West Lafayette, IN
Joined December 2012
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There's far more to grass than meets the eye 🌱
Meet Jada Powlen, Purdue's lead research scholar in turfgrass ecology and management. Her work helps reduce fertilizer, pesticide and water use while keeping landscapes healthy and resilient.
ag.purdue.edu/news/departmen…
@PurdueHortLA
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
#PurdueAg is celebrating 100 years of Willis Blatchley’s “Bugs of Indiana” Collection, housed within @PurdueInsects!🪲
In 1935, naturalist, teacher and Indiana State Geologist Willis Blatchley donated his extensive insect collection to @LifeAtPurdue. Today, these historic specimens preserve a valuable record of Indiana’s biodiversity.
Here’s to continuing Blatchley’s legacy of scientific discovery and inspiring the next generation of researchers! 🔬
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
A new study led by @PurdueBioChem and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute researchers found a surprising link to HIV.
The team found that CD46, a protein exploited by several pathogens, plays a key role in how human CD4 T cells survive, respond to infection and regulate viral gene activity.
Read more about the findings, published in @SciImmunology: ag.purdue.edu/news/2026/10/s…
ALT A gloved hand prepping cells in a lab setting.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
Congratulations to the 2025 SPRING Portal project team from @LifeAtPurdue's AgBridge Workforce Development Program on receiving the @ASABEorg Educational Aids Blue Ribbon Award! 🏆
This award recognizes excellence in informational materials that advance the understanding of agricultural and biological engineering beyond traditional classroom settings. The SPRING Portal project exemplifies this initiative, building a website that brings SPRING tools and sensors directly to users.
Learn more about AgBridge: ag.purdue.edu/news/2025/10/a…
ALT Member from the 2025 SPRING Portal team photographing SPRING tools in a field.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
On Friday, the @LifeAtPurdue Board of Trustees named @PurdueFoodSci's Ozan Ciftci as the William R. Scholle Endowed Chair in Food Processing. 🎉
Ciftci joined #PurdueAg this fall as a professor in food science and serves as director and principal investigator of the @NSF Global Center for Food Innovation and Diversification to Advance the Bioeconomy (FoodID).
With the William R. Scholle Endowed Chair in Food Processing, Ciftci will continue to advance excellence and leadership in food processing through impactful scholarship, innovation and industry engagement at Purdue.
purdue.edu/newsroom/2026/Q4/…
ALT Ozan Ciftci in the food science building on Purdue's West Lafayette campus, standing with his hands in his pockets.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
This #NationalFarmersDay, we’re celebrating the farmers and agricultural workers who sustain our food systems, along with #PurdueAg students, researchers and partners advancing agriculture through hands-on learning, research at ACRE and community initiatives like the @PurdueSFarm. 🍅🥬
Thank you all for helping agriculture grow! 🌱
ALT Three female students harvesting peppers in a greenhouse.
ALT Female student harvesting a green leafy crop in a greenhouse.
ALT Combine in a soybean field in ACRE.
ALT John Deere combine in a soybean field in ACRE.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
What happens when a landscape architect starts thinking like a farmer?
For PhD candidate Mingyu Zhao, it means exploring how wetlands, conservation policy intersects with agriculture, while keeping farmers' perspectives at the center of the conversation.
Beginning his professional journey in Singapore and now studying ecology science and engineering and @PurdueHortLA, Mingyu’s interdisciplinary journey gives him a broad perspective and a deeper understanding of what it means to walk in farmers' shoes.
Read the graduate spotlight: ag.purdue.edu/news/departmen…
ALT Headshot of Mingyu Zhao with his arms crossed leaning in front of a wooden door.
"At Purdue, they have an interdisciplinary mindset and encourage collaboration."
Graduate researcher Mingyu Zhao is exploring how wetland conservation programs can help build more resilient agricultural landscapes across the Midwest.
ag.purdue.edu/news/departmen…
@PurdueAg
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
At 15, Phillip Nelson was named Indiana State Fair Tomato King after exhibiting 24 perfect tomatoes. Decades later, his work helped develop technology that allows tomato paste and orange juice to be safely stored and shipped worldwide — earning him the @WorldFoodPrize.
As founding head of @PurdueFoodSci, Nelson brought that same entrepreneurial spirit to building industry partnerships and preparing students for successful careers.
Today, Purdue Food Science continues his legacy of innovation and collaboration, ranking No. 6 in the nation by @USNewsand_World.
ag.purdue.edu/news/2026/10/n…
ALT Phil Nelson posed in front of a ton of tomatoes in a production facility.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
For 75 years, @LifeAtPurdue and @ufvbr have built a partnership through agricultural education and research.
