EVER TRUE

Purdue alumnus wins world’s foremost prize for food, agriculture

Alumnus Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina (center) joins Purdue faculty members Philip Nelson (left) and Gebisa Ejeta (right) as World Food Prize laureates.Purdue alumnus Dr. Akinwumi Adesina was named the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate for his work as a reformer and leader of the agricultural sector in Africa. Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, joins Purdue faculty members and World Food Prize laureates Gebisa Ejeta (2009) and Philip Nelson (2007).

The World Food Prize, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture, is the highest international honor recognizing the achievements of those who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, and availability of food in the world.

“Purdue’s researchers and alumni have helped feed the planet by making significant contributions in science-based agriculture and food science, and there is no calling that is both more noble and necessary,” said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina continues that tradition, and we join in congratulating him and celebrating this recognition of his achievements.”

Adesina was awarded an honorary doctorate from Purdue in 2015 after earning his master’s (1985) and doctoral (1988) degrees in agricultural economics. After graduating, he returned to Africa, where he launched his career.

He was appointed Nigeria’s minister of agriculture in 2011 and elected president of the African Development Bank Group in 2015. He also has served as principal economist for the Africa Rice Center, associate director of food security at the Rockefeller Foundation, and vice president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

The 2017 World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony took place Oct. 19 in the Iowa State Capitol building.

Purdue among top 25 U.S. schools that send students abroad

The number of Purdue undergraduates studying abroad—more than 2,400 in 2017—is at a record high after increasing four years in a row. In fact, Purdue was recently ranked 23rd in the nation by the Institute of International Education for sending students to study abroad. As part of the Purdue Moves initiatives, scholarships are offered to qualified program participants, and we’re grateful to the generous donors who support this University priority.

“Studying and traveling abroad provides an opportunity for education, training, and professional socialization to take place within a different cultural context,” said Brian Harley, associate dean of International Programs and director of Study Abroad. “Purdue—one of the top universities for international student enrollment—is well known for offering students a global experience, and encouraging more study abroad is key to that mission as we help prepare students for the global workforce.”

During the last school year, more than 330 international students studied abroad. The most popular destinations selected by Purdue’s international students include China, India, Malaysia, and South Korea.

Building a bridge from India to Purdue

As a young man with a degree in hand from India’s College of Engineering, Guindy, Venu Srinivasan headed to Purdue in the 1970s for a master’s from the Krannert School of Management—then returned to his home country not only with the sheepskin but also with a wealth of expertise in operations, finance, industrial relations, and organizational behavior that would equip him to thrive in the family business.

Founded by his grandfather, the TVS Group originated as a bus and parcel van service in 1911 and now consists of more than 50 companies, including the TVS Motor Company, one of the world’s top five motorcycle manufacturers. Srinivasan serves as chairman and managing director of TVS Motor Company, as well as chairman of Sundaram-Clayton Group.

“I came back to the business and jumped in with both feet,” he recalled. “What I learned at Purdue I put into practice.”

Forty years on, Srinivasan is highly regarded across India’s industrial sector, having served as chairman of the National Safety Council for the Government of India and president of the Confederation of Indian Industries. He received India’s Padma Shri award in 2010 for his contributions in the field of trade and industry. Purdue awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2014.

This global industrialist intends to give back to society and to the University. Through a three-year gift of $150,000 per year, he is establishing the Indian Emerging Scholar Fund, a charity in his home country that will enable Indian students to attend Purdue. “I would like to help India and at the same time help Purdue,” he said, “killing two birds with one stone!” Students living in India will be able to travel to Purdue and gain a rigorous education, along with the cachet that comes with a Purdue degree.

Srinivasan has already created a Purdue-to-India pathway: he has been running an internship program for Krannert graduate students for the last 10 years at TVS Motor. Through the program, students experience working in a developing country and, at the same time, in a high-quality environment that significantly boosts their future employment opportunities. More than 100 students have benefited from the program.

In addition to his financial generosity to the University, Srinivasan devotes time and expertise as a member of the Purdue-India Executive Council, a high-level advisory board that provides counsel on Purdue’s strategic engagement with the country. Exploring educational and research opportunities, to the benefit of both India and Purdue, is a key goal.

For this alumnus, building a bridge between home and alma mater is at the heart of it all. For students yet to experience the opportunities granted by Purdue—made possible by newly created scholarships—a bright future awaits.

Feels like home

Emily Tse (BSCHE ‘00) does not let a measly 7,800 miles keep her from engaging with her alma mater.

“Purdue is in my blood,” said Tse, compliance and purchasing manager in Hong Kong for pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. “My relationship with our University is alive, and my Purdue pride grows every time I hear about the achievements of my fellow Boilermakers. Purdue is everywhere, from our Olympic gold medalists, to our astronauts, to my MBA program at the University of Hong Kong, where two of my professors are Purdue alumni.”

Tse graduated from Boise High School in Idaho, and she joined many of her classmates by enrolling at Boise State University. She wanted to study chemical engineering, but Boise State does not offer it as a major. After meeting another Hong Kong student who was studying at Purdue, she transferred to our West Lafayette campus. “I decided to leave potato land for the cornfield.”

She has taken part in Purdue Day of Giving for the last three years, and she looks forward to participating again this year. In addition to giving to the Charles D. Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, she has supported the Women in Engineering Program and the Purdue Alumni Association.

“Our alumni association is special,” she said. “As an alum who lives overseas, I appreciate how PAA always listens and makes Purdue feel like home by keeping me updated on campus developments. I may not contribute a large amount, but I like to show my appreciation by giving back each year, just as PAA gives to me as an alum.”

In addition to giving, she stays engaged with the University by serving on a committee with her local Purdue Alumni Club and as Purdue’s representative with other Big 10 alumni clubs in Hong Kong.

Tse looks back fondly on her experience at Purdue. She recalls the first time she landed at Purdue’s airport. “It was my first time on a 14-seater, and it was my first airport with no automatic luggage belt.” She also remembers how much she enjoyed attending the Purdue Christmas Show and many football and basketball games—when Heisman Trophy finalist Drew Brees was the quarterback and Purdue was the NCAA women’s basketball champion.

“I wish I could go back and experience the traditions again,” she said. “Purdue provided me a platform to get to know people from around the world. For that, I am grateful. I’m still in touch with many of my fellow Boilermakers, and they still shape who I am today. How can I not give back to Purdue?”

The fifth annual Purdue Day of Giving is April 25, 2018.

Three Boilermakers selected for NASA mission

Alumni Drew Feustel (left), Gary Horlacher (center), and Scott Tingle (right) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Photo courtesy of Purdue University College of Engineering. Veteran astronaut Drew Feustel will make his first long-duration mission as flight engineer of Expedition 55, scheduled to launch in March 2018. He will join fellow Purdue graduate and first-time astronaut Scott Tingle, who launched to the International Space Station in December as part of Expedition 54. On the ground, Gary Horlacher—a 1989 graduate of Purdue’s Interdisciplinary Engineering program, now the School of Engineering Education—will serve as lead flight director for the mission.

“This is a first: two Boilermakers on an International Space Station mission together, with a Boilermaker calling the shots as the lead flight director in Mission Control,” Feustel said. “I could not be more excited to work with Scott and Gary—and many other Boilermakers around the agency—during such a dynamic time for human spaceflight. Boiler Up!”

Purdue has 23 alumni astronauts, and Purdue alumni have flown in approximately 37% of all human spaceflights.