Former Agricultural Economics Faculty
Joseph N. Uhl (1939-)
Dr. Joe Uhl retired from the Department of Agricultural Economics in June 2004 after 38 years of service at Purdue University . Dr. Uhl was awarded a BS in Horticulture (1961) and a doctorate in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University (1969) prior to joining the Purdue Agricultural Economics faculty in 1966. While in the Department his major areas of teaching, research and extension included the economics of food consumption, strategic market analysis, and food marketing.
Professor Uhl taught the department's basic undergraduate marketing course, Marketing of Agricultural Products for 30 years. This course was taught using Marketing of Agricultural Products (with Richard. L. Kohls), 9th edition Prentice Hall (2002), which is probably the Nation's leading textbook on the topic. Upon retirement he and Kohls were preparing the 10 th edition of this book. Uhl also taught six other courses at Purdue: Macroeconomics, Advanced Marketing, Food Marketing, Agribusiness Marketing Strategy, Food Retailing, and the Senior Seminar.
Dr. Uhl carried his marketing mission outside the class room. He worked for many years with the student marketing team to compete in the National Agricultural Marketing Association's national marketing competition, and was awarded the outstanding NAMA chapter advisor in 1992. Prof. Uhl developed one of the first honors programs in the School of Agriculture and served as director of the departmental honors program for many years. He had an active program in food-marketing extension.
One of the best teachers in the Department, he was awarded the Outstanding Professor in the School of Agriculture in 1985-86, received the American Agricultural Economics Association Distinguished Teaching Award in 1989, and was selected as the Outstanding Counselor in the School of Agriculture in 1995. Prof. Uhl regularly advised 30-35 undergraduates each year, an activity honored by being recognized as the Outstanding Counselor in School of Agriculture in 1995.
Dr. Uhl served the Department in a number of capacities over the years, including Chair of the Graduate Committee, Chair of the Library Committee, and University Senator.
His professional activities included editor of The Journal of Consumer Affairs from 1973-77; staff economist at the National Commission of Food Marketing in 1966; and visiting professor at the University of Alabama, Wageningen University (The Netherlands), Gödöllö University (Hungary), the Agricultural University of Cracow (Poland), and the University of California at Davis. Besides his textbook, he published dozens of other publications in food marketing.
Prof. Uhl feels that his most cherished memories are from working with thousands of students at Purdue and also with the outstanding Purdue faculty. Upon retirement, Joe Uhl said: “I learned as much or more that I taught. And I learned that you get what you expect in life and in the classroom. High expectations for students and others produce high performance. Thanks to everyone who touched my life.”