Its impact can be seen in #PurdueANSC, connecting our faculty and other researchers with UFV.
ag.purdue.edu/news/2026/09/p…
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
AI is helping @LifeAtPurdue researchers track ticks and tackle disease.
By combining robotics, AI and entomology, researchers are developing new ways to monitor tick populations and explore potential tools for disease control. 🤖🐕
#PurdueOneHealth | #PurdueAg | @PurdueInsects
Read more: ag.purdue.edu/news/2025/10/t…
ALT Cate Hill wearing a lab coat and safety goggles in the lab with text that reads, "Purdue One Health; Using AI to monitor, control and prevent the spread of diseases."
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
Congratulations to @LifeAtPurdue researchers, including @PurdueABE and @PurdueME professor Andrea Vacca, on receiving patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for their innovative intellectual property! 👏
@PurdueInnovates
Purdue's tradition of giant leaps continues with 11 new patents issued in September to researchers in @PurdueEngineers, @TechPurdue, @PurdueAg and @purduepharmacy. purdue.university/4d3ULuG
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
Our @PurdueABE department is now ranked No. 2 among undergraduate programs in the U.S., according to @usnews! 🎉
#PurdueAg is proud to celebrate @LifeAtPurdue ABE’s continued impact through research, outreach, teaching and innovation.
purdue.edu/newsroom/2026/Q3/…
ALT Student working in a lab with text that reads "#2 Undergraduate Program in the U.S.; Agricultural & Biological Engineering."
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
Indiana farmland values remain relatively steady in 2026, though regional trends vary across the state’s regions and quality grads, with some areas experiencing increases while others declined.
@PurdueAgEcon's latest Purdue Farmland Values and Cash Rent Survey looks at current farmland values and what’s ahead for Indiana agriculture.
Learn more about the survey from experts including @ToddKuethe, the Schrader Endowed Chair in Farmland Economics: ag.purdue.edu/news/2026/09/i…
ALT Tractor in a field.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
When severe weather strikes, reliable information matters. 🌪️🌧️
After the Aug. 11–12 tornadoes and floods impacted 54 of Indiana’s counties, @PurdueExtension educators quickly responded with guidance on food and generator safety, boil-water advisories, scams, SNAP benefits and more.
Read how @PurdueHHS Extension is strengthening disaster resources for Hoosiers: purdue.edu/hhs/news/2026/09/…
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
Researchers from @LifeAtPurdue are advancing molecular diagnostics with three new instruments designed to improve testing accuracy, accessibility and affordability.
The ThermiQuant™ instruments — created by @PurdueABE's @vermalab — are designed for a different setting and scale of use, with samples maintained at a constant temperature.
This technology has the capability to support applications in human and animal health, as well as food safety and environmental monitoring, in all settings.
Read more from #PurdueAg: ag.purdue.edu/news/2026/09/n…
ALT Researchers looking at the ThermiQuantTM VitroMini instrument, developed in the Verma Lab at Purdue.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
From aspiring veterinarian to agricultural economist, Xiurui 'Iris' Cui’s journey to @LifeAtPurdue has been a one-of-a-kind experience. 🐄📊
Now, as a postdoc, she’s helping @PurdueAgEcon and @PurdueAgBiz shape the future of agribusiness through research on talent and workforce challenges.
Learn more about her journey to #PurdueAg: ag.purdue.edu/news/departmen…
ALT Headshot of Xiurui Cui in a white blazer top, standing with her arms crossed.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
Should consumers trust AI to make food safety decisions? 🤖
@PurdueFoodSci's @YaohuaF has some concerns as it’s often hard for consumers to identify when AI chatbots generate misinformation or incomplete answers.
Coinciding with the @FDA's #NationalFoodSafetyEducationMonth, the @FengsLab1 has identified five steps to help consumers evaluate AI-generated food safety advice.
Read these tips: ag.purdue.edu/news/2026/09/p…
ALT Headshot of Betty Feng wearing a blazer and standing with her arms crossed in front of greenery.
Purdue Ag Research & Grad Education retweeted
.@PurdueAg professor Steve Hallett's new book, "Ancient Wisdoms for Modern Crises: Learning From Laozi's 'Daodejing'," draws on ancient Eastern philosophy to address today's environmental and social challenges. purdue.university/46pxmQv
A chance encounter with an equine economist set Xiurui "Iris" Cui on a new path. Today, the Purdue postdoctoral scholar studies talent management and workforce challenges in agribusiness.
Read her story: ag.purdue.edu/news/departmen…
@PurdueAg @PurdueAgEcon #PostdoctoralResearch
