Purdue News
Purdue NewsRonald F. Turco, professor of agronomy, will direct the activities of the interdisciplinary institute that coordinates environmental research from as many as 16 separate schools and departments on campus, including the Schools of Engineering, Agriculture and Science.
"The institute provides a coordinated direction for environmental research at Purdue," Turco said. "My job is to encourage and manage communications among the faculty conducting environmental research, leverage our diminishing research dollars, and be the campus contact for people with questions and concerns about the environment."
One goal of the institute is to provide new opportunities for faculty to address significant environmental problems facing Indiana and the United States.
"We plan to have a strong 'virtual presence' that relies on the Internet as a means of communicating across campus as well as around the world," Turco said. "The institute will soon have a World Wide Web presence that will serve as an environmental resource for groups and individuals within the state and across the globe."
Turco joined the Purdue faculty as assistant professor of agronomy in 1985 after receiving his doctorate from Washington State University. He was promoted to professor and associate director of the Water Resource Research Center in 1994.
Turco, who assumed his new duties in January, will continue teaching and research in the Department of Agronomy.
CONTACT: Turco, (765) 494-8077; e-mail, rturco@dept.agry.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
