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They were the ones your classmates told you about,the professors your parents wanted you to meet, thenames you read in the newspaper. They held court infront of dusty blackboards, around a battered table, orbalanced on the edge of a desk piled high with papers.They were the people you asked about when youcame to campus, the men and women you sought out,after years of reflection, to say, “You saw somethingin me nobody else did. You were the one who set meout on the path I took. You were a great teacher.”

President Steven Beering inaugurated the “Book

of Great Teachers” in April as part of a specialcelebration in Academy Park, behind Purdue’sMemorial Union. A bronze and walnut plaque shapedto look like a series of open books, it lists 225 of thebest teachers Purdue has offered, from the first sixfaculty members in 1874 to the current crop of professorsdedicated to the mission of inspiring young minds.Thirty-nine of them are from the School of Agriculture.

“These are men and women who have done anoutstanding job, who have gotten involved in students’lives and made a difference,” says agronomy soilsprofessor George Van Scoyoc, associate executivevice president for academic affairs. He worked on thecommittee that solicited nominations from alumni,students and staff in this first comprehensive effort torecognize excellence in delivering a Purdue education.The criteria were 15 years of service, an outstandingrecord of teaching and scholarship and a list ofachievements recognized by peers, students, alumniand administrators.

But it takes more than that.

Teaching Excellence

Ag faculty helped write ‘the book’by Chris Sigurdson

To Van Scoyoc and the heads of PurdueAgriculture’s academic departments, those greatteachers of agriculture exhibited a love of learning, adesire to share knowledge with others and empathy forthe students.

“What makes a great teacher is passion for thesubject material and the excitement associated withsharing that passion with others. Without that love forthe subject matter and for learning, teaching becomesan exercise in information transfer,” says entomologydepartment head Chris Oseto.

Agronomy department head Bill McFee says,“Agronomy professor Wayne Keim really thoughtgenetics was the most important subject in the worldand it showed in his teaching. That enthusiasmmotivated a lot of students to learn basic genetics.”

Keim still stays in contact with a large number offormer students and teaching assistants from when hetaught at Purdue more than 25 years ago.

“You can unload all sorts of wisdom and knowl-edge in entertaining and polished ways, but if youdon’t connect to the students, you are just making theair in the room move,” says biochemistry head MarkHermodson. “The great teachers listen and judgewhere the students are having trouble comprehendingthe materials and then find ways to make it clear tothem.”

Great teachers learn from experience.“Jim Ahlrichs was a great teacher because he was

meticulous and creative in preparation. He had somany good ideas that he would completely redo alecture and lab from the previous semester that had

been really good just so he could try to do it better thistime,” says McFee. “He made me tired trying to keepup with him.”

Great teachers have different strengths, such asSteve Erickson, whom agricultural economics headWally Tyner says a student described as “Clark Kentin the hallway, Superman in the classroom.” Some,like John Hicks and Lowell Hardin, brought the worldinto focus for young men or women who’d never beenaway from home their whole lives. Presidentialadvisers Earl Butz and Don Paarlberg defined how big

the “big picture” was, says Tyner, whose departmenthad the most honorees of any on campus.

“Great teachers are organized. Students know whatto expect, they know where they stand. They under-stand the flow of material and how the pieces fittogether,” Tyner says.

Agronomy professors Lee Schweitzer, James Vorst,and agricultural economist Bob Taylor are scrupulousabout organizing learning sessions that seamlesslyconvey students from the general to the specific. OrCarole Lembi, professor of aquatic biology and weedscience, who creates games students can follow tolearn some of the complex chemical reactions thatsustain plants.

Master plant breeder Fred Patterson taught graduatestudents by example, as they watched, listened andtried to copy his style.

“Coupled with his keen sense of humor, thoseattributes made graduate study with him a fantasticlearning experience,” McFee says.

For others, teaching means pulling students into the

photo by Tom Campbell

“the book” continued on page 2

The inaugural class of Purdue University’s Book of Great Teachers includes these 20 School of Agriculture educators photographed recently in front of the MemorialUnion plaque that honors them. The second class of great teachers will be added to the book in 2003. See page 2 for photo identifications.

Volume 8 Number 2 Summer 1999

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Our MissionTo serve as an up-to-date medium for the open

exchange of ideas, information, opportunities andknowledge between Purdue University's School ofAgriculture and its extended family of alumni and friends.

Purdue Agriculture CONNECTIONS is published threetimes annually by the Purdue University Department ofAgricultural Communication for the Purdue AgriculturalAlumni Association. It is distributed free to more than40,000 School of Agriculture students, alumni andfriends.

Send letters and editorial comments to Department ofAgricultural Communication, 1143 AGAD Building,West Lafayette, Ind. 47907-1143; (765) 494-8084.

Send questions about the association and addresschanges to the Agricultural Alumni Association,1140 AGAD Building, Room 1, West Lafayette, Ind.47907-1140; (765) 494-8593.

Donya Lester, Purdue Agricultural AlumniAssociation executive secretarydcl@agad.purdue.edu

Tom Campbell, BS’78, managing editortc@aes.purdue.edu

Christy Denault, editorVic Herr, BA’92, editorMindy Jasmund, graphic designerAndrea McCann, BS’89, editorMarian Sipes, production assistant

It is the policy of Purdue University that all persons shall have equalopportunity and access to its programs and facilities without regard to

race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability. PurdueUniversity is an Affirmative Action employer. 1-888-EXT-INFO

http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/menu.htm

show. An Indiana Professor of the Year, entomologyprofessor Tom Turpin works hard to come up withnovel ways of engaging students, ranging fromvolunteer opportunities at Bug Bowl to employing atrained hen and a dozen mealworms on an overheadprojector to illustrate the predator-prey relationship.Agribusiness expert Dave Downey makes practicalsalesmanship come alive by encouraging students totake a door-to-door sales call from set-up to close.

“A great professor cares about the students.Students are very perceptive and they can easilydiscern the extent to which the professor is genuinelyinterested in their progress and problems. Whenstudents feel that the professor cares about them, theyare more motivated to do their best,” says Tyner. Hepoints to Larry Bohl, who remembers his chargesdecades after they passed through his office.

Caring about a student doesn’t mean mollycod-dling. Sometimes an F is the best thing you can do forsomebody, Van Scoyoc says. “It’s hard, but studentsrespect it if you’ve been clear about what you expect.”

Great teachers set high standards and goals for theirstudents, and themselves. Dick Kohls enjoyedchallenging students while an agricultural economicsprofessor and graduated to challenging faculty whiledean. Animal scientist Hobe Jones commandedrespect by his bearing and presence.

Karl Brandt, associate dean of the School ofAgriculture and director of academic programs,believes the School of Agriculture always has beenmore people-focused because of Purdue Extension’stradition of public service.

“The students aren’t people who pass through hereto be operated on,” Brandt says. “They come fromparents we know and work with, they leave ascolleagues and friends, and they send their childrenhere. I feel good about Purdue when parents bringingtheir sons and daughters to “Day on Campus” feelcompelled to mention a class they took years before.It’s part of what I like about the land-grant mission.”

For most of us, the most lasting impressions of ourcollege years are those professors who took the timeto make sure that a college education wasn’t justchecking off a laundry list of required courses andelectives. Years after the memories of all-nighters,grade panic and the impossible-to-comprehendtextbook work have faded, they’re the ones you stillremember — Purdue’s great teachers.

