April 6, 2005
Purdue Agriculture honors 8 distinguished alums
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University College of Agriculture welcomed eight new recipients of its Distinguished Agricultural Alumni Award during a campus ceremony on April 1.
The award honors mid-career graduates of the College of Agriculture who have made significant contributions to their profession or society in general and have a record of outstanding accomplishments. There have been 125 recipients of this award.
This year's distinguished alumni include:
• Tom Bechman, Franklin, Ind. Since 1981 Bechman has been associated with Indiana Prairie Farmer magazine, most recently serving as editor. He earned a bachelor's degree in animal sciences and ag education in 1975 and a master's degree in agriculture in 1977.
• Scott C. Beck, Atlanta, Ind. He is vice president of Beck's Hybrids and also is co-founder and president of Great Harvest Organics. Beck earned his bachelor's degree in agronomy in 1987. His father, Sonny Beck, was an initial Distinguished Agricultural Alumni Award recipient in 1992.
• Mark H. Legan, Coatsville, Ind. Legan and his wife operate Legan Livestock & Grain, encompassing 1,000 acres of cropland and 700 sows that produce about 15,000 pigs a year. He earned his bachelor's degree in animal sciences in 1982 and his master's degree in extension education in 1987.
• Jeffrey Luckman, Newport News, Va. Since 1993 Luckman has been vice president for livestock procurement with Smithfield Foods Inc., the world's largest food processor and hog producer. He earned his bachelor's degree in animal sciences in 1976.
• April C. Mason, Fort Collins, Colo. In 2004 Mason was appointed dean of Colorado State University's College of Applied Human Sciences. She was previously associate dean for discovery and engagement in Purdue's School of Consumer and Family Sciences and assistant director of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. She earned her master's degree in botany and plant pathology in 1980 and her doctoral degree in foods and nutrition in 1984.
• Gerald A. Powell, Zionsville, Ind. During his 20 years with Dow AgroSciences, Powell has worked in sales, marketing and finance. As part of the company's Six Sigma program, he has served as trainer and coach for 54 of the company's project managers. He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural mechanization in 1985 and his master's of business administration in food and agricultural business in 2001.
• W. Wayne Townsend, Hartford City, Ind. Townsend started farming in 1951 with 225 acres and rented and borrowed machinery. Townsend Farms now is a 2,500-acre operation with 2,400 sows, shipping 1,000 hogs per week. He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences in 1951. Townsend also served as a member of Purdue's Board of Trustees from 1989 to 2004.
• Jian-Kang Zhu, Riverside, Calif. Zhu is director of the Institute for Integrative Genome Biology at the University of California and a professor in the school's Department of Botany and Plant Sciences. He earned his doctoral degree in horticulture in 1993.
Writer: Tom Campbell, (765) 494-8084
Source: Jenny Pratt, (765) 494-9505; jmpratt@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page
Note to Journalists: A photograph of the group of distinguished agricultural alumni is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2005/dist-agalums05.jpg
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