Keeping Track
February 2010
Calendar of Events:
February 8 |
Last day to cancel a course without a grade, for course additions, change of level or change of pass/no-pass option |
Going Green Tip: Replace traditional shower-heads with high-efficiency, 2.5 gallon a minute models. BECAUSE: Your shower will consume 30 percent fewer gallons of water every time you wash.
February trivia: In 1908, airplane advertising, via a banner towed behind the plane, was used for the first time, to promote a Broadway play.
Congratulations and Names in the News:
Dr. Nicole Olynk joins Agricultural Economics Faculty: Nicole Olynk’s research and extension activities are focused primarily on farm business management and production economics. Much of Nicole’s work focuses on assisting with and providing support for agricultural producer decision making. She has a strong interest in applied research which incorporates both the economic outcomes of an on-farm decision and the intricacies of the biological processes underlying the production system employed.
Wallace Tyner has been appointed as a member of a National Academy of Science study committee on Economic and Environmental Impacts of Increasing Biofuels Production. The study will include an economic analysis of increased biofuel production to identify current and projected impacts of biofuels on supply and demand for key commodities affected by the biofuels market.
Thought You Would Like to Know:
Undergraduate News:
The department has four undergraduates participating in a semester abroad during Spring 2010. Two of these students received $500 scholarships from the department – David Borthwick, Noblesville, IN - Spain, and Carissa McCay, Tippecanoe, IN - Australia.
Four undergraduates in the department received a $4000 Jim Hicks and Company Scholarship to help cover tuition and living costs during Spring 2010. The four undergraduates were Kyle Maple, Kokomo, IN; Jamie Steiner, Berne, IN; Brittania Cassiday, Anderson, IN; and Leslie Byers, Brookston, IN.
Thirty-seven undergraduates completed degrees from the Department of Agricultural Economics in December 2009.
The Agricultural Economics Envoys hosted a Faculty/Undergraduate Student Chili Dinner on Wednesday, January 27th in the Krannert Drawing Room with sponsorship from Hormel Foods and Ag Alumni Association.
Graduate Student News:
News from Center for Food and Agricultural Business:
ALPs Participants Travel to Brazil
The fifth class of Agribusiness Leadership Plus at Purdue (ALPs), comprised of 33 Syngenta employees, will travel to Brazil for their last session, which takes place January 30-February 5. Their trip starts in São Paulo where they will meet with Syngenta’s Latin American executives, including the head of crop protection, to discuss the company’s presence in that area of the world. The group then travels to Ribeirão Preto where they will spend five days immersed in the challenges and successes of the emerging agricultural marketplace. The class will tour a sugar cane farm, an ethanol plant, a coffee farm, and a citrus operation. In the classroom, the participants will have an opportunity to dialogue with speakers from organizations such as EMBRAPA and Bunge and will spend one afternoon is discussion with key Syngenta customers. The Center for Food and Agricultural Business is collaborating with the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto to deliver this session.
IPSA Sessions feature Purdue University
The Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) held its 21st Annual Conference and Trade Show, January 19-21 in Indianapolis. Attendance and registrations approached 300 for a unique program offering by Purdue University’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business. Allan Gray, Mike Boehlje, Corinne Alexander, and Scott Downey from the Department of Agricultural Economics, along with Rodney Vandeveer, a professor in organizational leadership and supervision at Purdue, led the conference sessions on January 20.
“This partnership delivered great content to our members at a level they can benefit from directly and immediately,” said IPSA President David Hingst with Hoegemeyer Hybrids in Hooper, Nebraska.
Center Research Associate Focuses on Sustainability
Amber Rankin, center research associate and master's student in the Department of Agricultural Economics, is studying the sustainability practices of agribusiness firms. Rankin's research is unique in that previous sustainability studies have not focused specifically on agribusiness. Read more.
Third Class of National Oilwell Varco-Purdue Sales Management Program Begins
During the first week of January 2010, 41 hand-selected managers from National Oilwell Varco (NOV) attended the first session of the NOV-Purdue Sales Management program in Houston, Texas. The program is designed to transform NOV employees by sharpening their sales management and leadership skills and capabilities. Throughout the nine-month program, instructors will help participants prepare for the future by challenging and motivating them to reach sales goals that stretch their current level of performance. Read more.