“the book” continued from page 1

Of the 225 original inductees listed in Purdue’s Book of GreatTeachers, 39 are connected with the School of Agriculture.

by Tom Campbell

Gifts ensure teaching excellence

From left to right: (1) CaroleLembi, (2) Bill McFee, (3) RalphNicholson, (4) John Hicks, (5)Harrison Flint, (6) BernardAxlerod, (7) Gary Krutz, (8) DonPaarlberg, (9) Edwin Monke, (10)Jim Ahlrichs, (11) George VanScoyoc, (12) Lee Schweitzer, (13)Lowell Hardin, (14) FredPatterson, (15) Martin Stob, (16)Tom Turpin, (17) Hobe Jones, (18)Dick Kohls, (19) Ron Lemenagerand (20) Earl Butz.

Joyce and Harvey White may not have the samename recognition around the Purdue campus asRichard and Irene Kohls, but they share a commongoal.

Through separate financial gifts, both couplesare helping Purdue develop agricultural teachersfor the century.

Kohls, BS’42, PhD’50, was dean of agriculturefrom 1968 to 1980. The dean emeritus ofagriculture is part of the initial class recentlyhonored in the Book of Great Teachers. He’s alsothe guy that always gets a pie in the face at theannual Ag Alumni Fish Fry.

The Whites have been supporting graduatestudents and undergraduate scholarships for twodecades. Their latest gift to the university supportsagricultural and biological engineering research,teaching and emerging technology.

Harvey White is a University of Missourigraduate living in semi-retirement in San Diego,Calif. He earned an engineering degree from theUniversity of Missouri in 1949, but his associationwith Purdue people, dating back to his undergraduatedays, makes him every bit a Boilermaker.

“My professor, Dr. Ralph L. Scorah, was a Purduegraduate,” says White, now retired, but stillworking in San Diego, Calif. White builds machinesthat use hydraulic motors.

Through his church and work at Lafayette’s TRWplant, White became friends with people like EarlButz, Dick Kohls, Warren Stevenson, Jerry

Mannering and Howard Doster, to name a few.White also became associated with Gary Krutz,professor of agricultural and biologicalengineering.

“Dr. Krutz and I worked on several differentprojects,” White says. “I was very impressed withhim and his teaching mode for his students. I wasenvious, wishing that I had a teacher like him.”

Through his gifts to the university, White ishelping Purdue develop another generation ofgreat teachers.

“I felt that it was important for the Purdueengineering department to have a professor of Dr.Krutz’s caliber,” White says. “One thing I could dowas to provide a means for Dr. Krutz to have agraduate student in his department, which mightencourage his staying in the department.”

Krutz estimates financial gifts from the Whiteshave sponsored more than 10 graduate students inthe agricultural and biological engineeringdepartment.

The Kohls have made a lead gift to establish anendowment that will provide an annual award tothe School of Agriculture’s Outstanding Teacherrecipient.

The Kohls hope their gift will help maintain andreward excellent teaching in agriculture and willinspire others who value teaching excellence tocontribute to this endowment.

J.B. Kohlmeyer Ag EconomicsRichard Kohls Ag EconomicsGary Krutz* Ag and Biological

EngineeringCarole Lembi* Botany and Plant

PathologyRonald P. Lemenager* Animal SciencesBill McFee* AgronomyEdwin Monke Ag and Biological

EngineeringDonald J. Molnar* HorticultureRalph Nicholson * Botany and Plant

PathologyDon Paarlberg Ag EconomicsFred Patterson AgronomyLee Schweitzer* AgronomyMartin Stob Animal SciencesBob Taylor* Ag EconomicsTom Turpin* EntomologyGeorge Van Scoyoc AgronomyJames Vorst* AgronomyAlan York * Entomology

Jim Ahlrichs AgronomyDurward Allen Wildlife EcologyFred Andrews Animal SciencesBernard Axlerod BiochemistryLarry Bohl* Ag EconomicsCharles Bracker Botany and Plant

PathologyLarry Butler BiochemistryEarl Butz Ag EconomicsMerle Cunningham* Animal SciencesDavid Downey* Ag EconomicsSteven Erickson Ag EconomicsHarrison Flint* HorticultureJ.T. Frost Animal SciencesLowell Hardin Ag EconomicsJohn Hicks Ag EconomicsArvin Hilst AgronomyJohn Hussey Botany, Horticulture

and Kindred SubjectsHobe Jones* Animal SciencesJohn Kadlec Ag EconomicsWayne Keim AgronomyClare Kenaga Botany and Plant

Pathology* denotes current staff members

Credits

Photo identification for Purdue Agriculture initiateshonored in the Book of Great Teachers.

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by Tom Campbell

Joanne Mosher collects soil samples like somepeople collect Beanie Babies or baseball cards. She’sgot them from everywhere. This summer, as part ofher undergraduate course work in plant genetics andbreeding, Mosher will be collecting soil samples inRussia.

But it is a small sample of the Arizona desert thatmeans the most to Mosher.

It was in hot and arid Arizona soil pits that Mosherand teammates on the Purdue Soils Judging Teamwon the 1999 National Collegiate Soils Competi-tion, sponsored by the American Society ofAgronomy, March 19.

While their Purdue classmates were on SpringBreak, Mosher, Eric Rife, Tim Newcomb and ArchieSauerheber were traveling 29 hours by van to Tucson.Once there, they spent most of their time evaluatingfour types of soil for agricultural and engineeringpurposes by describing various soil properties andcharacteristics.

A Purdue team last won the team title in 1974. GarySteinhardt, professor of agronomy, coaches the teamand is assisted by graduate student David Gehring.

Mosher started her soil judging career in highschool in 1993 and has racked up a series of Top 10finishes. But her individual title in Tucson was truly abreakthrough.

“Everything finally clicked into place; it all startedmaking sense,” Mosher says. “I started to see the bigpicture. It’s kind of weird, but I came out of thatcontest saying, ‘Wow, I really understand this, I reallyknow what I’m doing.’”

That euphoria lasted only until the results wereannounced.

“They counted down the Top 10 finishers from10th-place up,” Mosher recalls. “When they got toNo. 2 and they hadn’t announced my name, I knewthat I had done either really well or really poorly. Iwas in a state of shock when they announced that Ihad won. I about fainted.”

Soils judging team hits championship pay dirt

Steinhardt says you can always count on Mosher.“She has always been one of our most consistent

performers, very solid,” he says.This fall, Mosher will become the assistant coach

of the team while she works on her MS degree insoils.

Steinhardt is sure Moser will be an excellent coach.“Technically, she is very competent, which is

important, but she is also a person who can empathizewith students,” he says.

“The expression ‘She’s not so heavenly that she’s

no earthly good’ applies to Joanne. Sometimes you getpeople that are really smart, but they can’t relate tohow other people learn. She has a very solid grasp ofhow we approach things.”

Mosher hopes to open a soil analysis business outof her home near Monon in north-central Indiana. Shethinks the confidence she gained from soils judgingwill help further her career.

“If I turn out to be a soil consultant, then everythingI did in the soils judging contests will be part of myeveryday life. And that would be great,” she says.

photo provided

by Chris Sigurdson

Dean of Agriculture Vic Lechtenberg didn’t haveto look far to find a replacement for HankWadsworth, the retired director of the PurdueCooperative Extension Service.

Dave Petritz, a 27-year veteran of PurdueExtension, began serving as director on July 1.Petritz previously served as assistant director leadingthe agricultural and natural resources program.

“We’re very excited to have Dave in this newrole,” Lechtenberg says. “Because of his many yearsworking with the people of Indiana, Dave brings astrong understanding of the problems and opportuni-ties Hoosiers face and of the Extension programsthat stretch from farmers to families.”

Purdue Extension is a cooperative effort amongfederal, county and state governments that putsresearch-based university expertise in every Indianacounty. Extension educators work with youth andfamilies, agricultural producers, civic leaders andbusinesses to address local issues. These programsinclude rural and urban land use, parenting classes,4-H, economic development and environmentalstewardship.

Petritz said his first priority will be to make surethat Extension’s diverse clientele continues to bewell-served.

