The USDA calls biosecurity the cornerstone of animal livestock production and it’s one that’s taken center stage of late as farmers have battled disease. Dr. Kelli Werling, Director of Animal Health Programs at the Indiana Board of Animal Health, joins to talk biosecurity, how farmers are protecting the farm and how the spread of disease among animal production is ultimately impacting consumers. We get into:
The current state of biosecurity across the Midwest, avian flu’s impact three years into its reign and how farmers are working to attempt further spread on their operations
Consumer pressure being felt by avian flu and how egg prices are being impacted
The migration of the disease from birds to other species – from cattle to cats – and why it’s happening
As a regulatory body, IBOAH balancing the heightened state of alert, practicality of science and emotion
Where Kelli sees new innovations emerging on farms to combat the spread of disease
The best defense to avian flu – is a good offense
What IBOAH sees ahead with disease pressure and their call to action for farmers and industry alike
With 2.4 million U.S. agriculture jobs to fill each year and an unemployment rate that still remains below 5%, leaders in agbioscience and farmers are facing a challenge. Like the rest of the economy, they’re in a battle for talent. One unique ally in agriculture is the cooperative system, a collective buying group and service provider network that’s serving American farmers. Phil Brewer, Vice President of Strategy at Keystone Cooperative, joins us to talk about the evolution of the cooperative from what it was – to what it is. We get into:
Keystone Cooperative’s footprint across Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan and the health of farmers heading into planting season
The evolution of the cooperative system over the last two decades – from service provider to business partner
How the farmer-led model of a cooperative ultimately drives adoption of new innovation and fills gaps for its members on their operations
Areas where Keystone needs to move quicker and capture market opportunities to deliver value to farmers
How they approach working with small companies and early-stage, venture-backed innovators
Headwall Photonics and GRYFN, a pioneer in multi-modal sensing solutions, have entered into a strategic partnership to streamline hyperspectral data collection and processing. This collaboration enhances accessibility and precision for industries such as agriculture, natural resources, environmental monitoring, and defense.
A faster path toward application insight boosts adoption of powerful technology
Headwall Photonics, a global leader in hyperspectral imaging technology, and GRYFN, a pioneer in multi-modal sensing solutions, have entered into a strategic partnership to streamline hyperspectral data collection and processing. This collaboration enhances accessibility and precision for industries such as agriculture, natural resources, environmental monitoring, and defense.
By integrating Headwall’s high-performance hyperspectral imaging systems with GRYFN’s advanced software and calibration technologies, this partnership delivers a complete, easy-to-use solution for research-grade remote sensing. Customers benefit from a seamless workflow that simplifies data acquisition, processing, and analysis while maintaining the highest levels of accuracy and reliability.
“This partnership unites two industry leaders to provide a complete airborne sensing solution,” said David Blair, VP/GM of Remote Sensing at Headwall. “By combining our hyperspectral imaging technology with GRYFN’s software and calibration capabilities, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to collect and process high-quality data for real-time decision-making.”
Matt Bechdol, CEO of GRYFN, added, “Our collaboration with Headwall has been years in the making. With increasing demand for hyperspectral data that is both high-quality and easy to use, our integrated approach ensures that customers get the best of both worlds—precision hardware and intuitive software that maximizes their return on investment.”
As part of the agreement, Headwall will offer the GRYFN Processing Tool, an intuitive software solution that integrates UAV-based hyperspectral, LiDAR, and GNSS data. This tool streamlines job management, automates workflows, and enables efficient multi-modal data processing. Additionally, GRYFN’s geometric calibration technology eliminates the need for ground control points by specifying sensor parameters, optical characteristics, and platform positioning, ensuring unmatched precision for multi-temporal analytics.
Headwall will be exhibiting in Booth 1523 at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, a premier annual event for researchers and commercial practitioners of remote-sensing technology, April 13-17, 2025 in Florida.
Former Dow AgroSciences and Corteva Leader Megan DeVelvis to Focus on Economic Growth, Joins Expanded AgriNovus Leadership Team
AgriNovus Indiana, a nonprofit coalition to grow Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today Megan DeVelvis as its new senior director of growth – a role charged with enabling and accelerating growth of agbioscience companies in the state.
DeVelvis, who joins AgriNovus after more than 20 years in agriculture, will lead AgriNovus’ economic development efforts, connecting industry, academia, capital providers, governments and non-profits to opportunities to fuel growth across food, animal health, plant science, agtech and agriculture.
“Agbioscience is the only economy in the world that touches every person on the planet, and Indiana has emerged as the destination of choice for innovators and companies seeking to build the next chapter of food and agriculture even stronger,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “The addition of Megan to the AgriNovus team brings even more horsepower to our efforts to grow this economy by more than $8 billion by the end of the decade.”
