disruption to inauguration

There was one attempted disruption of today's inauguration-- and you probably won't see it on the official video of the event. When President Cordova was introduced, I thought I heard some shouts amidst the ovation, coming from the balcony. I didn't bother to look up and behind me until a few minutes later when, as the president was giving her address, some officials came down the aisle beside our seats and looked up toward the balcony. Of course I turned around, too, and saw that apparently what I thought as shouts of accolade had been a protest of sorts-- and a banner had been unfurled from the balcony railing urging the president to adopt the Designated Suppliers Program, an anti-sweatshop program. Purdue has concerns about the program, and you can read more about it in a WLFI TV-18 report from late February. As we exited the Hall of Music today, students were passing out fliers about the issue. It's invigorating to be part of an academic environment!

inauguration report

The inauguration was a grand academic ceremony. The Purdue Symphonic Band set a formal, festive mood for the day. And of all the vocal performances, the one by the Black Voices of Inspiration was my favorite-- "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho." They have such clear, strong voices and such a presence on stage! Marvelous! A number of speakers brought greetings and well wishes to President Cordova for a successful tenure, and Presidents Emeritus Hansen, Beering and Jischke ceremonially presented Cordova with the Purdue medallion, mace and charter, respectively. The day was capped by a speech from President Cordova that lays out some of her chief priorities and program thrusts. Fittingly, she used the design of a flight patch to illustrate these. Check it out online; the direct link is http://www.purdue.edu/inauguration/inauguration.php.

gala week is here!

Alumni are arriving to take part in the 2008 Gala Week activities. Welcome especially to the Class of 1958, this year's reunion class. Welcome, too, to the Purdue Forever alumni-- those who graduated prior to 1958.

This morning Dick Geyer, class of 1958, stopped by for a visit with his wife Pat. Dick made his career with FDA in Washington, and he hadn't been to campus in about 25 years, so he's taking in all the changes. We had a nice visit, and as he left, he inquired about a plaque that once hung in the entry foyer of Pfendler (then Agriculture) Hall. The plaque was hung by Alpha Zeta and recognized the freshman with the highest grade index. Dave Pfendler is the first name on the plaque. Dick was listed for 1954-55. It was fun to "reconnect" Dick with his Purdue Ag roots.

inauguration day is here!

Today is inauguration day for Purdue's eleventh president, France A. Cordova! The ceremony will be at 2:00 p.m. in the Elliott Hall of Music. Presidents Emeritus Hansen, Beering and Jischke are all scheduled to participate in the ceremony. View the inauguration online at mms://video.dis.purdue.edu/inauguration. Shortly after the ceremony, an archived version will be available online at http://www.purdue.edu/inauguration/.

more ag professors in tomorrow's inaugural events

Friday morning campus will be abuzz with three concurrent symposia from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, EDT. One of those, “Building a New Planet,” will be held just upstairs from the Ag Alumni office, in the Deans' Auditorium of the David C. Pfendler Hall of Agriculture. Moira Gunn, founder and host of Public Radio's Tech Nation and BioTech Nation, will moderate. Gerald "Jerry" Shively, Purdue Professor of Agricultural Economics, will be one of the seven panelists. Portions of "Building a New Planet" will be replayed on Tech Nation; check your local public radio schedule for times.

Also from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, the symposium "Tiny Technologies for Huge Impacts on Health” will be held in the atrium of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering. Two of the six panelists are Purdue Agriculture faculty: Joseph Irudayaraj, Associate Professor of Biological Engineering in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and Jenna Rickus, Assistant Professor who holds appointments in both the College of Agriculture's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Rickus is also a Purdue Ag alum twiceover; she graduated from the dual degree program, earning a BS in Biochemistry and a BSAE in Food Process Engineering.