New director plans to heighten Extension profile

“We work with a lot of different peoplein many different ways, from tutoringprograms for at-risk youth to helpingfarmers and rural economies compete in aglobal marketplace,” Petritz says. “Ourjob is to help Hoosiers take charge oftheir future.

“For instance, kids haven’t changed,but society has. Children are born withthe same potential they’ve always had.One of our important thrusts is to teachparents and children the skills they needto do their best. That happens in 4-H andhomemaker clubs, in Extension classesand through publications and distanceeducation courses.

“At the same time, we’re working withlivestock and crop producers to help themcompete with neighboring states andneighboring countries. The beauty ofExtension is that it works on global issues at thecommunity level.”

Petritz came to Purdue in 1972 as an assistantprofessor of agricultural economics working in farmmanagement. He became a full professor in 1982 andtook over as assistant head for Extension education in

Purdue’s department of agricultural economics. Hebecame agriculture and natural resources programleader in 1989.

Petritz replaces Hank Wadsworth, who served asthe head of Purdue Extension and associate dean ofthe School of Agriculture since 1983.

photo by Tom Campbell

Joanne Mosher (center) and members of the Purdue Soils Judging Team beat 18 other schools to win the1999 National Collegiate Soils Competition March 19 in Tucson, Ariz.

Petritz (right) confers with Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan at the Indiana State Fair.

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by Chris Sigurdson

Earl Butz, former U.S. secretary of agriculture and dean emeritus ofagriculture at Purdue University, donated $1 million to Purdue’s departmentof agricultural economics in May.

Butz says the gift is to show his gratitude to Purdue for a career thatstretched from “cornfield to cabinet” and almost didn’t happen.

The 90-year-old Butz, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue in1932, said he had planned to attend either Indiana University or DePauw,where he had full scholarships, until a county Cooperative Extension Serviceagent said he was traveling to Purdue and wanted Butz to accompany him.The visit changed Butz’s mind.

“I might have become a lawyer or a schoolteacher somewhere and missedthe wonderful career Purdue gave me,” Butz says.

The money, which he donated without conditions, is intended to allowthe department to pursue some internalpriorities, such as supporting the Center forAgricultural Business or financing assistantshipsto attract the best and brightest graduatestudents, says Wally Tyner, department head.

“When Earl was department head, he broughtus to national prominence,” Tyner says. “Withthis gift, he helps us sustain that legacy.”

Butz received Purdue’s first doctorate inagricultural economics in 1937, and he joined itsfaculty that year as an instructor. He taughtcourses in agricultural policy, farm business andaccounting, agricultural statistics, agriculturalprices, farm finance and farm management. Butzwas named head of the department ofagricultural economics in 1946.

From 1954 to 1957 he was granted a specialleave of absence to serve as assistant secretaryof agriculture in the Eisenhower administration.He was responsible for the administration of themarketing and foreign agricultural aid programsof the Department of Agriculture.

Earl Butz, Ag Econ’s million dollar man

photo by Tom Campbell

He returned to Purdue in 1957 as dean of agriculture, a post he held untilhis resignation on Dec. 31, 1967. In January 1968, Butz became the dean ofcontinuing education and vice president of the Purdue Research Foundation.He served in this capacity until 1971, when he joined the Nixonadministration as secretary of agriculture. Butz was secretary of agriculturefrom 1971 to 1976, under Presidents Nixon and Ford.

He retired from Purdue in 1972 and still serves as dean emeritus of theSchool of Agriculture and as professor emeritus in the department ofagricultural economics. In 1973 he received an honorary doctor of lawdegree from Purdue. Butz has worked as a public lecturer and consultantsince 1976. He maintains an office in the department and works there dailywhen he is in West Lafayette.

by Tom Campbell

To say David Hefty and Stacy Demerly wereoutstanding students is an understatement of grandproportions. They recently earned BS degrees inagricultural economics, graduating in May with gradepoint averages approaching the rarefied air of 3.8.

In four years at Purdue, the pair earned just aboutevery academic honor the School of Agriculture has tooffer. David was the outstanding sophomore, andStacy won the outstanding junior award. Each has arésumé more than five pages long. And that just sumsup what they did prior to graduation.

All of this forced Karl Brandt, the associate deanfor academic programs, to make a difficult decision.He was asked to nominate a representative from theSchool of Agriculture to serve as a responder for thesenior class at the 1999 commencement exercise onMay 15.

“Either Stacy or David would have been a naturalas commencement responder,” Brandt says. “Both hadbeen outstanding students with strong academicrecords, both had superb leadership records incampus-wide organizations (Stacy in Mortar Boardand Iron Key, David in Mortar Board and the PurdueFoundation Student Board) and both had good stagepresence (having served as Ag Ambassadors). Howcould I select one over the other?”

Just prior to the nomination deadline, Brandt’sdilemma solved itself.

Commencement responders walkdown more than one aisle together

“The local newspaper ran an announcement of theirengagement,” Brandt says. “The answer was obvious.I would nominate them as a pair, as co-responders.”

University records indicate Hefty and Demerlybecame only the second multiple responders to everrepresent the senior class, and, no doubt, the first pairas an engaged couple.

In their combined commencement response, Davidand Stacy quoted the following poem by L. Staten:

Success lies not in how well-known you are,but how well-respected...not in your power to take, but your willingness to give.It is measured by the height of your aspirations,the breadth of your vision, the depth of your convictions.Do not look to the changing opinions of othersfor news of your success.Word comes in the small voiceyou hear within at the end of the day,Knowing you have done your best.This is the only success that matters.

David and Stacy were married in West LafayetteJune 5. David, a native of Auburn, Ind., is an associatewith the Edward Jones Company in Indianapolis.Stacy, a native of Wolcott, Ind., is looking for a salesor marketing position in the Indianapolis area.

photo by Tom CampbellDavid Hefty and Stacy Demerly were selected torepresent the School of Agriculture as co-respondersduring the May 15 commencement ceremony. Theywere married June 12.

Earl Butz (center) receives a pat on the back from Lowell Hardin (left) and applause from agriculturaleconomics department head Wally Tyner as they celebrate the gift announcement.

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Forestry CampStudents survive and thrive

Purdue’s forestry students have been retreating to the woods for the past70 years to learn in Mother Nature’s classroom. And while schools like PennState, Illinois and Michigan are scaling back their forestry summer campsbecause of rising expenses, Purdue is increasing its commitment.

For only the second year, students majoring in fisheries and aquaticsciences and wildlife are participating in the five-week program held in thewoods, lakes and streams of northern Wisconsin and the southern portion ofMichigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“Coming up here is a real eye-opener for most of our students,” saysforestry professor John Moser. “Most of our students are from Indiana, andhave never experienced a situation where natural resources play such adominant part of the environment.”

The camp can be a pocketbook-opening experience, too. In-state studentspay $1,800 for the camp, while out-of-state students pay $3,900.

“It is very expensive to own and operate a summer camp,” says forestry andnatural resources department head Dennis LeMaster. “Our department is verycommitted to providing the best educational opportunity we can, and thatincludes summer camp. From the reports we get from the students and theirexperiences with the faculty, the hands-on learning they get at summer campis the most enduring.”

Fisheries student Nathan Gould wholeheartedly agrees.“I really believe that if you are outside you not only learn easier, but you

learn more,” he says. “This camp is so much better than sitting in a classroomwatching a teacher with an overhead projector. This is a chance to apply whatwe’ve learned in class in a real-life situation.”