Center Delivers Financial Decision-Making Program for John Deere
The center hosted John Deere field managers at the Burton Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, January 11-12, for a session on financial decision making. Professor Mike Gunderson from the University of Florida taught participants how to translate the quantitative aspects of financial analysis into a story that becomes a useful planning tool and helps them deepen their relationships with their dealers in a cooperative manner. Gunderson is a previous graduate student from the Department of Agricultural Economics.
New class coming together for MS-MBA
Applications are now being accepted for the MS-MBA in Food and Agribusiness Management. If you know of anyone who may be interested in this dual-degree, distance-delivered program, contact Luanna DeMay, program manager, at luanna@purdue.edu or 494-4270. To learn more about the program, visit www.agecon.purdue.edu/agribusiness.
Upcoming Programs
February 2-4, 2010 ARA Management Academy
March 2-5, 2010 ASTA Management Academy
To learn more or refer a colleague to one of our seminars, visit www.agecon.purdue.edu/cab.
News from Indiana Council for Economic Education (ICEE):
ICEE recently received an extension grant from JP Morgan Chase (through ICEE’s national office, the Council for Economic Education) to continue a Financial Literacy Outreach in four Indianapolis school corporations. ICEE will help these schools infuse personal financial responsibility into their curriculum in grades 6-12. A major part of the project will also involve the development of on-line training modules to help teachers understand the basics of personal finance and introduce them to effective curriculum materials and activities to use in their classrooms.
Travel, Speeches, Presented Papers:
John Connor will present “Determinants of EC Antitrust Fines for Members of Global Cartels”, at the Institute of Law and Economics, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, February 19, 2010. He will present “Determinants of EC Antitrust Fines for Members of Global Cartels”, paper presented at the Institute of Industrial Economics, Copenhagen Business School, February 22, 2010.
In January, Otto Doering led a session on characteristics of effective research center leadership at the national Science Foundation’s annual meeting of its Industry/University Research Centers.
Publications:
Benoit Delbecq, Gustav Helmers and David Ubilava will attend the SAEA Annual meetings on February 6-9, 2010, and present at the Organized Symposium: “Open Source for Academics: An Introduction to LaTeX and R”
Internship Opportunities:
http://www.federalreserve.gov/careers/intern_research.htm
http://www.fsdinternational.org/intlopps/programs/internships1
http://www.fcnl.org/young/intern.htm
http://www.uschamber.com/careers/internships/default
http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=317257
Job Announcements:
Michigan State University: Assist/Assoc Professor in international economic development
University of Florida: Environmental economist – https://jobs.ufl.edu
University of Vermont: Marketing Communication for Community Entrepreneurship
University of Minnesota: Agribusiness Management
ERS: http://www.ers.usda.gov/AboutERS/Employment/OpportunitiesPage.htm
Career and Job Sites on the Internet:
| Purdue | http://www.purdue.edu/jobs |
| AAEA Job Posting | http://www.aaea.org/classifieds/ |
| Academic Employment Network | http://www.academploy.com/ |
| Academic Position Network | http://www.apnjobs.com/ |
| Agriculture Career Connection | http://www.ag-biz.com/ |
| Community Colleges, misc | http//www.aacc.nche.edu/ |
| Chronicle of Higher Education | http://chronicle.com/jobs/ |
| Congressional Budget Office | http://www.cbo.gov |
| Education Jobs Page | http://www.nationjob.com/education |
| Employment/Resume Posting | http://galaxy.einet.net/GJ/employment.html |
| EPA | http://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/epa.exe |
| Foreign Ag Service | http://www.fao.org/VA/vac_en.htm |
| Government Career | http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ |
| National Job Bank | http://www.jobs.joe.org |
| USDA, Ag Research Service | http://www.ars.usda.gov/careers/docs.htm?docid=11797 |
For further information, see the Job Posting File in Room 651
Contact Lou Ann Baugh concerning information to be included in future issues of KT
Keeping Track Monthly Newsletter Archive