For details on all three of Friday's symposia, visit the inaugural web site.

view inauguration online

See the inauguration live online Friday, April 11 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. EDT at mms://video.dis.purdue.edu/inauguration. Shortly after the ceremony, an archived version will be available online at the inaugural web site, http://www.purdue.edu/inauguration/. If you would like to attend in person, the event is free an open to the public. Reserved seat tickets are needed, and can be picked up at the campus box offices in either Elliott Hall of Music or Stewart Center. Out of town guests can reserve their tickets by calling (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-7469.

sign inaugural guest book

Purdue alumni and friends are invited to sign the guestbook for the inauguration of Purdue's eleventh president, Dr. France A. Cordova.

ag professors and alumni part of inaugural events

Campus will be hopping today with three major events associated with President Cordova's inauguration. You can see details of all the inaugural events here. The College of Agriculture will have faculty participating in two of today's events. This morning, The Diversity in the Classroom program will feature presentations from the 2007-2008 Diversity Fellows projects. Matthew Kirkwood, Assistant Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, will present "New Course LA 101, Introduction to Landscape Architecture," and Mark Russell, Professor of Animal Sciences will present "Revision: ANSC 381, Career Leadership." Congratulations to Dr. Kirkwood and Dr. Russell on their accomplishments as Diversity Fellows!

This afternoon, The Global University Convocation will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 in Loeb Playhouse, moderated by Purdue alum and C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb. Eight distinguished scientists will participate in the panel-- and two of them are College of Agriculture alumni: Maurilio Alves Moreira (A '80), Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, Federal University of Vicosa, Brazil, and Gebisa Ejeta (A '76, '78) who is Distinguished Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics and International Agriculture in the Purdue Department of Agronomy. During the program, the convocation can be viewed live on the internet at mms://video.dis.purdue.edu/globaluniversity. Shortly after the program, an archived version will be available for viewing; you can access that through the Global Convocation page on the inaugural web site: http://www.purdue.edu/inauguration/convocation.php.

don't bug me!

Did you see that those of us in Indiana now have a weapon to fight those pesky emerald ash borers? On March 28, the Indiana State Chemist approved an insecticide treatment that can provide up to two years of protection. It has to be injected into the tree's vascular system-- a job that only trained professionals can do. So you'll need to contact a tree care company with certified arborists to see about pricing, etc. Read about this promising new treatment here. Or visit the Purdue Entomology Emerald Ash Borer web site.

Fun facts to know and tell: The Office of the Indiana State Chemist is part of Purdue Agriculture's regulatory services and is housed on campus. Take a tour of their web site to see the services that they administer, and details of the Indiana agricultural laws they are charged with administering to provide truth-in-labeling, food safety, user safety and environmental protection.

animal sciences awards info

The Animal Sciences Department is seeking nominations for their annual alumni awards. There are three categories: Early Career, Mid-Career and Lifetime Career. The awards will be presented at a campus ceremony on Friday, November 21. Read the news release or download the nomination form for more information. Nomination deadline is May 1.

tent city

Tents-- mostly yellow and white-- are popping up all over campus. As I look out my window across State Street, Memorial Mall is almost completely covered. And there's an almost-solid row extending down the lawns of agriculture buildings on the south side of State Street. Of course that means only one thing-- SPRING FEST is upon us! This year's activity-packed event will celebrate 10 years of Spring Fest and is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13. Visit the Spring Fest web site to get complete schedules and locations of the activities. You can also download a cool poster. Spring Fest includes activities from 10 of Purdue's schools and colleges, as well as a number of other centers and programs such as Purdue Athletics. But it's all coordinated by our own Danica Kirkpatrick, the Events and Educational Activities Coordinator for the College of Agriculture. Three cheers for Danica!

student initiatives announced

Leading up to Friday's presidential inauguration, a number of gift announcements are being made which will fund new facilities and program support. Today, President Cordova announced a series of initiatives to support Purdue students. Read about these programs, and the new commitments to Purdue students that they represent, here.

welcome

Welcome to the Purdue Ag blog. I'll be sharing news and views from the West Lafayette campus of Purdue, with special emphasis on all things Agriculture!