New head of International Programs in Agriculture named
|
Lowenberg-DeBoer has been interim head of IPIA for the last two years. He replaced David Sammons, who is now director of the International Programs Office in the Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.
A professor of agricultural economics, Lowenberg-DeBoer has 21 years of involvement in research, teaching and Extension around the world.
"Jess has a wealth of experience and a passion for international development," said Randy Woodson, Purdue's Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. "He has a perspective that includes the broad spectrum having worked with farmers here in Indiana and around the world."
IPIA is located in the College of Agriculture and facilitates international research and Extension in addition to efforts that promote cultural awareness and collaborations that benefit students, faculty and the citizens of Indiana.
Among IPIA's strengths is a study abroad program that is one of the largest on campus and one of the best of all agriculture schools in the nation, said Woodson. More than 23 percent of Purdue Agriculture undergraduates study overseas.
"This is a great benefit to our students as it provides them global experiences that make them very attractive in the job market," he said.
In his new role, Lowenberg-DeBoer plans to expand efforts that increase trade opportunities for Indiana businesses.
"We will build upon Purdue Extension successes in the past two years that helped Indiana businesses gain a better understanding of global markets," he said.
Among those efforts was a project that teamed Purdue graduate students with Indiana agribusinesses for the purpose of learning how these companies might better market their products in Latin America. IPIA also was crucial to the development of four Latino learning centers across Indiana.
An increased emphasis on students doing research abroad and new opportunities for faculty to conduct agriculture research in developing countries in Africa and Central Asia also are in the works.
Lowenberg-DeBoer conducts research on the economics of agricultural technology and pioneered the use of spatial regression in analyzing crop data. Since 1997 he has facilitated multidisciplinary research teams in West Africa for the USAID Bean/Cowpea Collaborative Research Support Program.
Lowenberg-DeBoer has a bachelor's degree in journalism and comparative literature from the University of Iowa, a master's degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University, and a doctorate in agricultural economics from Iowa State University.
Writer: Beth Forbes, (765) 494-2722, forbes@purdue.edu
Sources: Randy Woodson, (765) 494-8392
James Lowenberg-DeBoer, (765) 494-8461, lowenbej@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page
To the News Service home page