Prior to AgriNovus, DeVelvis served as the chief operating officer of North Carolina-based TriCal Group and as a marketer with Teleos Ag. She is also a veteran of Corteva Agriscience, serving in multiple roles during the merger and standup of the company. She also held commercial, marketing and planning roles at Dow Agrosciences. DeVelvis is a graduate of AgriInstitute’s Ag Leadership Program (Class 17) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
In addition to naming DeVelvis to the team, AgriNovus also announced the promotion of Libby Fritz to vice president from her role as senior director of operations, and announced the promotion of Cayla Chiddister from senior manager of communications to senior director of communications.
Rose-Hulman has announced a $10 million gift from alumnus Niles Noblitt and his wife, Nancy, to establish the Noblitt Entrepreneurship Program (NEP), a newly endowed initiative focused on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and business-focused opportunities for students.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has announced a transformative $10 million gift from alumnus Niles Noblitt and his wife, Nancy, to establish the Noblitt Entrepreneurship Program (NEP), a newly endowed initiative focused on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and business-focused opportunities for students. The announcement was made during the college’s annual Sawmill Society weekend, a gathering of entrepreneurial alumni and students who network and mentor while learning more about the next generation of innovators at Rose-Hulman.
The NEP will provide students with education and hands-on experiences working with faculty on experiences related to entrepreneurship and the principles of the free market. Through this initiative, students will gain valuable insights into turning ideas into real-world solutions, reinforcing the problem-solving mindset that Rose-Hulman instills in its graduates.
Niles Noblitt—the former Board of Trustees Chair who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering from Rose-Hulman in 1973 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in engineering in 1996—credits his Rose-Hulman education with shaping his problem-solving approach, a skill that played a key role in his success as a co-founder of Biomet, Inc., a Warsaw, Indiana-based biomedical device company now known as Zimmer Biomet. Noblitt was inducted into the Indiana Academy in 2022 for his achievements and contributions to the state.
“This remarkable gift from Niles and Nancy aligns perfectly with Rose-Hulman’s Advancing by Design strategic plan, which prioritizes innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship,” said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “We are deeply grateful for the Noblitts’ continued support and commitment to empowering our students with the knowledge and skills to drive meaningful change in the world. Their continued generosity and vision will ensure that future generations of students have access to resources, mentorship, and experiences that encourage entrepreneurial thinking and innovation.”
As a natural extension of Rose-Hulman’s Innovation Grove project, the NEP will create a new endowed position, the Noblitt Family Endowed Chair for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, that will focus a newly hired faculty member on coordinating the many opportunities for students, faculty, and alumni to connect, and build opportunities for collaboration within a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment.
“Attending Rose-Hulman was a life-changing experience for me, and it may not have been possible without the scholarships that supported my education,” said Niles Noblitt. “My time at Rose-Hulman instilled in me a problem-solving mindset that has been invaluable throughout my career. Nancy and I want to ensure that future generations of students have the same opportunities I did—to dream big, take risks, and turn ideas into reality. We’re excited to support a program that will inspire innovation and entrepreneurship for years to come.”
The Noblitts have been longstanding supporters of Rose-Hulman, previously contributing $10 million to launch the Noblitt Scholars Program, a first-of-its-kind college-based merit and leadership scholars program designed to transform the world’s most gifted STEM students into future science and industry leaders. Their ongoing generosity underscores their dedication to strengthening Rose-Hulman’s mission of preparing students for impact-driven careers.
More details about NEP will be shared in the coming months as Rose-Hulman continues to develop this exciting new initiative.
The power of experience is undeniable. The context it creates, the insight that it develops is far more than could be accomplished than by simply reading. Benjamin Franklin, one of our nation’s founding fathers, I think, said it best. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll learn.” Dr. Ronda Hamm, Director of Food, Farm and Energy Experience at Conner Prairie, joins this week to talk experiential learning and what lies ahead for the National Register of Historic Places in the coming years. We get into:
Ronda’s scientific background and how she’s seen biology accelerate innovation over the last two decades
Her love for entomology – that’s it – she loves bugs
The exciting idea that science is continuing to educate itself, always evolving – and the endless career possibilities that it can present
The Food, Farm and Energy Experience at Conner Prairie – what it is, what it’s designed to bring to consumers and industry alike – from grower to grocer
How she hopes this new addition to Conner Prairie engages a new generation of agbioscience workforce – and to understand that it expands well beyond farmers to supply chain, food scientists, data analysts and more
Her ambition for this site to become The Smithsonian of the Midwest focused on food and agriculture
A call to action for industry wanting to be involved in this project and timelines for when to expect this to be rolled out at Conner Prairie
