Purdue Agriculture—leadership steeped in tradition
This issue on leadership honors the members of the Purdue Agriculture community who answer a call to action,
whether it’s on campus or in an agrarian village a continent away. The stories you’ll read provide just a
snapshot of the work that we do worldwide every single day.
Leadership is deep rooted in Purdue Agriculture. We see it in our students, who fill leadership roles across our
campus; in our researchers, who are thought leaders in their respective disciplines; in our teaching faculty, who
help our students learn to lead; in our Extension faculty and staff, who foster initiatives to better serve the
people of Indiana; and in our alumni, who move into leadership roles wherever their lives take them.
To a certain extent, leadership is an outcome of our land-grant mission. But at Purdue it’s even more than
this. Our history, back to agricultural pioneers such as William Carol Latta and Virginia Claypool Meredith, is
rich with people who stepped up to lead. Our focus on leadership today builds upon that deep tradition of
leaders who have gone before.
Jay Akridge
Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture
Purdue Agricultures
http://www.ag.purdue.edu/agricultures/
Story Link
http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agricultures/past/winter2011/column/ean’s.html