Join Purdue University to discuss infrastructure and sustainability, specifically focused on agriculture and data centers.
Speakers:
Juan Sesmero
Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
This presentation will examine agrivoltaics, with a focus on viable system configurations, scalability, and the potential for large-scale adoption to compete with conventional agriculture raising renewed food-versus-fuel tradeoffs across markets.
It will also present projections of increasing energy demand and associated land-use pressures for energy generation, highlighting how these dynamics may intensify cross-market impacts and reshape the balance between energy production and agricultural use.
Andrew Liu
Associate Professor of Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University and Director of Purdue Grid of Tomorrow Consortium
This presentation will explore the evolving two-way relationship between artificial intelligence and the energy sector. It will examines how the rapid growth of AI and data centers is driving increased electricity demand, with implications for grid operations, energy costs, and ratepayers.
It will also highlight the role AI can play in strengthening the energy system, improving efficiency, optimizing grid performance, and enhancing overall reliability, positioning AI as both a challenge and a solution within the future energy landscape.
Corteva Inc. (CTVA) on Tuesday named the executive leadership team that will run its planned seed and genetics spin-off, currently referred to as “SpinCo,” ahead of a targeted separation in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Chief Executive Chuck Magro is set to lead the new publicly traded company as chief executive following the split.
The announcement outlines a senior team that includes David Johnson as chief financial officer, Judd O’Connor as chief commercial and operations officer, and Sam Eathington as chief technology officer, along with Audrey Grimm as chief people officer, Brian Lutz as chief digital and information officer and Jennifer Johnson as chief legal officer.
The spin-off is expected to focus on seed and crop genetics, including areas such as gene editing and molecular breeding, while maintaining Corteva’s (CTVA) existing germplasm base.
The company plans to expand commercialization and licensing efforts and explore applications beyond traditional row crops.
The leadership team will formally assume their roles upon completion of the separation, and executives are scheduled to host an investor day at the New York Stock Exchange on September 15, with additional details, including the new company’s name and branding, to be announced.
Luke Kissam, former Chairman, President and CEO of Albemarle, joins company on June 1
Corteva Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) announced today that its Board of Directors has named Luther (“Luke”) Kissam the chief executive officer of “New Corteva,” the future publicly-traded, differentiated crop protection company resulting from the current company’s planned separation in the fourth quarter of 2026.
New Corteva will be innovation-driven in both its product portfolio and its operating model, leveraging its technological leadership to deliver for farmers while also running an asset-light, efficient business. The company intends to make targeted investments to support growth and leverage its first-mover advantage in nature-inspired technologies to pursue opportunities promising attractive returns in markets that reward differentiation.
Luke will join Corteva on June 1 as CEO of its crop protection business, becoming CEO of the new, public company at separation, which is on track for the fourth quarter of 2026.
“Over the past several months, we have conducted a comprehensive search and assessment of many strong candidates, and we appointed Luke because it is clear that he is the right leader to continue to strengthen New Corteva’s position as a global market leader in the dynamic, competitive crop protection industry,” said Corteva Chair Greg Page. “Luke’s track record of propelling public companies towards sustained, innovation-led growth and integrated, market-focused solutions will serve farmers, customers and shareholders equally well.”
Luke brings to the role extensive experience in specialty chemicals as well as agriculture: he previously served as chairman, president and CEO of Albemarle Corporation, a global specialty chemicals leader, until his retirement from the company in June 2020. Luke joined Albemarle in 2003 as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary and served as senior vice president, manufacturing and law, and corporate secretary from 2008 until his promotion to president in 2010.
Prior to joining Albemarle, Luke served as vice president, general counsel and secretary of Merisant Company, having previously served as associate general counsel at Monsanto. His most recent role was senior advisor at Bernhard Capital Partners Management.
“New Corteva will have every ingredient it needs to continue its upward trajectory: a talented leadership team, knowledgeable, passionate employees and loyal customers who understand the difference innovation creates – on their fields and for their bottom line. I am excited to take the helm of a company poised for such transformational success,” said Kissam.
He continued, “I grew up in a farming community, and that’s where I feel most at home. I also value the critical role agriculture plays in our economy and our society. For all these reasons, it’s a pleasure to rejoin an industry delivering solutions to help farmers grow more food – and fuel – to power our growing world.”
Members of New Corteva executive leadership will be hosting an investor day on September 15 at the New York Stock Exchange; details on attendance and participation will be shared in the coming weeks.
