Annual Agriculture Conference
On November 27, 2018, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago held a conference to explore issues surrounding the challenges, prospects, and opportunities of agricultural technology for farms and rural areas of the Midwest, with a particular focus on mechanisms for funding new technologies and their implementation. In light of the ties between farm households and off-farm income, the intersection of agricultural technology and rural economic life will play an important role in the future of the Midwest. At the conference, experts from academia, industry, and policy institutions came together to discuss developments in technologies that are shaping the future for agriculture and the Midwestern economy. The goals of the conference include understanding technological change and its effects on farming and rural communities; examining policies that affect the rate and spread of technological change; analyzing the primary influences of new technologies on the Midwest, especially for employers, health systems, and educational institutions; and considering potential ways to fund agricultural innovations and improvements, particularly given lower farm profits in recent years.
As dean, Dr. Plaut is responsible for administering academic programs in the College of Agriculture, the Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and a number of state regulatory services. In addition to her administrative role, Dr. Plaut is also Professor of Animal Sciences and has an active research program in mammary gland biology. Prior to her appointment as dean, she was Senior Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs in the College of Agriculture.
Dr. Plaut received her B.S. in animal science from the University of Vermont, an M.S. in animal nutrition from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in animal science from Cornell University. Her postdoctoral studies were completed at the National Cancer Institute at NIH. Before coming to Purdue she was on faculty at the University of Vermont and Michigan State University serving as Chair of the Department of Animal Sciences at both institutions. She also spent a few years working with NASA as Lead Scientist for the International Space Station.
