APSAC's annual Lovell event to present Akridge on leadership

Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, will provide leadership insights Oct. 3 in the Lovell Leadership Series, presented by the Administrative and Professional Staff Advisory Committee.

The title of his talk will be "Leadership Lessons: A Personal Journey." The event is scheduled for noon-1:30 p.m. in Pfendler Hall, Deans Auditorium (Room 241). APSAC presents a Lovell event each fall. Everyone is invited to attend, with supervisor approval. Registration will not be required for the event, but seating is limited. APSAC also will offer live streaming of the talk here.

Akridge was named provost in November 2017, having served as interim provost since July. Before that, he spent nine years as the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. Also at Purdue, he has been director of the Purdue Center for Food and Agricultural Business (2000-07), interim vice provost for engagement (2007-08) and interim dean of agriculture (2008-09).

Beyond the University, Akridge has served in a variety of leadership roles in the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, including chair of the Policy Board of Directors for the Board on Agriculture Assembly; the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association; and regional research committees. He currently serves as chair of the Executive Steering Committee of AgriNovus Indiana and on the board of directors of Agriculture Future of America. Akridge is also a member of the Farm Foundation Round Table, where he has held numerous leadership roles.

He is the recipient of the Charles Murphy Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching (1996) and is listed in Purdue’s Book of Great Teachers (2003). Jay was named a University Faculty Scholar in 2000 and was the James and Lois Ackerman Professor of Agricultural Economics before moving into administration. His research focuses on strategic management of food and agribusiness firms and adoption of new technology by agribusiness. Akridge has worked with agribusiness managers in the areas of strategy and marketing in more than 20 countries. He received his master’s degree and doctorate in agricultural economics from Purdue and his bachelor’s degree from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.

The Lovell Leadership Series was established in 2010 by the late C.W. "Bill" Lovell, professor of civil engineering for 45 years, who after retiring in 1993 took an active role as a Franklin Covey facilitator in Human Resources and promoted learning of leadership skills among Purdue staff members.