Corteva Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) announced today the executive leadership team that will lead “New Corteva,” the publicly-traded, differentiated crop protection company resulting from the current company’s planned separation in the fourth quarter of 2026. This follows an earlier announcement naming Luke Kissam, former Albemarle Chairman, President and CEO, as the New Corteva CEO. Luke will join the current company on June 1.
New Corteva will be innovation-driven in both its product portfolio and its operating model, leveraging its technological leadership to deliver for farmers while also running an asset-light, efficient business. The company intends to make targeted investments to support growth and leverage its first-mover advantage in nature-inspired technologies to pursue opportunities promising attractive returns in markets that reward differentiation.
“The business that will become Corteva after separation, later this year, will lead a critical industry from a position of strength,” said Corteva Chair Greg Page, who will also chair New Corteva after separation. “I look forward to working with each of these leaders to drive the new, focused company to even greater heights.”
“New Corteva’s success will be anchored in innovation and sustainability, coupled with a laser focus on enterprise-wide operational excellence, and this team is the right team to help realize its bright future,” said Corteva CEO Chuck Magro. “It is an exciting time for the company, its leaders and their future teams.”
The New Corteva executive leadership team will also assume their roles at separation, which is on track for the fourth quarter of 2026. As follows:
Robert King, current executive vice president of the Corteva Crop Protection business unit, will, effective July 1, become a strategic advisor to the incoming New Corteva CEO, ensuring a smooth transition through separation for the entire leadership team. Robert will remain on the current Corteva ELT until separation, and after separation, serve on the New Corteva ELT until the end of 2026, after which time he has elected to leave the company to pursue other leadership opportunities.
“I want to thank Robert for his invaluable leadership over the past few years, during which time we solidified our global leadership position in Biologicals, launched more than a thousand products to help farmers protect their yields and delivered financial performance that consistently outperformed the industry,” said Magro. “We wish him the very best in his next chapter.”
Members of New Corteva executive leadership will be hosting an investor day on September 15 at the New York Stock Exchange; details on attendance and participation will be shared in the coming weeks.
Purdue University’s pursuit of research excellence at scale continues, with 12 academic programs in engineering, agriculture and health ranking in the top 10 overall in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 edition of Best Graduate Schools.
Purdue’s College of Engineering jumped to No. 4 overall among nearly 200 engineering schools ranked in the U.S., behind only MIT, Stanford and University of California, Berkeley, and No. 2 among the nation’s public institutions. Three engineering disciplines retained their standing in the top 5 nationally while eight programs were among the top 10 in the U.S., according to the report released Tuesday (April 7).
“Our efforts to strengthen Purdue’s research impact and scholarly excellence continue to bear fruit, thanks to the continued hard work and focus of our faculty, staff and researchers,” said Purdue Provost Patrick Wolfe. “Particularly in the core STEM strengths for which Purdue is so well known, we see consistent success in nurturing top-talent graduates and scholars across engineering, agriculture, health, computing and business. This in turn helps us to recruit even more top-flight faculty and graduate students across these broad areas of strength.”
Purdue’s agricultural and biological engineering graduate program, jointly led by the colleges of Agriculture and Engineering, remained No. 1 for a sixth consecutive year. The university’s speech, language and hearing sciences program in the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) remained among the nation’s best at No. 3 overall, and the audiology program in HHS was No. 6.
Purdue’s pharmacy program also remained in the top 10, tied at No. 8 overall and jumping one spot from its 2024 placing when that specialty program was last ranked.
Industrial engineering, meanwhile, was No. 4, and aeronautics and astronautics retained its No. 5 ranking. Purdue’s biomedical engineering program also remained at its decade-high No. 5 among institutions without a medical school or jointly administered BME program.
The highlights of Purdue’s graduate engineering programs and their rankings:
Purdue’s strategic initiatives once again made a particularly strong showing.
Driving the Purdue Computes strategic initiative, computer engineering was ranked among the nation’s top 10, and Purdue’s Department of Computer Science, shared jointly between the colleges of Science and Engineering, also stood out in specialty areas among more than 200 institutions:
The reimagined Mitch Daniels School of Business, which has seen strong enrollment demand for its undergraduate and online graduate programs, also continued its upward trajectory, with its specialty disciplines posting strong rankings in the survey of over 500 U.S. institutions with master’s level business programs. The highlights:
Aligned with Purdue’s comprehensive One Health initiative, two HHS programs continued their strong showings, remaining in the top 10 overall in the graduate rankings:
Construction is underway on the $160 million Nursing and Pharmacy Education Building, a transformative 186,000-square-foot facility at the West Lafayette location that will continue to accelerate key One Health programs.
