February 4, 2008

Eight earn Ag Alumni Certificates of Distinction

The award ceremony was part of the Ag Alumni Fish Fry in the Toyota Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

"It's a great thrill to be able to pay tribute to people who represent the agricultural profession so well to others," said Donya Lester, the association's executive secretary.

The award, instituted in 1938, is presented to those who distinguish themselves in their professions and in their communities with significant contributions that enhance the agricultural profession.

This year's recipients are:

* Noel E. Callahan of Indianapolis. Callahan with his wife, Jo, founded Callahan Enterprises Inc. to supply the seed trade with foundation seed stock of hybrid corn and other related products. In the 1970s he helped create a new business segment within the U.S. seed industry - genetic stock and field seeds for soybeans, now a huge segment of the seed and biotechnology markets. He is a past member of the board of directors of the Indiana 4-H Foundation. He earned a Purdue bachelor's degree in 1954.

* Eldon E. Fredericks of West Lafayette. Fredericks retired from Purdue in 1997 after serving seven years as an education technology specialist and eight years as head of the Department of Agricultural Communication and assistant director of Purdue Extension. Previously he worked at the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. Fredericks is considered a pioneer and innovator in Extension communication, particularly in the use of computer technology. While at the USDA in 1989, he helped bring Extension into the Internet world and was part of the team that set up the first White House Web site. He earned his Purdue bachelor's degree in 1956 and master's degree in 1969.

* Kern S. Hendrix of West Lafayette. Hendrix retired in 2003 as Purdue Extension beef specialist, a position he held for almost 30 years. He continues to give leadership to beef cattle programs as secretary/treasurer of the Indiana Beef Evaluation Program and director of the IBEP Bull Test Station. He earned his Purdue bachelor's degree in 1967.

* Don D. Jones of West Lafayette. Jones is a professor and Purdue Extension agricultural engineer, serving on the faculty since 1976. He was recently appointed assistant Extension program leader for agriculture and natural resources. With work in the area of agricultural structures and environmental systems, Jones has made a great impact on the discipline of waste management, both as it relates to livestock production and to home sewage disposal. He is recognized for developing computer-based learning tools and decision support systems for rural waste management and water resources protection. He received a doctoral degree from Purdue in 1976.

* W. Dean Jones of Crown Point. Jones retired in 2003 after serving Purdue Extension for 30 years as a county and area educator, including 20 years as Extension director in Lake County. He also served as coordinator of the Lake County Community Development Committee and as a board member and president of the Lake County Park Board. He also was a board member for Leadership Northwest Indiana, and he has served as a member and president of the Lake County Plan Commission and as president of the Lake County Library Foundation. He earned his Purdue bachelor's degree in 1961.

* Marshall A. Martin of West Lafayette. Martin is associate director of Agricultural Research Programs and professor of agricultural economics at Purdue. He joined the Purdue faculty in 1976 and is recognized in the areas of agricultural policy and the economic assessment of agricultural biotechnology and integrated pest management. Martin is the executive secretary of the Indiana Farm Policy Study Group and secretary of the Indiana Pork Board, and he served on the USDA Ag Biotechnology Advisory Board. He earned his Purdue master's degree in 1972 and doctorate in 1976.

* David L. Miers of Greensburg. Miers is a sixth-generation farmer, operating a farm that has been in his family for 173 years. Miers is an innovator in agricultural production and was an early adopter of global positioning system technology, grid soil sampling, and variable rate lime and fertilizer application. Miers' primary crop is seed corn for Pioneer Hi-Bred International. He is consistently among top seed corn producers and has worked with the company to experiment with different planting patterns to maximize yields. Miers served as Gov. Evan Bayh's first deputy commissioner of agriculture and was the chairman of the Indiana State Fair Commission. He earned his Purdue bachelor's degree in 1970.

* Alan L. Sutton of West Lafayette. Sutton is professor of animal sciences at Purdue, where he has served on the faculty since 1971. He is a national pioneer and leader in the field of nutrient management. His research has focused on determining management practices to utilize animal manures as a resource and to minimize the threat of pollution from animal manures. Recent research has focused on diet manipulation to reduce nutrient outputs and to reduce odor emissions from manure. Sutton helped establish the National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management.

Writer: Tom Campbell, (765) 494-8084, tsc@purdue.edu

Source: Donya Lester, (765) 494-8593

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page

Note to Journalists: For photos of the certificate recipients, contact Tom Campbell at (765) 494-8084, tsc@purdue.edu

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