More Opportunities Every Day!

Hello Boiler Fans!

These past couple of weeks have bee getting into the crazy fall time. There is lots to do including conferences, contests, exams, jobs, football games, and many other activities to keep you busy! The biggest thing though as I am going through my senior year is I have noticed that you never really get into a pattern with extracurricular activities, because there is always more opportunities around the corner.

Even if I did settle to stay in the same organizations every year, there is so many new things to try. In agronomy club we get to travel to a different state every semester to learn more about agronomy and share our knowledge we have about the industry and our own club! Each semester is different and you can compete in different contests each year which gives you more experience to share with future employers and even agronomy club members. We also try to semester a little different in agronomy club with various speakers, panels, and tours that members can attend to learn not only about agronomy but about the world around them outside of agriculture.

Outside of travelling around the U.S. for organizations you would not believe the opportunities classes actually bring to you. If you take classes outside of agronomy you may have the chance to get involved with business clubs, innovation competition for grant money, various scholarships, or field trips that lead to future employment. Taking classes outside of your major I believe is an enlightening experience to just learn more about what is going on around campus, and learn more about the subjects you may encounter outside of your line of work.

If you have a desire to learn about more than just outside your major and want to learn about the world and world travel there are almost limitless study abroad choices. One can go over Christmas break, spring breaks, for 6 or 8 weeks in the summer, for a full semester, and the list goes on. Then there are the choices of where you want to go, and that's the hard part! You can go to developing countries for service learning projects, to developed countries to learn the differences in agriculture, or maybe even somewhere in between. Sky is the limit at Purdue if you just look hard enough for what you are wanting.

Essentially change is going to happen and not everyone likes change, but it always brings more opportunities with it. Opportunities to grow, to learn, to travel, and to make contacts with people from around the globe. When at Purdue, even in your senior year, don't settle and go ahead and take advantages of opportunities thrown your way because you never know that could lead to your first career opportunity.

Boiler Up!

Dakota Westphal

dwestpha@purdue.edu

Another Semester Well Under Way

            My third semester here at Purdue continues to be going well. With the first four weeks finished and the fifth week starting, the first wave of exams are finished. In addition to school, things at work and activities with clubs continue to supply learning opportunities and experiences. At work, we are transitioning from projects in the field as the season ends to more projects in the lab and greenhouses. This past weekend at work, I collected soil and seed samples from a third potential waterhemp sight for Purdue to have test plots on next year. We also finished up our last field trial this past weekend. I enjoy working alongside grad students in weed science as I learn from the projects I help them with as well as the projects that Purdue Weed Science conducts as well. I look forward to working in the greenhouses again this semester since it provides a good break from school and allows me to earn a little bit of income in my free time as well.

            Agronomy Club is well on its way. We have just finished our third meeting this past week where we indulged on dinner and enjoyed fellowship as we listened to a couple members give speeches on a couple of agronomy related topics and experiences. We also had a work session a couple weeks ago where we put together different materials such as Munsell color charts or plant mounts and seeds that high schools purchase to help them prepare for different competitions. Not to mention that dinner was fried chicken!!! There was also an exceptional meeting for the Soil and Water Conservation Club this past month where we enjoyed dinner and listened to a former Purdue graduate talk about their career experiences since graduating Purdue. Purdue continues to be a great experience this semester, and I look forward to the weeks to come.

Agronomy Club

Good morning everyone!


I am Deatra Gremaux, a current senior majoring in Agronomic Business and Marketing, with minors in Food and Agribusiness Management and Weed Science at Purdue University. I am scheduled to graduate this spring semester in May of 2018. During my time at Purdue, I have been involved with Agronomy Club, and I serve as the social media director for it. Our club's Facebook and Instagram page has been a lot more active online, with posts about upcoming events, member participation, and general Purdue College of Agriculture events, like the annual College of Ag Ice Cream Social and fall Hog Roast. Current members and past Agronomy Club alumni, alike, are active on the pages, with liking and sharing our posts! Being in charge of the social media pages has allowed for me and other members to connect with previous members from other generations, which has been a great learning experience for all of us.

Agronomy Club meetings are weekly at 5:45 P.M., usually in Lily 2-245, unless we are taking a tour somewhere. During the meetings, we have work sessions, plan events we are participating on campus, work on SASES presentations, and have fun! Work sessions entail of making Munsell color charts and plant mounts, as well as seed identification packets for 4-H and FFA soil and crops judging teams.You don't have to be an agronomy major, or have an agronomy minor to join Agronomy Club! If interested in following us on social media, please like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram! We would love to stay connected with you!