Arvind Raman, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering, said factors propelling Engineering’s latest rankings success include increasingly selective doctoral admissions, increased peer reputation and higher per capita research expenditures.
“Purdue Engineering’s 2026 research and graduate engineering rankings take us to the next level of excellence in achieving Vision 2030, particularly in elevating research impact,” Raman said. “I am tremendously proud of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and industry partners who have achieved these milestones in a highly competitive and rapidly changing research landscape.”
The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings for 2026 are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students, and students’ postgraduate outcomes. Data for the overall rankings in the six primary disciplines — business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing — came from statistical surveys and peer assessment surveys sent to academics and professionals in respective fields, conducted in fall 2025 and early 2026. In some cases, data from these surveys was combined with third-party information. Other rankings for specialty areas are derived from expert opinion surveys only.
A 95 percent soybean-sourced adhesive tape, called SoySeal, earned the $20,000 grand prize in the 32nd annual Student Soybean Innovation Competition during the awards ceremony on Wednesday night at the Purdue Memorial Union in West Lafayette, Ind. In the food track competition, a soy-based bread product titled MiSoy Pan, took top honors.
The Student Soybean Innovation Competition is a partnership between the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), the state’s soybean checkoff program, and Purdue University. ISA awarded more than $35,000 to four teams that created new products in the industry track. In the soy-based food track, five teams earned a total of $11,000. To win these competitions, Purdue students must develop innovative applications for soybeans. This year, 59 students and 20 teams completed the competition through the two tracks.
“ISA looks forward to working with Purdue students each year and seeing what unique products they create,” said ISA Board Chair Denise Scarborough, a farmer from La Crosse, Ind. “The goal of this competition is to highlight the versatility of soybeans while seeking to solve a need in agriculture or the general public. The products developed by these students showcase new possibilities for how soybeans can be used and the value they can bring. We are excited about SoySeal and MiSoy Pan.”
Twelve teams of 36 students competed in this year’s industrial soy products competition.
SoySeal is a reliable, soy-based alternative to traditional petroleum-based packing adhesive tape. Designed with an adhesive layer on one side and plastic on the other, SoySeal provides strength, durability and versatility while remaining environmentally responsible. SoySeal was created by Purdue University students Jocelyn Erickson, Elizabeth Heckaman and Kasey Wright.
Erickson is a sophomore from Mechanicsville, Va., pursing a degree in industrial engineering. Also a sophomore, Heckaman, from Claypool, Ind., studies biological engineering with a concentration in food and biological processes. Wright is a sophomore from Montgomery, Ohio, studying biological engineering with a cellular and molecular concentration.
In 2024, industry sources said the biodegradable tape market was valued at $1.2 billion, and it is projected to reach $2.8 billion by 2033. The adhesive tape market, at large, is an $80.2 billion industry that is expected to exceed $127.5 billion in 2032.
“By entering a high-growth, multi-billion-dollar space with a 95 percent soy-derived alternative, our product unlocks a scalable opportunity in a high-value market while promoting Indiana’s soybean industry,” Erickson said. “At the same time, it addresses one of today’s most pressing environmental challenges, reducing the accumulation of microplastics in both our ecosystems and the human body.”
The SoySeal team said many biodegradable tape options struggle to maintain strong adhesion under wet or humid conditions. SoySeal remains sticky even after exposure to water and repeated hand washing. The team said SoySeal combines the environmental benefits of plant-based materials with the practical reliability expected from industrial-grade tape.
Each student said they were pleased with the experience of participating in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition. “Participating in this competition has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” Heckaman said. “Co-creating SoySeal has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the business and marketing aspects of a project rather than solely focusing on technical skills. Being able to see our vision come to life in the lab and then working with my teammates to continually improve our prototype was such a gratifying process.”
This was the second year for the soy-based food innovation track of the competition. This year’s competition required students to show how versatile soy can be as a baking ingredient. In total, eight teams of College of Agriculture students worked with the Purdue Food Science Department to create products made in the food-grade facilities on campus and to compete for the top prize.
MiSoy Pan is a variation of a Japanese salt bread similar to shio pan, and it won the $5,000 top prize in the soy food track. Shio Pan is a combination of buttery richness, a crispy exterior and an airy interior has helped it gain popularity as a hybrid between a croissant and soft milk bread. The MiSoy Pan team suggested that a soy-forward, vegan variation of shio pan could appeal to domestic and international customers. The MiSoy Pan team consists of Brooke Erwin, Jeff Chow, Bethany Champley and Emma Wu.