Amy Dankert and Jeff Page (above) are dwarfed by a stand of trees in the OttawaNational Forest while they take a timber inventory. Camp (below) does providesome recreational time. After classwork and homework is completed, LakeHagerman provides an idyllic setting for canoeists Stacy Shorter (front) and EileenOppelt. A wood-burning stove not only drys his socks, but keeps Zachary Lowewarm while he does his wildlife homework inside the men’s cabin (right).

story and photos by Tom Campbell

Forestry Camp

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by Rebecca Goetz

Ask animal science professor Mark Diekman why he wonthe 1999 award for Outstanding Counselor in the School ofAgriculture and he’s quick to share four things it takes to dothe job right.

Let students decide for themselves. A counselor can andshould list all the options and the advantages and disadvan-tages of each, but the student should make the final decision.

“It is their plan of study, their career choice, their balanc-ing of academic versus other activities, and the studentsshould make those decisions,” Diekman says. “Part of whatwe’re doing is training them to make decisions.”

Senior Jill Franks couldn’t agree more. “Under his counsel I have taken farbroader courses and expanded my outlook beyond what I would have everexpected,” she says. “He has given me the direction and the skill to makeeducated choices.”

Be sure you’re giving out accurate information. Be well informed and knowall the rules and regulations for getting a degree so that you can help students getthe most out of their education.

“Dr. Diekman made several new opportunities possible by helping me sortthrough the details and procedures of different programs here at Purdue,” saysanimal sciences student Angela Jinks. “For example, he helped make it possiblefor me to travel to Sweden next fall while ensuring that my credits will transferback so that I’m on schedule when I return from a semester abroad.”

Follow through. When you say you’ll do something, do it without delay.“Nothing irritates a counselee more than finding out after the fact that a

deadline was missed just because the counselor didn’t complete a task thecounselee thought the counselor agreed to do,” Diekman says.

Be accessible. “Students are a little leery of making appointments,” Diekmansays. “Scheduling by appointments only or through a secretary automatically putsup a barrier between the counselor and the student. I have some of the bestconversations when we meet in the hall or when they just drop by. On any givenday I spend two to three hours with walk-ins.”

Jinks appreciates his attitude. “He has always been available to help hisstudents, that’s something I noticed on my first visit to campus,” she says. “Eventhen, I was impressed with his open-door policy and how free students felt tocome to his office for help.”

Outstanding Counselor, Teacher open doors for students

Mark Diekman,Counselor

Rob Sovinski,Teacher

$4,500 more than small beans for pair of Purdue inventors

photo by Tom CampbellIn two years, Ryan Howard and Faye Mulvaney have earned $9,500 in the Innovative Uses for SoybeansContest sponsored by Purdue’s agronomy department and the Indiana Soybean Development Council.

“Inventors” continued on page 10

Landscape architecture professor Rob Sovinski wants thebest. He pushes for innovation in his classroom. He urges hisstudents to try something new. And he’s earned a reputationfor giving more to students and getting more out of them.That’s why colleagues and students voted him the School ofAgriculture Teacher for 1999.

“He is, in my mind, what a professor should be,” says onestudent. “He is always pushing you to do the best you canand take risks without punishment.”

One thing Sovinski pushes is mastery of the principles andprocesses of landscape design. For one of his undergraduatecourses, Sovinski created teaching exercises that use blocks of text and differentfonts instead of traditional landscape graphics. Since students can’t focus on thegraphics, they must focus on the principles, processes and objectives of design.When he teaches more complex projects, Sovinski separates the design process intocomponents that students master bit by bit.

Another of his classes takes students to the Web, where Sovinski pushes themto master the business side of landscape architecture. In this virtual office,students form companies that define their missions and compete for landscapedesign jobs advertised in a fictitious Web publication, the Purdue BusinessWeekly. Through the Internet, virtual companies can submit bids for jobs, addoffice space, raise staff salaries, sell equipment or fire employees. Their clientsmay go bankrupt.

While they’re mastering the principles, theories and processes, Sovinskipushes students to go a step further. He makes sure they get their hands dirtybefore they leave Purdue.

Sovinski organized the first Boiler Brick Bowl in 1995 to give landscapearchitecture students a chance to bring a design to life. Students are assigned todesign a mailbox, a sundial, a bench, or something else out of bricks. On the dayof the Brick Bowl, teams of students and local union brick layers work side byside, slapping down mortar and lining up bricks in a timed competition.

“Landscape architects can draw very well, but they are often criticized becausethey never get their hands dirty,” Sovinski says. “One of the missions of the BrickBowl is for students to find out if their designs are workable.”

Sometimes the designs work, sometimes they don’t. But students always gainan appreciation of what it takes to translate abstraction into reality.

Sovinski pushes students to be their best. And in pushing, Sovinski distin-guishes himself as a master teacher.

by Steve Tally

For those who prefer that their fluorescent foodstuffs be vegetarian, two PurdueUniversity students have invented a new gelatin dessert.

Junior Ryan Howard and sophomore Faye Mulvaney, both of Indianapolis,developed “NuSoy Gel,” a gelatin soy protein dessert that can replace Jell-O, thatquivering dessert that is a staple at potluck suppers, family gatherings and hospitalcafeterias everywhere.

The students created the new product for the fifth annual “Innovative Uses forSoybeans Contest,” spon-sored by the Purdueagronomy department andthe Indiana Soybean Board.The two received $4,500 fortheir effort. Howard andMulvaney also won lastyear’s contest by developinga soybean-based ski wax.

Gelatin is typically madefrom the animal proteincollagen, extracted fromskin, bone and connectivetissue of food animals. Thenew vegetarian dessert ismade from a gel base madeof water, fructose, high-gelling soy protein andcarrageen, which is madefrom seaweed and comes incherry, orange and lemonflavors.

Mulvaney says she and Howard developed the product after thinking about thedietary needs of patients in hospitals. “Many sick people can only have a clearliquid diet, but the current gelatin dessert served in hospitals doesn’t offer manynutrients. Our gelatin provides important nutrients,” she says.

In addition to creating the product, Howard and Mulvaney also developedpackaging and a marketing plan, and created a Web site that promotes their newfood (http://www.welovesoy.com). Howard is majoring in agricultural and biologi-

cal engineering, andMulvaney is majoring inpharmacy.

Bernie Tao, associateprofessor of agricultural andbiological engineering, saysthe contest challenges studentsto come up with new soy foodproducts. “We wanted toemphasize the health benefitsof soybean materials infoods,” he says. “The productsdeveloped by this year’sparticipants all containvaluable isoflavones, whichare found in soy foods, as wellas protein, without any fat orcholesterol.”

Some studies have sug-gested that isoflavones couldbe part of the reason whyAsian cultures, which have

7

Agricultural andBiological Engineering

Marvin L. Joray , BS’67, MS’68,Bruce A. McKenzie, BS’50, MatthewC. Reynolds, BS’83, Harold J.Schramm, BS’58, Larry J. Segerlind,PhD’66, and Harmon L. Towne, BS’63,were cited as outstanding alumni during aspecial awards ceremony April 23.

Tom J. Bechman, BS’75, MS’77, wascited for outstanding service to thedepartment, based on his contributions inpromoting the Extension component ofthe department during the past 17 years.Bechman is an editor of the IndianaPrairie Farmer.

For his work in developing and scalingup new approaches and materials forprocess chromatography, absorptivebioseparations and biocatalysis, MichaelLadisch, MS’74, PhD’77, has beenselected as a member of the NationalAcademy of Engineering (NAE).

Dennis C. Flanagan has beenpromoted to adjunct associate professor.

AgriculturalCommunication

Several department members werehonored when Agricultural Communicatorsin Education (ACE) announced winnersat the 1999 critique and awards programin Knoxville, Tenn.

Gold awards: Tom Campbell, JoanCrow, Christina Denault, LauraHoelscher, Mindy Jasmund, MartiLaChance, Russ Merzdorf, MarinaNeal and Amy Raley, promotional ormarketing campaign for an institution.

