In Print: ‘Lowell Hardin: Mentor Extraordinaire’

Publication title

Lowell Hardin: Mentor Extraordinaire

Purdue authors

Larry Murdock

Thomas Hertel

Gebisa Ejeta

Publisher

Purdue University Press

Publication date

May 15, 2025

About the book (from the publisher)

Lowell Stewart Hardin (1917–2015), an Indiana farm boy who became an enormously influential international agriculturalist, made the world a better place for the poor and the hungry on this earth. For 17 years he led the Ford Foundation’s agricultural development efforts, contributing to the Green Revolution. He helped to found and guide international agriculture research centers in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He inspired others to get involved and opened doors for them. He taught by example, gave others credit and always stepped back, avoiding the limelight himself. In this volume, 22 people who knew him well share stories of Lowell and lessons they learned from this extraordinary mentor and wonderful human being.

About the Purdue authors

Larry Murdock is a distinguished professor emeritus of entomology. He is an expert on the biology and behavior of insect pests, like bruchid beetles, of stored grain — especially cowpeas — in Africa. Murdock’s work laid the foundation for the development of the PICS grain storage technology, which is used throughout the world.

Thomas Hertel is a distinguished professor of agricultural economics. He is a fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Hertel is the founder and executive director of the Global Trade Analysis Project, which encompasses more than 32,000 researchers in 179 countries.

Gebisa Ejeta is a distinguished professor of plant breeding and genetics and international agriculture. He is also the executive director of the Purdue Center for Global Food Security. He is a 2009 World Food Prize laureate and a recipient of the National Medal of Science, the highest recognition the nation bestows upon scientists. Ejeta is known for his research on sorghum and creating sorghum hybrids that are resistant to both severe drought and the destructive parasitic Striga weed.

About the In Print series

To celebrate our faculty’s excellence in scholarship, Purdue Today’s weekly book series highlights faculty expertise across diverse subjects and disciplines. Find out more about the Purdue University Books Initiative and how to suggest a book for the In Print series on the Office of the Provost website.