“MiSoy Pan is a vegan, soy-based, Asian-inspired, baked good that is best served within 3-6 hours after being baked to ensure peak texture and flavor,” Erwin said. “Our market strategy for selling our rolled dough as a frozen product for contract baking is to ensure the product is consumed within or near this time range. Because of this, key buyers of our product will be retailers, chains and specialty markets that look for contract baking manufacturers that provide high convenience, niche and on-trend products, and a brand that aligns with values in sustainability.”
In addition to the other prizes, the 400-plus attendees of the Student Soybean Innovation Competition Awards Ceremony each voted for their favorite product for the $500 People’s Choice award. This prize was officially renamed in honor Dr. Rodolfo Pinal, Associate Professor of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics who passed away in December 2024. Pinal was a frequent faculty advisor for students in this competition, many of whom were prize winners, including the past two winning teams.
This year’s award went to Soyé, creators of a soy-based menstrual pad. Soyé features three soy-derived layers: A top layer for moisture-wicking comfortability, an absorbent core engineered from a tofu byproduct, and an impermeable layer to prevent leakage. A commercial-grade adhesive to ensure the same functionality as conventional menstrual pads is also added. The makers of Soyé include Purdue students Marcia Kusumah of Jakarta, Indonesia; Eleanor Malinowski of Downers Grove, Ill.; and Chanyoung “Ivy” Moon of Seoul, Korea.
“The Student Soybean Innovation Competition allows ISA to connect with bright and creative students – some who may not be familiar with agriculture,” said ISA Board Director Mark Wenning, a farmer from Henry County, Ind., and vice chair of ISA’s Sustainability and Value Creation Committee. “One of ISA’s key strategic initiatives is funding research to create new uses for soybeans, helping develop higher value applications that support our farms.”
The students involved in the competition represented a variety of majors including agronomy, biological engineering, animal science, pharmacy, and environmental and natural resource engineering. Each team works with two faculty advisors who provide technical and market research support. Many advisors worked with more than one team of students.
This year’s industrial track judges included four ISA board members: Dylan Christopher of Brookston, Ind.; Derika Lynam-Spaetti of Richland, Ind.; Andrew McDaniel of Waldron, Ind., and Roger Wenning of Greensburg, Ind. Also, four industry experts served as judges including Dr. Clayton Westerman of BioBond Adhesives; Brit Walker with ADM; Amie Osborn of First Farmers Bank and Trust, and Chad Strohl of Crafco.
The food track judges from ISA were Lynam-Spaetti and Jenna Scott of Muncie, Ind.; Three industry experts served as judges, as well, including Carlana Rodriguez with Grain Processing, Shuangyi Zhang with Egglife Foods and Patrick Nycz with Purdue Ag Economics.
“I was lucky to have had the opportunity to judge both competitions,” Lynam-Spaetti explained. “Seeing the student groups work so hard in such a short few months is astonishing. From product creation and development to the business plan, it is evident of the time, research and trials that went into each project. I am grateful ISA and Purdue collaborate on the Student Soybean Innovation Competition to provide this amazing experience and opportunity for students.”
Earning second place this year, and a $10,000 prize, were the creators of SoySlipSafe, a soy-based anti-icer that can be used on roads prior to snowfall or freezing precipitation. Traditional anti-icing products rely heavily on chloride salts as the primary freezing point depressant. While effective, chlorides are a major contributor to infrastructure corrosion, vehicle deterioration and environmental degradation. SoySlipSafe uses soybean-derived components to achieve the two primary functions of an effective anti-icer – freezing point depression and ice-bond reduction.
The SoySlipSafe team members include Taylor Helman, Marley Kakalia and Lucy Shepard. Helman is a mechanical engineering student with a minor in sustainable engineering. Kakalia is a biological engineering student hoping to pursue a career in food processing. And Shepard is a biological engineering student on a pre-physician assistant track.
Finishing third, and earning a $5,000 prize, were the creators of SoyLam, a soy-based plastic laminate designed to replace current plastic lamination materials. Lamination is key to improving the mechanical strength and water resistance of paper – making it suitable for storage. SoyLam is fully biodegradable and made entirely from food-safe ingredients that could have uses in the food industry for storage of rice and other dry goods. The SoyLam team members are Elizabeth Rozzi and Erica Conley. Both are biological engineering majors. Rozzi is a sophomore, and Conley is a junior.
Garden Galette earned the $3,000 second prize. Galette, a French term, refers to high-end patisserie that is also popular in modern artisan baking. The team that produced these vegan galettes used soy properties to create all four elements of their product: A puff pastry dough, ricotta cheese, beef crumble and a pesto sauce. The Garden Galette team members include Claudia Guillen, Nicolas Rosy and Natcha Ngaosuphanvongs.