Silver awards: Olivia Maddox, RussMerzdorf, Mike Kerper, Oscar Naglerand Dave King, four-color periodicals.

Bronze awards: Russ Merzdorf, coverdesign. Rebecca Goetz, MS’81, TimHoskins, Mike Kerper, Frank Koontz,Andrea McCann, BS’89, ChrisSigurdson, Steve Tally, Kate Walker,writing within a specialized publication.

Tom Campbell, Christy Denault, VicHerr, Mindy Jasmund, AndreaMcCann and Marian Sipes, one- tothree-color popular publicationCONNECTIONS.

Chris Sigurdson, Olivia Maddox,Andrea McCann and Jane Houin, massmedia campaign.

CONNECTIONS also was a first-placewinner in the publications category at theNational Agricultural Alumni DevelopmentAssociation (NAADA) conference inIthaca, N.Y.

Rebecca Goetz, Mindy Jasmund andJane Wolf Brown won an Award ofExcellence from APEX (ReaganCommunications) for the 1998 USDAAnnual Report.

Tim Hoskins, won first place in thecomputer and multimedia productioncategory from Ag Communicators ofTomorrow.

Agricultural EconomicsJohn G. Lee, MS’83, has been

promoted to professor, and James S.Eales has been promoted to associateprofessor.

Agricultural EducationB. Allen Talbert has been promoted to

associate professor.

Agronomy Lauren M. McIntyre and Daniel B.

Szymanski have been appointed assistantprofessors of agronomy as part of thegenomics initiative of the School ofAgriculture. McIntyre, who received herPhD from North Carolina StateUniversity and had been an assistantresearch professor at Duke University, isa molecular quantitative geneticist.Syzmanski, a plant molecular geneticist,received his PhD from the University ofIllinois. He had been a research associatein genetics and cell biology at theUniversity of Minnesota.

Rex N. Bernardo has been promotedto associate professor.

Animal SciencesT. Wayne Perry, MS’48, PhD’50,

professor emeritus, recently received theDistinguished Service Award from theAmerican Feed Industry Association(AFIA). Perry was honored for fivedecades of commitment to the animalagriculture and feed industry. Perry, whohas authored five university text booksand 160 published journal articles, is justthe 19th person to receive the award, theAFIA’s highest honor.

Robert G. Elkin, MS’77, PhD’81, andAlan L. Grant have been appointedprofessors.

BiochemistryJames D. Forney has been promoted

to professor.

Botany and PlantPathology

Case R. Medlin has been appointedassistant professor of Extension weedscience. Medlin will focus on Extensionactivities involving weed managementrecommendations, educationalpublications, training programs and fielddays.

A native of Greifswald, Germany,Markus Scholler has been namedcurator of the J.C. Arthur Rust andKriebel Herbarium. Scholler isresponsible for the daily operation of theherbaria, maintaining the facilities andspecimens and responding to requests forspecimens as well as maintaining andupdating records and databases.

Forestry and NaturalResources

Jeanne Romero-Severson isconducting research for improvement ofhardwood tree species as part of her jointappointment with forestry and naturalresources and agronomy. Romero-Severson will teach one class and adviseundergraduate and graduate students, aswell as work with a team in biotechnologythat includes faculty and U.S. ForestService scientists located at Purdue.

notesDepartmentDepartmentDepartmentDepartmentDepartmentnotes

Rod N. Williams, MS’98, BS’96, hasbeen appointed vertebrate curator andcoordinator of laboratory instruction.Williams’ duties include curator ofwildlife vertebrate collections,coordinator of wildlife laboratoryinstruction and oversight of the animalcare facility.

O. Eugene Rhodes Jr. and John B.Dunning Jr. have been promoted toassociate professors.

Food ScienceBruce Watkins has been appointed

director of the newly created Center forAdvanced Foods to Protect Health.Faculty members from the departmentsof agronomy, agricultural and biologicalengineering, animal sciences, agriculturaleconomics, food science, horticulture andlandscape architecture, and forestry andnatural resources will participate in thenew center.

The primary goal of the center is toconduct basic research on the efficacy,delivery and safety of nutraceuticals(designed foods) in maintaining humanhealth, and to provide an educationalprogram for graduate students.

Bruce R. Hamaker, MS’83, PhD’86,has been appointed professor.

4-H YouthCARe (Communities Against Rape), a

program aimed at preventing sexual assaultand rape among people under age 24, hasbeen awarded the State Rural Health Awardby the Rural Health Initiative. The awardwas presented at their annual meeting inFrench Lick, Ind., in June.

Horticulture andLandscape Architecture

The annual Horticulture Show wasrecently honored by the Greater LafayetteConvention and Visitors Bureau. TheAmbassador Award was presented to thedepartment for working to promote theGreater Lafayette area through theHorticulture Show.

Ray A. Bressan is the 1999 winner ofthe Herbert Newby McCoy Award,honoring his discoveries and contributionsin the field of plant biology. The $3,000award is presented annually by thePurdue Research Foundation to thestudent or faculty member in the sciencedepartments at Purdue making thegreatest contribution to science.

8

Editor’s note: Lori Leonard first gradu-ated from Purdue in 1978. She wrote thisletter to friends and colleagues on campusas a way of saying thank you to those whohelped her along the way. She graciouslyagreed to share some of her fond memorieswith us.

It has been 20 years since I graduated from PurdueUniversity. The first time, that is. Since then, I was onactive duty in the United States Air Force (I’m stillactive in the Air National Guard), completed myveterinary education at Purdue and became a practic-ing veterinarian in 1989.

I am a major, currently assigned to the 192 MissionSupport Flight, which is part of the 192 Fighter Wingwith the Virginia Air National Guard. What happenedrecently in Kosovo added more possibilities to howwe serve our country. Our unit was ready, trained andable to go.

My love for the Air Force goes back to my days asan undergraduate at Purdue. I participatedin the Air Force ROTC program. While Iwas in the School of Veterinary Medicine, Iwas assigned to Grissom Air Force Base asa member of the Air Force Reserve.

I developed a strong background inresearch techniques at Purdue, which arosefrom the need to earn money. I paid myown way through school. Graduating inthree years saved me a great deal of money.

To help make ends meet, I washed testtubes and glassware. Washing test tubes isan important job. Any residue left on theglass could affect an experiment.

Through my research experience, Ilearned to enhance my skills of observationand critical thinking, pay attention todetails, and record events accurately in ascientific journal.

I learned to question the outcome of anexperiment if it wasn’t repeatable, or if theoutcome did not agree with the hypothesis.That “scientific method” was really animportant bunch of rules to understand andapply at Purdue.

From dimly lit ancient laboratories tobright, humid greenhouses, I watched thescientific method in action. Dr. JohnRoberts and I did research with wheathybrids. We spent hours looking throughthe microscope, making sketches, going togreenhouses and visiting agronomy plots.

He had such a good sense of humor, ajoy of life and a carefree manner that madeevery day seem happy.

One of my part-time jobs was workingfor Rita Barr in her laboratory. Rita wasdoing research with spinach chloroplasts.She had done that for years and is probablystill at it! What a tireless worker. Nothinggot past her. She must have had eyes in theback of her head.

One had to be consistent, accurate and dependableto work with her. In the early morning, I would go toRita’s lab and wash spinach. The leaves were“blenderized” in preparation for the day’s tediousresearch process. It wasn’t until many years later that Icould actually enjoy eating a fresh spinach salad.

Rita was very kind-hearted. She fed the birds atLynn Hall every day, and boy, did she make a meanleek soup! She was one of my first bosses and a goodrole model. I miss her very much.

