Purdue Extension honors specialists
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialists Association (PUCESA) honored several specialists on Tuesday (Oct. 17) during Purdue Extension's annual conference banquet.Awards and recipients include:
• The Early Career Award was given to Brent Ladd from the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. His efforts to improve Indiana's water resources have led to the creation of new programs, tools and partnerships between Extension and other organizations, including developing the Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy and award-winning publications.
• Jay Akridge from the agricultural economics department was the recipient of the Mid Career Award. Akridge directs Purdue's Center for Food and Agricultural Business, which sponsors several educational programs throughout the year. These programs include the MS-MBA food and agribusiness management degree and annually educating about 1,000 food and agribusiness managers.
• The Career Award was given to Janet Ayres of the agricultural economics department, who has focused her work on building the capacity of rural communities. Ayres has implemented nearly 40 leadership curricula to develop the skills of Extension staff. Through her undergraduate class at Purdue and the development of student leadership programs, she also is helping to pass on leadership skills to the next generation of community leaders.
• The New Ventures Team received the Team Award for its work with the Agricultural Innovation and Commercialization Center. The center assists entrepreneurs in developing new business ideas and growing existing businesses. It combines county educators, campus specialists and entrepreneurs to evaluate business ideas through consultations, publications, workshops, conferences and an Internet planning tool. The team consists of 30 specialists: Jay Akridge, Alice Alderson, Jane Anderson, Michael Boehlje, Jennifer Dennis, Craig Dobbins, Kelly Easterday, Steve Engleking, Ken Foster, Joan Fulton, Allan Gray, Vickie Hadley, Kirby Hayes, Linda Heckaman, Nick Held, Laura Hoelscher, Aissa Irvin, Betty Jones, Kevin Keener, Jim Luzar, Maria Marshall, Joy May, Jerry Nelson, Kwamena Quagrainie, Steve Swain, Steve Smith, Bernie Tao, Craig Williams, Dan Wilson and Margaret Zoglman.
Writer: Becki Francis, (765) 496-1050, rfrancis@purdue.edu
Source: David Petritz, Purdue Extension director, (765) 494-8489, dpetritz@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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