Adjunct becomes department chair at Purdue U
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Adjunct faculty rarely make the crossover to department heads, but one in the College of Agriculture is poised to do just that.
Joseph Anderson, adjunct professor at Purdue and a lead scientist for the USDA, has been appointed to head the agronomy department in the College of Agriculture. Anderson has worked at Purdue since 1993 in a joint appointment as an Agriculture Research Service scientist through the USDA; as an adjunct professor, he has engaged in research collaborations and sponsored graduate students, as well as participated to a degree in committee work.
Anderson knows that his background in research, rather than instruction, could pose a challenge but is looking forward to making the transition to administration.
“The faculty identified six grand challenges (in a departmental review last year),” he said. “I’m interested in working with the faculty and deciding which of these grand challenges we would like to work toward, to focus on … Also, I’m very interested in learning more about the undergraduate and graduate education components, seeing if there’s a way to bring in dollars for scholarships and international education opportunities, primarily for undergraduates but for graduates as well. I think we have some opportunities in terms of the engagement or extension component of the department, to expand on the extension component; we have a really excellent extension faculty and staff in terms of regional excellence, and we could also bring that into an international arena.”
Anderson’s vision focuses largely on international agriculture, which he believes is necessary to succeed in improving the department.
“It’s already excellent,” Anderson said. “I guess what I want to go toward is excellence in global agriculture, so it encompasses all of the three major missions of the department, which are education, extension and discovery – and not only do this in terms of Indiana, but on a global scale, because our consumers and producers are thinking in terms of that scale already.”
To do this, Anderson will set aside his research as a lead scientist in the crop production and pest control research unit of the Agriculture Research Service – and his job at the USDA – and become a full, tenured professor at Purdue.
“The way it worked is the department head position is a job, and I applied for it,” Anderson said. “And so my adjunct status is really predicated on that … My paycheck is a federal government paycheck, but adjunct status allows me to have research collaborations and graduate students and participate to some extent in some committee work within the department and the college, in which my scientific expertise can be of help.
“It will be a wind-down pretty quickly because I want to focus my efforts on the administrative component of the job … ARS positions are excellent positions to be in.
“I was trying to move toward a leadership position, and it was just a great opportunity for me to do this, to move in to a leadership position as department head.”
Jay Akridge, named dean of the College of Agriculture, said in a press release, “I am very enthusiastic about the history of the agronomy department under Joe,” Akridge said. “His vision for the department, his perspective on departmental issues, the respect he has earned from his fellow scientists and his inclusive approach to decision making will serve the department and the College of Agriculture well.”
Anderson has worked at Purdue since 1993, primarily as a research molecular biologist.