Purdue Extension will have new leadership at the beginning of March. Angela Abbott, the assistant dean for outreach and engagement for the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) and associate director for Purdue Extension, has been named interim associate dean and Purdue Extension director.
This after Dr. Jason Henderson announced earlier this year that he will be moving on.
“I have accepted a position as the vice president of Extension and Outreach at Iowa State University. I begin there April 3,” Henderson told Hoosier Ag Today. “It’s an opportunity for me to be closer to family, but there’s also a lot of opportunities out there from a professional standpoint in that university.”
Henderson continued, saying, “I’m a Purdue alum. I’ve been here 10 years. It’s been a great ride and a great time. But it was just one of those opportunities that came along for me to be closer to family and to see some different opportunities. So, I’m looking forward to that.”
Henderson was raised on a dairy farm in Northeast Iowa. He also has twin daughters that play college softball at Iowa.
After getting his bachelor’s degree from Central College in Iowa, Henderson came to West Lafayette to pursue his masters and doctorate degrees in ag economics. When asked what his time at Purdue has meant to him, Henderson got emotional, saying he was just giving back to a university that gave a lot to him.
“I’m a Boilermaker. We build it one brick higher, and I’m very proud of that.”
Henderson says he won’t be a stranger to the Hoosier state.
“My son is going to be here going to college, and so there’ll be opportunities for me to come here. I’ve spent a lot of time at the State Fair. I told them, ‘now I get to go back to the State Fair, but instead of working I get to enjoy it like everybody else does.’ This place has given me a lot and just glad I could help have a small impact on the state.”
Henderson is a nationally recognized expert in agricultural and rural issues. Prior to coming to Purdue, he served as Vice President and Omaha Branch Executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
