With Angie Abbott stepping into her role as Associate Dean and Director of Purdue Extension, what exciting opportunities and new directions lie ahead for the organization?
“Certainly, we’ve been doing this work for over 100 years, and I have no doubt we’ll be doing it for the next hundred years,” said Abbott, who had served as interim associate dean and director before officially taking over the role last month.
She shared some of the “big picture” plans for the future of Purdue Extension on the latest episode of the “Your Farm” Podcast, as Hoosier Ag Today Presents “YOUR Purdue Extension—A Podcast Network”.
“We have to think about how, as our neighborhoods change and how the state of Indiana’s needs change, we have to change and adapt with those needs as well,” said Abbott. “So, we have, for years, been working on a county-based model and we’re going to continue to deliver services to everyone in the state, but we’re looking to move towards a more regional type of model.”
She says the plans for a regional model will strengthen the programs and services provided throughout all of Indiana’s 92 counties.
“We want to make sure that we use our human capital the best way. We make sure that we have the experts—that is, the expert in entomology, in heart health—or, whomever the experts are, that we have them and they’re the ones that are delivering the expertise and the education to the clients who need that type of information.”
Abbott adds that the overall goal of these plans are to sustain Purdue Extension for many years to come.
“4-H is something that’s delivered locally, and we’re going to continue do that, but we’re looking at how we look at our Health and Human Sciences, our Ag and Natural Resources, and our Community Development efforts and how we can move those more regionally. It’s about sustainability, and how we sustain our organization for the next 100 years,” said Abbott.
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