January 22, 20089

Purdue Ag Alumni to award 10 Certificates of Distinction

"The Certificate of Distinction is the highest honor that the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association gives to recognize individuals in the agriculture industry," said Donya Lester, executive secretary for the association.

Award recipients have made a significant impact on agriculture through professional achievements, activity in agriculture related organizations, community service, or other beneficial agriculture efforts, Lester said.

A committee chosen by the president of the ag alumni association selects winners of the Certificate of Distinction.

This year's honorees are:

• Robert L. Brinson from Michigantown was a vocational agriculture teacher, assistant principal, and principal for the Clinton Central School Corp., beginning in 1961. He retired in 1998 after serving as the superintendent for 12 years.

• Thomas B. Daugherty of Amboy has been an agricultural science and business teacher in the Maconaquah School Corp. since 1972. Daugherty was Indiana's recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship in 1999.

• Bill E. Field of West Lafayette has been a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue since 1977. In 1979 Field founded the Breaking New Ground Resource Center at Purdue to serve the needs of farmers and ranchers with disabilities.

• Ralph R. Heine of Tampa, Fla., operated Gobblers Retreat, a turkey farm that processed 10,000 turkeys a day until he retired in 1993. From 1967-75 he served as a state representative in the Indiana General Assembly from Whitley County

• Ned E. Kalb of Indianapolis retired in 1997 from Purdue Extension and began a second career as an international consultant in Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Poland.

• Bob C. Lyons of Portland recently wrapped up a teaching career of 46 years, teaching biology and agriculture to more than 5,000 high school students throughout Jay County. Lyons now farms 1,400 acres.

• Max G. Miller of Terre Haute retired in 1996 following a 36-year career in Purdue Extension. Miller served as an Extension educator in Huntington, LaPorte, and Hamilton counties and retired at the Vigo County Extension director.

• James A. Smoker of Wanatah was honored as the Indiana Beef Cattle Association's Outstanding Cattleman in 1989 and earned their lifetime achievement award in 2000. Smoker is also a semi-retired cattle producer and co-owner of Mitchell and Schoppel, the International Harvester dealership located in LaCrosse.

• Terry D. Strueh of West Lafayette was a delegate at the second World Food Conference of the United Nations in 1972. He recently retired following a 39-year career at Purdue, where he served as vice president of governmental relations from 1999 to 2008.

• Robert L. Thompson of Champaign, Ill. currently holds the Gardner Endowed Chair in Agriculture Policy at the University of Illinois. Thompson, the USDA’s assistant secretary for economics, was also dean of Purdue agriculture from 1987 to 1993.

Writer: Ashley Bechman, (765) 494-8402, aabechma@purdue.edu   

Source: Donya Lester (765) 494-8593, lesterd@purdue.edu

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