Purdue News
Purdue News
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April 2, 2004 Purdue Agriculture to honor nine distinguished alumniWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University's School of Agriculture will recognize nine new Distinguished Agricultural Alumni today (Friday, 4/2) during a campus ceremony. The award honors mid-career graduates who have made significant contributions to their profession or society in general and have a record of outstanding accomplishments. "These people represent who we are and what we do so well," said Victor Lechtenberg, dean of Purdue's School of Agriculture. "They are innovators and educators. They are leaders and motivators. We take great pride in our alumni, and these are nine of our best." The alumni award recipients are: • Tracy A. Baker, of Bradenton, Fla., vice president for innovation and beverage development at PepsiCo Beverages and Foods. Baker leads a team responsible for creating new beverage products. He earned a bachelor's degree in food science in 1987. • Thomas A. Davis, of Des Moines, Iowa, publisher of Successful Farming magazine since 2001. With 442,000 subscribers, Successful Farming is the largest paid circulation farm magazine in the United States. He earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics in 1980. • Kevin L. Eikenberry, of Indianapolis, owner and president of the Kevin Eikenberry Group Inc., a learning consulting group. Eikenberry is currently working on a book to help people learn from inspirational movies. He earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural mechanization in 1984. • Lesa G. Sterling Griffiths, of Newark, Del., director of the Center for International Studies at the University of Delaware. Griffiths received the University of Delaware Excellence in Teaching Award in 2003 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in College and University Teaching National Award in 1998. She received master's and doctoral degrees in animal sciences in 1983 and 1986, respectively. • L. Curtis Hannah, of Gainesville, Fla., professor of plant molecular and cellular biology and horticultural sciences at the University of Florida. In 1999 Hannah was named a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor, a three-year appointment awarded competitively based on a distinguished current record of research. He earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1967 and a master's in botany and plant pathology in 1969. • G. William Hoagland, of Washington, D.C., director of budget appropriations for Sen. William Frist, U.S. Senate majority leader. Hoagland worked 20 years as staff director of the Senate Budget Committee. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics in 1969. • Scott A. Jamieson, of Arlington Heights, Ill., president and CEO of The Care of Trees in Wheeling, Ill. The Care of Trees is the second largest tree care company in the United States, with 500 employees and annual sales exceeding $40 million. He earned a bachelor's degree in forestry and natural resources in 1984. • William A. Nuerge, of Independence, Ky., former CEO and president of Shire US Inc., a pharmaceutical company with 1,800 employees worldwide and revenues in 2002 of $1.04 billion. He earned a bachelor's degree in animal sciences in 1978. • Lee E. Schmidt, of Scottsdale, Ariz., principal partner of Schmidt-Curley Golf Design, which is currently engaged in one of the largest golf developments in history. The Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China, is adding five courses, all to be built within one year. He received a bachelor's degree in agronomy/turf science in 1970. There have been 116 Distinguished Agricultural Alumni Award recipients since the program started in 1992. Writer: Thomas Campbell, (765) 494-8084 Source: Victor Lechtenberg, (765) 494-8392 Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu Related Web site:
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