Purdue professor Gray named 2016 IFAMA fellow

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Allan Gray, Purdue University's Land O'Lakes Chair for Food and Agribusiness, was named a fellow of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association Wednesday (June 22) at the organization's World Conference in Aarhus, Denmark.

IFAMA fellow nominees must be active supporters of the association who have made outstanding contributions to food and agribusiness management in at least two of four areas: practice of management in food or agribusiness, research and scholarship, teaching or academic administration and service to IFAMA.

With Gray's induction, Purdue becomes the only university to have two professionally active fellows. Michael Boehlje, distinguished professor of agricultural economics, was inducted in 2004.

"Dr. Gray is a highly influential leader in the agribusiness community locally, nationally and internationally," said Jay Akridge, Purdue's Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. "The needs of stakeholders drive his research program, and he is an extraordinary educator at every level - undergraduate, graduate and executive education. This international recognition is most deserved."

Gray, who also is the director of Purdue's Center for Food and Agricultural Business and the MS-MBA in Food and Agribusiness Management program, serves on the IFAMA board of directors where he has worked with committees to develop academic symposium sessions, coordinate symposium paper reviews, develop sessions for the World Congress and help strengthen the association's scholarly journal, International Food and Agribusiness Management Review.

Since becoming director of the Center for Food and Agricultural Business in 2008, Gray has provided strategic leadership for full-time professional staff and affiliated faculty. He oversees the development and execution of 10 open-enrollment course offerings each year and a number of company-specific custom programs, which reach about 1,000 participants annually.

Gray's research interests include agribusiness management, strategic planning, making decisions in uncertain environments and business simulation. He also works on the center's Large Commercial Producer Survey. The survey, now conducted every four years, explores the attitudes and buying behaviors of large commercial producers.

Gray has won many awards during his tenure, including the American Agricultural Economics Association's Distinguished Extension/Outreach Program Award, the Purdue University Dean's Team Award and the United States Distance Learning Association's Excellence in Distance Teaching Award. 

Writer: Jennifer Stewart-Burton, 765-496-6032, jsstewar@purdue.edu 

Sources: Jay Akridge, 765-494-8391, akridge@purdue.edu

Allan Gray, 765-494-4323, gray@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu
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