Purdue News

April 25, 2003 Purdue School of Agriculture names outstanding alumni WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 2003 class of Purdue University's Distinguished Agricultural Alumni includes nine inductees, the largest group of honorees since 1996. The award honors mid-career graduates of Purdue's School of Agriculture who have made significant contributions to their profession or society in general and have a record of outstanding accomplishments. "It is a great opportunity for us to bring successful alumni back to campus to interact with students and faculty, and to reconnect with alumni on many levels," said Victor Lechtenberg, dean of Purdue's School of Agriculture. There have been 107 award winners since the honor was first presented in 1992. The nine recipients, honored today (Friday, 4/25) during a campus ceremony, are: William Carteaux of Medina, Ohio, president and CEO of Van Dorn Demag Corp. With 550 employees in five locations and annual sales and marketing activities of $210 million, Van Dorn Demag is a major supplier of molded products for John Deere, Caterpillar, Case-New Holland and others in the agricultural industry. Bachelor's degree in agricultural mechanization in 1984. Burnell C. Fischer of Lafayette, Ind., state forester and director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry. His department manages 150,000 acres of woodlands in 13 state forests. Bachelor's degree in forestry in 1969, master's in 1971 and doctorate in 1974. Albert Lund of Wilmington, Del., manager, research and development, Asia-Pacific, DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition. Lund's territory includes 13 countries from Pakistan and India in the west to Japan and New Zealand in the east. Master's degree in entomology in 1974 and doctorate in 1978. Evandro Charduni Mantovani of Sete Lagoas, Brazil, senior researcher for EMBRAPA, the national research center for corn and sorghum. Mantovani developed a planting disk now in use on 90 percent of Brazilian planters. Master's degree in agricultural engineering in 1981 and doctorate in 1984. Bret D. Marsh of Carmel, Ind., Indiana state veterinarian. Marsh received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. Bachelor's degree in animal sciences in 1981 and doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1984. Kenneth B. Rulon of Cicero, Ind., co-owner of Rulon Enterprises, a family farm. The Rulon farm encompasses approximately 5,000 acres in central Indiana and a 600-sow farrow-to-finish hog facility. Bachelor's degree in business and farm management in 1982. Janice Cervelli Schach of Pendleton, S.C., dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University. Schach directs a school consisting of 352 faculty and 50 staff members. Bachelor's degree in landscape architecture in 1979. Sharrann E. Simmons of Wayne, N.J., vice president and general manager of Colloides Naturels International, France. CNI is the world's top producer of acacia gum, used in beverages and confections. Simmons oversees the company's U.S. operations, marketing and product promotion. Bachelor's degree in food science in 1977 and master's in 1978. J. Yun Tso of Menlo Park, Calif., director of oncology at Protein Design Labs Inc. Protein Design Labs is a leader in the development of monoclonal antibodies for clinical use. In his role, Tso's research evaluates promising anticancer targets. Doctorate in biochemistry in 1981. Writer: Tom Campbell, (765) 494-8084 Source: Victor Lechtenberg, (765) 494-8392 Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/ NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Publication-quality photographs and biographical information on the recipients are available at https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/connections/distinguishedalumni/. To the Purdue News and Photos Page