McKinney among Purdue Extension award winners

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Ted McKinney, director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture, and three Purdue Extension professionals were honored for outstanding service to the state as part of Extension’s annual Professional Development Conference.

McKinney received the Director’s Award in recognition of his support for Extension’s statewide outreach efforts.

 “One integral key to success for Purdue Agriculture and Purdue Extension is the strength and productivity of partnerships with likeminded organizations and agricultural producers and professionals of all sizes,” said Jason Henderson, Extension director and associate dean of Purdue Agriculture. “There is no better person to facilitate these partnerships than Ted McKinney.

“Ted shares our vision of a big tent for agriculture under which everyone can thrive. Thanks to Ted’s ongoing efforts, our partnership with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture is at an all-time high, our collaborations with Indiana FFA have flourished, and our input on the Indiana Land Resource Council helps our state’s communities accommodate the responsible management of agricultural operations. These are just a few ways in which Ted has been, and continues to be, a huge champion for us.”

Other award recipients were:

Paul B. Crooks Award: Paul Marcellino, county Extension director and educator, Howard County.

The Paul B. Crooks Award honors an outstanding Extension educator. Marcellino was recognized for helping foster an environment of teamwork and collaboration among his Extension colleagues and for his research and outreach efforts on behalf of Indiana farmers.

When the new farm bill was enacted in 2014, Marcellino offered one-on-one consultations to help farmers make educated decisions about the changes in crop insurance and risk management options. In 2015, he organized the first Howard County Ag Tour, giving city, county and state officials, as well as local farmers and businesspeople, an opportunity to learn more about the economic importance of agriculture in Howard County. He has also helped promote horticulture and natural resource education through the Howard County Master Gardeners program.

Outstanding Extension Faculty/Specialist Award: Kiersten Wise and Paul Ebner.

Wise, associate professor in Botany and Plant Pathology, specializes in plant disease management. Her research has helped Indiana farmers save $16-$40 per acre in unnecessary fungicide costs. She led the development of national fungicide efficacy tables that have been downloaded more than 14,800 times and used by plant pathologists in 16 states. Wise authored the books Fungicides for Field Crops, A Farmer’s Guide to Field Diseases and A Farmer’s Guide to Soybean Diseases, all published by APS Press.

Since 2012, she has made more than 150 presentations, written more than 60 newsletter articles and authored or co-authored 24 new Extension bulletins.

Ebner, associate professor in animal sciences, conducts research on microbiology in livestock and food production. He is a leading expert on confined feeding operations (CFOs) and their impact on surrounding communities. Working with Extension colleagues in agricultural economics and regional development, Ebner was part of a team commissioned by the state to assess CFO standards and how such operations are regulated at the county level.

He was part of a team that developed a food science department at Herat University in Afghanistan and worked with his Afghan counterparts to develop a food science curriculum. His applied bacteriophage laboratory at Purdue is among only a handful of its kind in the world and his research there has led to the development of several effective phage-based methods to control pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7, in live animals and food products.           

Writer: Darrin Pack, 765-494-8415, dpack@purdue.edu

Source: Nick Rogers, 765-496-0108, rogersn@purdue.edu

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Photos of the winners are posted at https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/awards/Pages/2016p1.aspx

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-8415;
Darrin Pack, dpack@purdue.edu 
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