Taking the $2,000 third prize was a plant-based macaron called Boba Macs. These treats are a creative fusion of an appraised macaron and popular boba tea. The macaron shell is 60 percent almond flour and 40 percent soy flour to effectively lower the fat content and to be more cost effective. The shells provide a subtle nutty taste to go with the sweet filling. Boba Macs creators are Sarah Richter, Rory Adrilk, Kara Macler and Sofia Hwang.
Indiana soybean farmers’ investment in finding new soybean innovations is not limited to the competition. The state soybean checkoff also funds the Soybean Utilization Endowed Chair at Purdue’s College of Agriculture, Dr. Nathan Mosier, to lead research into new uses for soybeans.
Click here for more details on ISA’s investment in soybean innovation. Click here to watch the livestream from the awards ceremony.
SePRO Corporation, the science-led, digital-first leader in water and land restoration, today announced the acquisition of Earth Science Laboratories, Inc. (ESL), a proven provider of advanced water treatment technologies. The addition of ESL expands SePRO’s portfolio of science-led treatment solutions, strengthening support for the water managers, municipalities, and communities responsible for keeping water systems clean, safe, and enjoyable.
Integrating ESL’s fast-acting treatment technologies into the SePRO platform and leveraging over three decades of field science, diagnostic capabilities, and digital intelligence positions SePRO to deliver more precise and comprehensive solutions across a broader range of applications, from lakes and reservoirs to water conveyance infrastructure and drinking water systems serving millions of residents.
“The acquisition of Earth Science Laboratories strengthens our ability to support customers as water challenges continue to evolve,” said Dr. Tyler Koschnick, CEO of SePRO Corporation. “By bringing together ESL’s team and advanced treatment technologies with SePRO’s deep scientific insight and digital intelligence, we are expanding our portfolio to advance water quality and support healthier, more resilient systems over time.”
ESL’s flagship products, EarthTec®, a versatile solution for controlling algae and reducing taste and odor complaints, and EarthTec® QZ, a specialized formulation for invasive mussel control, are widely used across aquatic and municipal environments, including drinking water systems and critical infrastructure.
“SePRO is a strong strategic fit for our technology, and we are confident in their ability to expand our reach to a broader group of customers,” said John Cooper III, CEO of Earth Science Laboratories. “This will improve water quality for both existing and new customers, and importantly, for the people who depend on that water every day. This is a positive outcome for our team, our customers, and the communities we serve.”
For more information about SePRO’s science-led solutions, visit sepro.com.
AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, released new research today identifying critical challenges ripe for innovation that will serve as the foundation for the 2026 Velocity Accelerator, a six-month program that awards entrepreneurs three separate $25,000 cash prizes for their technology solutions in bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health.
Conducted by Arrowpoint Labs, the study entitled Advancing Innovation: Priority Areas for Indiana’s Agbioscience Future, updates the sector’s economic impact in Indiana, synthesizes insights from key state and national agbioscience leaders and provides problem statements for the innovation community – from students to startups and existing companies – to solve through Velocity.
“Velocity is an accelerator that focuses on the core challenges facing our agbioscience industry,” said Christy Wright, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “This study defines where Indiana is best positioned to lead and gives participants the tools they need to create purpose-built, scalable technologies. We look forward to working with our entrepreneurial ecosystem to drive progress in these focus areas.”
According to the study, there are three challenge areas for innovators to address through innovation for this year’s accelerator:
Develop technology that unlocks powerful markets for bio-based products, including focuses on gene editing for operational simplicity, mid-scale biomanufacturing and fermentation infrastructure, and agricultural waste stream biorefinery transformations.
Challenges to address include:
Leverage technology to assist farmers with some of the most critical issues facing their operations; including farm data intelligence and interoperability, regulatory navigation and compliance automation, and human-out-of-loop automation for labor-intensive operations.
Challenges to address include:
Develop and accelerate innovation that increases food and nutrition access and enables food as a driver of health, giving opportunities across the agricultural and health care value chains to positively impact healthier lives, communities and environment.
Challenges to address include:
Presented by Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, Velocity’s three tracks are guided by research and strong mentorship throughout the six-month accelerator. The program will culminate with a demo day event and winning check presentations in October. Companies, individuals and entrepreneurs who want to apply to participate in Velocity can access more information and an application link here. The deadline to register is May 1, 2026.
To read the full study and get more information on the Velocity challenge scopes, click here.