In soils and crops labs, I was a student assistant.The professors were fun to work with and helping toteach actually helped me learn! (Maybe that was thepoint?) Dr. Eldon Hood guided me in understandingthe identification and habitat of numerous seeds,stalks, leaves and other plant parts.

By examining a tiny piece of a plant, Dr. Hoodcould tell a tale about its origins, life history, uses andvalue on the commodities market. He was extremelypatient. I know, because I was always asking ques-tions and he always hadan answer.

The agronomy chickenbarbecue was an annualevent. I once helpedadvertise the event bydressing up as a chicken

and walking around campus. I wore gold velour hotpants, bright yellow tights, and strapped huge three-toed chicken feet to the tops of my shoes. Dr. VanScoyoc barbecued some delicious chicken. He alwaysseemed to be laughing and smiling, and always hadsomething positive to say.

In the Ag Alumni office was jolly Mauri

Williamson. He had a great memory and a gift forstorytelling. We had to watch out during the annual AgAlumni Fish Fry. He would emcee and roast justabout everybody in the room. Dr. Hansen, president ofPurdue University, would dress up in costume and getinto the act with Mauri. They would have all kinds ofgags for entertainment.

One of the nice things I remember about the Schoolof Agriculture was its open-door policy. Even thedean, Dr. Jack Long, would set aside time in his busyschedule to sit down and talk with me. For a while, Iwas convinced that his primary purpose was to beaccessible to the students. I had no idea about his

major duties and responsibilities as dean.Students were encouraged to get involved.

Nothing was held back. There weren’t anysecrets or discrimination. As long as you weremotivated, a great education was available toyou. You could take in as much or as littleknowledge as you wanted.

I, along with many other students, wasinvited to the Hansens’ home. That was reallyspecial to me. I remember their graciousnessand hospitality. They were involved in all kindsof student activities and were great spokesper-sons for Purdue. I’d see them at football gamesand convocations, even at the Sweet Shop.

The love and support of my parents is acritical part of my being, but there were severalother people at Purdue to whom I owe a hugedebt of gratitude.

Tall and fun-loving, Dr. Jim Ahlrichs wasalways ready to help solve a crisis and calmly offeradvice. He was involved in many activities andeveryone loved him. Fair and thorough in his teach-ing, he had a great sense of humor and tireless energy.

Dr. Chuck Rhykerd was my main mentor, confidantand role model. I remember spending lots of time inhis office, discussing the concerns of the day or askingquestions about class. He helped me wrestle with theanxieties of an 18- to 21-year-old student. He pro-vided good direction and guidance. He genuinelycared for his students. He was always there.

I was intrigued by his involvement in the interna-tional arena. There were many foreign students oncampus, and diversification was the name of the gameat Purdue long before it became politically correct.

Everywhere I go, I take so much of Purdue withme. I lived in California, Texas, Florida, Montana,West Germany (with tours to Sardinia, Italy, Denmarkand Saudi Arabia), Indiana, North Carolina and, now,Concord, a small town in west central Virginia,halfway between Lynchburg and Appomattox.

I have owned my own business, Concord Veteri-nary Services, since February 1993. We see primarilydogs and cats, but I have a special interest in wildanimals, particularly birds of prey. I’m a federallylicensed wildlife rehabilitator. When I get an injuredhawk or owl to work on, I’m ecstatic. All of that workis done at no charge. After all, how can you billMother Nature?

I have many great memories of Purdue and itspeople. To all of the faculty and staff in the School ofAgriculture, thank you for a great education (scholas-tic as well as learning life’s lessons). Keep up thegood work!

Alumna recalls special times, special people

photos provided

Name: Lori D. Leonard

Occupation: VeterinarianMajor, Air National Guard

Degree: BS’78, D.V.M. ’89

Hometown: Concord, Va.

AlumniProfile:Lori D. Leonard, D.V.M.

Dr. Lori Leonard wears two uniforms at work. She wears a labcoat as owner of Concord (Va.) Veterinary Services, but switchesto the uniform of the United States Air National Guard, where sheholds the rank of major. Leonard wore another “uniform” brieflyduring her undergraduate days when she dressed like a chicken(right) to help promote the annual agronomy chicken barbecue.

9

80 s

’70 s

’60 s’50 s

ClassNotes

Glenn Crosby, Ag Short Course ’43,North Ft. Myers, Fla., is retired but stillfarms in Indiana, sells real estate in Ft.Myers and volunteers at church fornonprofit ECHO (Educational Concernsfor Hunger Organization) Farms. Thisgroup sends seeds and plants as well asinterns, who are trained at ECHO, to helphungry people raise their own food.

Ken Pyle, BS’49, is a land useconsultant with Land Inc., Carmel, Ind.Pyle is also active with central Indiana’s10-county Hoosier Resource Conservationand Development program.

Dick Geyer, BS’58, retired after 23years with the Food and DrugAdministration, including 15 years as anattorney with the Office of ChiefCounsel. His last position was deputydirector, Office of Surveillance andCompliance, Center for VeterinaryMedicine. Dick and his wife plan tospend lots of time on their 11-acre farmnear Mt. Airy, Md.

Eugene Chouinard, BS’60, Dexter,Ore., retired in May 1994 after 18months with the Indiana Department ofConservation, Department of Forestryand 31 years with the Bureau of LandManagement in Oregon. After retirementhe went to work as a part-time loggingengineer for a small commercial loggingfirm.

Bob Peart, PhD’60, retired from theUniversity of Florida following a 15-yearcareer as professor of agriculturalengineering. Peart served on the Purduefaculty from 1961 to 1985 with ateaching and research appointment inelectric power and processing.

Richard Carmichael, BS’66,Springfield, Tenn., transferred to theSoutheast to coordinate the livestockadvertising for Farm Progress Companies,Southern Beef Producer Section. Thissection covers 10 southeastern states andis included in eight Farm Progressmagazines.

Prasanta Kundu, PhD’71, India, isworking for Consulting EngineeringServices (India) Ltd. He is working onbusiness promotion and development ofthe company. Kundu also works in theIrrigation and Water ResourcesDepartment, and on watersheddevelopment, environmental impactassessment and comprehensiveagricultural farm development projects.

Jimmy Mudd , MS’71, Yoakum,Texas. In addition to managing alivestock auction office, Jimmy and his

dad maintain more than600 acres ofpastureland withcattle. He and his

wife, Shirley, havetwo daughters (Paula

and Elizabeth) attendingTexas A&M.

Robert Martin , BS’68, MS’74,Ames, Iowa, is head of the department ofagricultural education and studies at IowaState University.

John Rutherford, BS ’74, Kokomo,Ind., has been promoted frommanufacturing specialist to manager,Testing Solutions Group at InlandPaperboard & Packaging Inc. inIndianapolis.

Gale (Shemwell) Rudolph, BS’74,MS’75, recently left her director positionat Weider Nutrition International. Shenow heads up food product developmentat USANA, a nutraceutical company inSalt Lake City, Utah. She is also anadjunct professor at the University ofUtah in the foods and nutritiondepartment.

David Ware, BS’76, is a farm loanofficer with the Farm Service Agency(United States Department ofAgriculture) in Blackfoot, Idaho.

Alison Gaye Udell Blind, BS’77,recently relocated to New York where sheis manager at Eden Brook AquacultureInc. The hatchery produces brook,brown and rainbow trout. Gaye and herhusband, Alan, are now living inMiddletown, N.Y. They have twochildren, Allyn, a freshman at SlipperyRock University, (Pa.) and Amanda, afreshman at Minisink Valley CentralHigh School.

Douglas Barnett, MS’79, PhD’81,West Africa. Twin daughters Elyssa andJenna, born on April 7, 1998, are doingwell. When he is not changing diapers,Doug works in the Central OperationsDepartment of the African DevelopmentBank. He is responsible for qualityenhancements and annual review of theBank’s $14 billion portfolio ofdevelopment projects.