Facebook: @PurdueAgronomyClub (Purdue University Agronomy Club)
Instagram: @purdueagronomyclub (Purdue Univ. Agronomy Club)


Being a part of Agronomy Club also allows for amazing networking opportunities! Recently, we attended a Syngenta leadership event on campus with other Purdue College of Agriculture clubs and organizations. Pictured below I am sitting (on the far right corner in the front) with some other Agronomy Club members and Agronomy Ambassadors, as well as a few Agricultural Systems Management club members.





-Boiler Up and happy Monday!
Deatra Gremaux

MACA Conference 2017

Hello everyone,

Last week, I had the opportunity to represent Purdue at the annual Mid America CropLife (MACA) conference in Kansas City, MO. I applied for the young leader scholarship last semester and was chosen in the spring to be apart of the program. The program provides an opportunity to have an all expenses paid trip to the annual conference along with a scholarship to assist with college expenses.

Young Leader Scholarship Recipients

I arrived in Kansas City and took part in a professional development session with industry hosts. We learned how to present ourselves in an interview and how important it is to share our story. During the remainder of the conference, I had the opportunity to do a lot of networking with representatives from all of the major crop protection companies, such as Monsanto, Dow Dupont, Syngenta, and many more. It was refreshing to see companies that compete with each other come together in collaboration on developing new safety standards, advocation, and industry updates. The abundance of kindness from everyone made me appreciate MACA and what they do for the industry at a new level.

My Industry hosts and I

As I return to Purdue, I am thankful for all the opportunities that the college of agriculture has to offer its students. In the Agronomy department, we are blessed with great faculty and staff that invest in us and help us accomplish our dreams through the many opportunities that Purdue offers.

Boiler Up!

Andrew Chupp

If you have questions feel free to contact me

Email: chupp1@purdue.edu

Teaching Biochemistry 309

Hello All!



As the semester has begun to settle in, I'm really excited to share my experiences so far working as a Teaching Assistant for the Biochemistry 309 course here at Purdue!  I took the course last year, and while it was quite challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about biomolecules, how to perform Bradford and enzyme activity assays, and how to construct my own protocol to purify an enzyme I had no previous experience with!  The course really helped me gain proficiency in using lab equipment and working with spectrophotometers, and I know the skills I gained will help in any future lab setting I am in.  I also really enjoyed the lab coordinator, Dr. Hart, as she is so committed to student learning.  She's very detail-oriented, and I truly look up to her as a role model in the science world.


For all these reasons, I was super thrilled when I applied and was accepted to be one of her TA's for this semester!  This is my first time working as a TA, and I must say, I've learned so much from the experience already.  One of the key lessons I've learned so far is how to be patient and to be more aware of the differences in learning habits students have.  While a calculation may seem intuitive to me, it may be a little challenging for someone else to grasp, so I've learned how to break down information in a way that helps students understand concepts better.  I've also enjoyed working one-on-one with students during my office hours, and I appreciate it when they want to improve on their skills and better understand the class material.  I know my experiences now will really help when it comes to being a TA in grad school.  I can't wait to continue to help students learn as the semester continues, especially when they start purifying LDH!



Best of luck with this semester!

-Hallie

Study Abroad at Purdue

I was lucky enough to spend a semester at Wageningen University in Wageningen, the Netherlands during the spring semester of my sophomore year.  While I was there, I took courses that contributed to my degree plan, so going away did not delay my graduation. I also took a few classes that allowed me to lighten up some of my last semesters. The education system is different in the Netherlands; I was in class from 8:30 to 5:30 everyday, but there was no homework! They also operate on a period system, which meant that I one class for about a month then another one would start.  In addition to an invaluable academic experience, it was possibly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to live in another country and become immersed in the culture. I took Dutch classes and traveled around most of the country. I also was able to travel around the rest of Europe during breaks. Because Wageningen is such an international school, I enjoyed meeting people from all over the world. I had a really fun and enriching semester at Wageningen University!

One of the most exciting things about the College of Agriculture is that they have their own study abroad office. This is a huge advantage because it helps the students ensure that studying abroad can fit in their plan of study or is applicable to their field. Study abroad programs differ by length: there are trips over Winter and Spring Breaks, short-term summer programs (2-4 weeks), long term summer (more than 4 weeks) and semester/year exchange. The shorter-term programs are typically lead by Purdue faculty. Currently, Purdue University is offering the Purdue Moves Scholarship to help offset the costs of a study abroad program.

I really encourage every new student to consider studying abroad during their time at Purdue. For more information about the Purdue Agriculture Study Abroad, please visit https://ag.purdue.edu/ipia/studyabroad/Pages/default.aspx.

Boiler up!

Mary Rose Mangan