-research.html
Purdue digital ag startup focused on crop yield forecasting and improved nutrient management
 Software tools that predict the acreage and yield of the U.S. corn crop at county, regional and multistate scales and optimize in-season fertilizer nitrogen rates at the subfield scale have been developed by two Purdue University agriculture experts. Co-founded by Dr. Brad Joern and applications analyst programmer Philip Hess, both in Agronomy, J&H Consulting of West Lafayette, LLC develops and licenses agricultural software tools that help farmers and agribusiness improve crop yield forecasting, nutrient management and environmental protection.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/purdue-digital-ag-startup-focused-on-crop-yield-forecasting-and-improved-nutrient-management-.html
Check trees now for Asian longhorned beetle
 Indiana residents are being urged to spend a few minutes checking trees in their yards and neighborhoods for signs of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), an invasive and potentially highly destructive pest. Dr. Clifford Sadof, Entomology, said early detection is the best way to contain the pest and minimize the risk to healthy trees. Trees at risk of Asian longhorned beetle infestation include maple, birch, elm, willow, ash and poplar.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/check-trees-now-for-asian-longhorned-beetle.html
Two receive top Women in Agriculture awards at state fair
 Purdue Extension honored two Indiana women for their dedication and service to agriculture with the Women in Agriculture's top awards for leadership and achievement. Dr. Jason Henderson, Director of Purdue Extension, presented the awards on Aug. 17 as part of the lieutenant governor's Celebration of Agriculture program during the Indiana State Fair. The Leadership Award, for a woman in an agribusiness or policymaking position, to Lisa Chaudion of Monroe County, executive director of the Indiana FFA Foundation. The Achievement Award, which recognizes women who are directly involved in a home farming operation, was presented to Sheryl Seib of Seib Farms in Posey County.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/two-receive-top-women-in-agriculture-awards-at-state-fair.html
Indiana Local Food Summit set for October in Indianapolis
 People working on local food initiatives in their communities can learn more from experienced practitioners and meet with their peers during Purdue Extension's Indiana Local Food Summit in Indianapolis. The daylong program will be held on Oct. 6 at Ivy Tech Culinary Center, 2820 N. Meridian St. The program is for those working in farm-to-school programs; school and community gardens; food hubs; food access and food insecurity programs; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Women, Infants and Children program; and economic development. It also is for chefs, food service directors, farmers, consumers, elected officials, food entrepreneurs, and city and county leaders. Purdue Extension is committed to fostering a statewide network of food systems and providing technical assistance for a range of community food systems practitioners, said Jodee Ellett, local foods coordinator for Purdue Extension.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/indiana-local-food-summit-set-for-october-in-indianapolis.html
Purdue undergraduates uncover mechanism tied to plant height
 Dwarfed plants add color and a diversity of architectures to landscapes and gardens, and a Purdue University undergraduate class discovered a key mechanism that leads to their small stature. Norman Best, a graduate student in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, led the HORT 301: Plant Physiology class in an exercise that identified a mutation in a dwarf variety of sunflower, called Sunspot, that keeps the plant short. The eight Purdue students, along with scientists that supported the work, published their results in the Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science. Brian Dilkes, Best’s thesis advisor, said, "You can come to Purdue University, take a class, and in the course of your lab work you can do real science where we don't know the answer. Students in the College of Agriculture uncovered new knowledge that has value to the scientific community."
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/purdue-undergraduates-uncover-mechanism-tied-to-plant-height.html
Purdue researchers discover signaling cascade that drives fatty tumors
 A common cell signaling pathway that controls differentiation of stem cells may also control the formation of tumor cells in fat, according to study led by Shihuan Kuang, Animal Sciences. This signaling pathway, called Notch signaling, has been widely reported to determine the identity and control the differentiation of a variety of stem cells in different tissues. Notch signaling occurs between two neighboring cells, in which one cell sends a signal to the neighbor cell to control its gene transcription program that determines the identity of the neighbor cell. Dr. Kuang had earlier determined that when Notch signaling is suppressed, white fat cells, which are linked to obesity due to their ability to accumulate excessive lipids, turn into beige fat cells. Beige fat is more metabolically active and breaks down lipids by turning them into heat.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/purdue-researchers-discover-signaling-cascade-that-drives-fatty-tumors.html
Forecasting climate change’s effects on biodiversity hindered by lack of data
 Patrick Zollner, Forestry and Natural Resources, is part of an international group of biologists calling for data collection on a global scale to improve forecasts of how climate change affects animals and plants. Accurate model predictions can greatly aid efforts to protect biodiversity from disturbances such as climate change and urban sprawl by helping scientists and decision-makers better understand, anticipate and respond to threats that imperil species and ecosystems. In a paper co-authored by Zollner and published in Science on Sept. 8, biologists cite a critical lack of data on key biological mechanisms as the main obstacle to improving models' ability to forecast species' response to climate change.
Full Story: http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q3/forecasting-climate-changes-effects-on-biodiversity-hindered-by-lack-of-data.html
Transitions
Debra Jakes, Purdue Agriculture Alumni Office, retires September 30
Steve Smith, Pilot Plant Director, Food Science, retires September 23
Dates and Deadlines
September 23: College of Agriculture Scholarship Dinner
September 26: College of Agriculture Entrepreneurship Event
October 1: Purdue Ag Alumni Association Certificate of Distinction nominations due
October 4: College of Agriculture Fall Career Fair
October 5: Learning from Leaders: Tommy Jones, President & CEO, Krone, NA
October 6: Ag Research Award seminar and ceremony: Dr. Jianxin Ma, 3:00 pm, Deans Auditorium, Pfendler Hall
October 19: Corinne Alexander Spirit of the Land Grand Award Event: Dr. Linda Prokopy, 3:30 pm, Deans Auditorium, Pfendler Hall
For more dates and deadlines, check the Purdue Agriculture calendar.
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