Frederick (Fritz) Buschmann, BS’80,Cincinnati, Ohio, is a senior agribusinessunderwriter for Great AmericanInsurance. He also works part time forthe County Park District and volunteersfor Red Cross Disaster Services.

W. Mark Hilton , BS’80, DVM’83,West Lafayette, Ind., was in private (foodanimal) veterinary practice in DeWitt,Iowa, from 1983 to1998. In August1998, he began working at Purdue’sLarge Animal Clinic, where he teachesbeef production medicine to third-yearDVM students and takes fourth-yearDVM students on food animalambulatory calls.

Erin (Patricia) Corcoran , BS’85, OakPark, Calif., is vice president, Operationsfor Lab Support, a professional staffingservice dedicated to placing scientistsinto laboratory positions.

Catherine (Goodin) Thomson,MS’85, is retired from investmentbanking and lives in Tuscany, Italy,where she and her husband have restoreda few 350-year-old farmhouses that theyrent to vacationers.

Jennifer Tribble , BS’83, MS’85, usedher animal science background to get ajob running a research lab for theMedical College of Wisconsin. After twoyears of research, she went to medicalschool in Minnesota, then on to residencytraining in radiology at IUPUI. Shereturned to Milwaukee for fellowshiptraining in neuroradiology. She has beenworking for the covenant system ofCatholic hospitals for the last year.Jennifer and her daughter, Chantal, 5,recently moved back to her hometown ofBrookfield, Wis.

Genevieve Deharveng, MS’89,France, quit her job in Lyon at theInternational Agency for Research onCancer in July 1998 and moved toFeytiat. She has a baby girl, Suzanne,born Sept. 9, 1998, and is enjoying takingcare of her three children.

Heather (Collie) Schmiedicke, BS’93,married Jamie Schmiedicke in October of1996. They currently live in Park Hills,Ky. Heather is employed at Wild FlavorsInc., a manufacturer of food flavorings,as manager of the sensory lab. She is alsoa licensed mammal rehabilitator on theside. She cares for orphaned squirrels,rabbits, opossums and bats. This workalso involves educating the public aboutthe natural history of our native wildlifeand the importance of conservation.

Brian Vorst , BS’93, recently becameengineering sales manager for WaltonManufacturing and Rebuilding, Delphi,Ind. Walton manufactures custom metalfabrications and components forindustrial customers.

“Class Notes” continued on page 11

Agri FactsHorse powerreigns!

Horse population in the U.S.Horse population in the U.S.

Horse powerreigns!

Purdue Ag Statistics

9

10

by June Lang, Assistant Director, Ag Development

Personal reasons can prompt gifts that benefitPurdue agriculture students and reflect what variousdonors find most compelling in their own lives.Sometimes a quiet conversation over a cup of coffeecan help find the match between what made adifference in a donor’s life and a particular need inan agriculture department.

As I speak with Purdue agricultural alumniaround the country, I find many people interested incontributing to the success of the School of Agricul-ture. I listen to what is important to them and whatthings take priority in their lives. For many, thesecan be reflected in the gifts they make to Purdue.

For example, Robert, BS’39, and BarbaraCooley, Walnut Creek, Calif., established twoendowments last year to honor beloved familymembers. The Roy B. Cooley endowment forlivestock judging was established to assist withcosts of materials and travel to livestock judgingevents. Roy B. Cooley, Bob’s father, was an animalhusbandry faculty member for 37 years. ProfessorCooley was a familiar face at livestock shows inboth the United States and Canada. He served as ajudge at the International Livestock Exposition andother livestock shows throughout the country.

Bob also wished to honor his twin sister Mary’shusband, so he established the Lowell H. HardinScholarship-Fellowship for International Studies inAgriculture. The award provides academicallystrong undergraduate or graduate students majoringin agricultural economics with scholarship orfellowship support for study or research abroad, orfor an internship in another country.

Marion, BS’48, and Annie Stinson-Hafele are

avid gardeners in Kingsport, Tenn. Their mostrecent gift to Purdue Agriculture will providesoftware, CDs, books and other resource materialsfor the department of horticulture and landscapearchitecture’s new computer center. The gift grewout of a conversation about their “dirty-kneesgardening.” Annie’s extensive personal horticulturallibrary and how reference materials were evolvingto include new media sparked their desire to supportthe center.

The Stinson-Hafele HLA Resource Center is anewly remodeled room containing 20 computersand teaching facilities. Their donation benefitsstudents as well as Master Gardener and 4-Hlearning activities.

To recognize his roots, Norman, BS’50, andPhyllis Coats of Kirkwood, Mo., have establishedan endowment in their names to provide scholar-ships for Purdue Agriculture students from BordenHigh School in Clark County, Ind. Norm is writinga family history about life in Clark County andsouthern Indiana. He wants kids from his homecounty to study agricultural sciences at Purdue andhave a chance at a career as fulfilling as the one heenjoyed for 30 years at Ralston-Purina.

As you can see, the priorities of these individualsplayed a major role in determining what form theirgifts would take. Not only did they get to reaffirmsomething important to them, they helped makePurdue a better place for the students who followbehind them. e-mail: jplang@agad.purdue.edu

Alumni intereststranslate to special gifts

notesDevelopmentDevelopmentDevelopmentDevelopmentDevelopmentnotes

Projects captureUSDA honorsby Rebecca Goetz

“Inventors” continued from page 6

A B

it of

His

tory

Built in 1902, Purdue’s EntomologyHall is the oldest building on theagricultural campus. It was known asAgricultural Hall when it was builtand when this photo was taken asclasses dispersed on Nov. 29, 1939.The building became EntomologyHall in 1969.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture singled outthree projects headed by Purdue University staffmembers for its 1999 Agriculture Secretary’sHonor Awards. The awards recognize the year’smost significant contributions to agriculture,consumers and the USDA’s ability to serve thenation.

The three honored projects are “CARe: Com-munities Against Rape Initiative,” headed by MaryPilat, Purdue Extension specialist in 4-H youth;“Agricultural Science and Education Impact,” ledby Dave King, Purdue’s director of agriculturalcommunications; and “It’s My Child, Too,” headedby Aadron Rausch, Purdue Extension specialist inconsumer and family sciences.

Both CARe and It’s My Child, Too weredeveloped through Community SystemwideResponse, a Purdue Extension program that helpsIndiana communities identify and respond toemerging local issues and challenges.

• CARe: Communities Against Rape Initiative:CARe brought together educators, counselors andhealth professionals from five statewide programs,eight colleges and universities, and 30 communi-ties to create and distribute teaching materialsaimed at preventing sexual assault and rape amongpeople under age 24. In addition, the organizersdeveloped a plan to create community planningcommittees that would bring together localmembers of the legal system, medical community,clergy and parents. CARe staff also led a statewidemedia campaign and an educational effort headedby youths.

For more information, visit the Web site athttp://www.four-h.purdue.edu/care.html.

• Agricultural Science and Education Impact:The national impact project helped agriculturalresearchers and educators from across the UnitedStates find a more effective way to describe howthe public benefits from dollars invested in land-grant research, education and the CooperativeExtension Service. Agricultural communicatorsacross the nation worked with professors and staffat their universities to describe current research,Extension and educational efforts. Then thecommunicators pulled together all that informationto write national Agricultural Science and Educa-tion Impact sheets (http://www.reeusda.gov/success/impact.htm).

