October 19, 2005
Purdue Extension specialists receive recognition for efforts
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialists Association honored several efforts on Tuesday (Oct. 18) during Purdue Extension's annual conference banquet.
Awards and those honored include:
• The Spirit of Extension Award went to the family of the late Eric Sharvelle of Battle Ground, Ind. Since 1985 the Sharvelle family - wife Gladys, son Derek, and daughter-in-law Sybil - have honored outstanding Purdue Extension faculty with the Sharvelle Award. Eric Sharvelle was a Purdue Extension plant pathologist who pioneered many Extension education approaches still in use today.
• The special award honored Jane Wolf Brown, coordinator in the Agricultural Communication Department, for her contributions to many Purdue Extension programs. Brown, who heads the publishing group, has helped produce many award-winning publications that have received national recognition. Brown serves on national efforts for Purdue, including the Journal of Extension and the Pork Industry Handbook.
• Elizabeth Maynard received the senior award. She is the Northwest Regional Purdue Extension specialist in vegetable and greenhouse production. She has developed innovative outreach programs in vegetable production, particularly for organic methods. In addition to her research, she conducts demonstration trials across the northern portion of Indiana and contributes to numerous Web sites, newsletters, workshops and reports.
• Peter Hirst was honored with the junior award. A horticulture Extension specialist, Hirst is an active collaborator on regional and national fruit programs. Among his accomplishments, he was instrumental in helping Indiana apple growers adapt to the issue of cider pasteurization. With more than 20 peer-reviewed Extension and research publications, he also is respected in the fruit-growing industry for his newsletters, presentations and one-on-one interactions.
• The Team Award was given to the Soybean Rust Team. After Asian soybean rust was found in the United States for the first time in November 2004, a group of specialists from many departments was assembled to respond with education efforts that reached across Indiana and the Midwest. Efforts included news releases, publications, a toll-free hotline and several presentations. In addition to informing producers on how to detect and treat for the disease, the specialists also planted sentinel plots and monitored for soybean rust. Team members included: Shawn Conley, Ellsworth Christmas and Corey Gerber of agronomy; Greg Shaner, Anreas Westphal, Scott Abney, Karen Rane, Gail Ruhl, Fred Whitford, Ray Martyn and Amy Deitrich from botany; Corrine Alexander, Craig Dobbins, Chris Hurt and George Patrick of agricultural economics; and Steve Leer, Kevin Smith and Russ Merzdorf of agricultural communications. Also honored were Chris Novak and Jon Whitman of the Indiana Soybean Board.
Writer: Beth Forbes, (765) 494-2722; forbes@purdue.edu
Source: David Petritz, (765) 494-8489; dpetritz@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page
Note to Journalists: Photos of award winners will be available online. The photos will be available after 8 a.m. Friday (Oct. 21).
Related Web site:
Purdue University Extension
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