• It’s My Child, Too: Purdue Extension staffmembers created the 13 interactive sessions of It’sMy Child, Too to teach young fathers how to bebetter parents. Then they trained educators in 54counties to use the session materials. Twenty-sixcounties in the state have offered the program tolocal young dads, who say it’s taught them a greatdeal and helped them stay involved with their kids.The sessions have gained recognition from outsideIndiana, too. Forty-eight organizations from 22states have plans to use the program.

diets high in soy-based food products, have a lowerincidence of diseases such as breast cancer, prostatecancer and heart disease. The new gelatin dessertnaturally contains isoflavones, and it is also fortifiedwith calcium and vitamin C.

“Pete’s Sweet Delite,” a soy-based, vegetarian, fat-free dessert topping meant to replace whipped cream,won the second-place prize of $2,400. Agriculturaland biological engineering majors Doug Allen of RedOak, Iowa, and Dennis Kim of Evansville, Ind.,developed the dessert topping.

“Soy Squares,” a soy protein-based, ready-to-eatbreakfast cereal, won third place and $1,500. Foodscience majors Aaron Davis of Columbus, Ind.;Jonathan Gray of Fayetteville, Ark.; Laura Zimmer ofEast Berne, N.Y.; Atina Biehle, North Vernon, Ind.;Nick Rozzi, Libertyville, Ill.; and Avery Solco,Quezon City, the Phillipines, developed the cereal.

Their cereal, renamed “SOY-PRO,” recently wonthe Institute of Food Technologist’s (IFT) 1999student product development competition.

The Purdue team placed first out of six finalistsbased on written reports, oral and poster presentationsand taste tests at IFT’s annual meeting in Chicago in July.

“The purpose of the contest is to give students theopportunity to use their scientific and technicaleducation and skills to actually create potentiallycommercial products from soybeans and theircomponents,” Tao says. “Teaching students first-handabout how industrial products are created is animportant part of their education.”

photo from J.C. Allen Archives

11

1999-20001999-2000’90 s

Events

Agricultural

ofSeptember 8Kankakee Valley District Ag Alumni Meeting,Medaryville, Ind.Contact Mark Baird at (219) 465-1727.

September 9Eastern Indiana Purdue Ag Alumni AnnualBanquet, New Castle, Ind.Contact Joe Russell at (765) 289-1330.

September 9Agronomy Field Day, Agronomy Research Center,West Lafayette, Ind.Contact Ben Southard (765) 494-4799.

September 18Agronomy Alumni Fall Brunch, West Lafayette, Ind.Brunch prior to Purdue’s football game vs. CentralMichigan.Daniel Turfgrass Center, Cherry Lane, WestLafayette, Ind.Contact Ben Carter at (765) 494-5825 orbcart@purdue.edu.

September 26School of Agriculture Student Video Conference,2:00 p.m. CDT. at multiple receiving sites inIndiana.For more information contact 1-888-EXT-INFO.

October 16HOMECOMINGPurdue vs. Michigan State

Departmental Reunions Hosted by:Animal SciencesAgricultural and Biological EngineeringAgricultural EconomicsEntomologyForestry and Natural ResourcesHorticulture and Landscape Architecture

Most departmental reunions feature pregamemeals (advance reservations required) and specialseating blocks for the football game. Sept. 10 is thedeadline for making football ticket reservations.For more information about the Ag & BiologicalEngineering event only, contact Dee Gillespie at(765) 494-1181.For all other reunions contact Debby Jakes at theAg Alumni Office, (765) 494-8593, ordjakes@agad.purdue.edu.

January 10-14, 200064th Purdue Pest Control ConferenceSponsored by Purdue’s Center for Urban andIndustrial Pest Management, Department ofEntomologyStewart Center, West Lafayette, Ind.,Contact Susan Umberger at (765) 494-7217 forinformation.

January 21, 2000Purdue Ag Fish Fry, Purdue Armory, WestLafayette, Ind.Advance ticket purchase required.For more information contact Donya Lester at(765) 494-8593 or e-mail: dcl@agad.purdue.edu

Calendar

Stay In TouchName (First) _____________ (Last)_____________________

(Maiden) ________________________________________

Degree/Date _________ Department ____________________

Home Address __________________________________

City _____________ State______ Zip_________ Country ____

Home Phone (______) _________________

Employment ______________ Title_____________________

http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/menu.htm

Let your fellow students know what you are doing through Class Notes. Include births, weddings, jobchanges, family, community activities, etc. Please complete this form and send it to: Debby Jakes, PurdueAgricultural Alumni Association, 1140 AGAD, Room 1, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1140.Please specify the complete names of any acronyms you include in your news, because some may beunfamiliar to us or to our readers. You also may e-mail your Class Notes information to Debby at:djakes@agad.purdue.edu.

Work Address _________________________ City__________________

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_________________________________________________________

Chad Kasprzak, BS’94, is golf andturf territory sales manager for JohnDeere Worldwide Commercial andConsumer Equipment Division inRaleigh, N.C. Kasprzak manages sixdistributors of golf and turf equipmentin the Southeast.

Benson Odongo, PhD’94, Uganda, isa potato/sweet potato entomologist withthe National Agricultural ResearchOrganization. He and his wife, Helen,have five children, the last, a boy theynamed Purdue Attoo Jerome.

Claudia Kathleen Heinsohn,PhD’98, Ashburn, Va., is an entomologistfor Western Pest Services in Leesburg,Va., since March 1998. She doesconsulting, training, inspections anddevelopment of treatment protocols.They have some interesting clients inthe Washington, D.C., area, includingSandra Day O’Connor, Bob Dole andTed Koppel.

“Class Notes” continued from page 9

We’re looking for a fewDistinguished Ag Alumni

The School of Agriculture needs your helpin selecting the Distinguished AgriculturalAlumni class of 2000.

The annual award is given to mid careergraduates of Purdue’s School of Agriculturewho have distinguished themselves by makingsignificant contributions to their professionor society. Seventy-four people have beennamed Distinguished Agricultural Alumnisince the award was created in 1992.

All nominations should be sent to theoffice of the Dean of Agriculture, 1140 AGADBuilding, Room 114, West Lafayette, Ind.,47907-1140 by Sept. 15, 1999.

Nominations should include a one- to two-page narrative statement of the nominee’spersonal qualifications, professionalexperience and community activities. Pleaseinclude name, address and phone number ofnominator.

Current Purdue employees and pastrecipients of an honorary doctorate degreefrom Purdue are not eligible for nomination.

Non-profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPurdue University

• Who helped write“the book” on teaching?Purdue Agriculture. Page 1

• Purdue Extension has anew director with afamiliar face. Page 3

• At 90, Earl Butz is stillcontributing to PurdueAgriculture. Page 4

What’s N

ew?

Forestry students learn from M

other Nature

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oto

by To

m C

am

pb

ell

For forestry students A

my D

ankert and Jeff Page, the forests

of Michigan’s U

pper Peninsula offer the best kind of

classroom: no chairs, blackboards or overhead projectors, just

fresh air, sunshine and plenty of learning. For five w

eeks eachM

ay and June, some four dozen students retreat to the forests,

lakes and streams of northern W

isconsin and Michigan’s U

pperP

eninsula to apply concepts and practice skills in Mother

Nature’s classroom

.“In Indiana, all you see are fields w

ith small patches of trees

in them,” explains S

tephanee Gipson, “but up here, it’s the

opposite. All you see are huge forests w

ith small patches of

fields in between.”

This year, for just the second tim

e in the camp’s 70-year

history, fisheries and aquatic science and wildlife students also

attended the camp in order to graduate. A

fter being deployedon a logging road in the O

ttawa N

ational Forest, D

ankert andP

age used a map, com

pass and Global P

ositioning System

(GP

S) com

puter to check their location before trekking off intothe w

oods to take a timber inventory. D

ankert sums up her

camp experience rather bluntly.

“Som

etimes I think I’ve learned m

ore up here in the firstthree w

eeks of camp than I learned in five years on cam

pus,” shesays.

see story and other photos on page 5