Ag Day was celebrated at Ross-Ade Stadium last weekend. It was a tough loss for the Boilers, losing in double overtime to Wake Forest, but it was a great excuse for ag alumni to get together. Thanks to a new joint partnership between the College of Agriculture and the College of Veterinary Medicine, an expanded crowd turned out to celebrate Boilermaker agriculture ahead of kickoff.
The annual Ag Alumni Tailgate capitalized on the strong overlap between the two programs, creating a combined space for networking and community building.
“We have so many joint alumni that it just makes sense that if we can do things together from an alumni or development standpoint, we should do it,” said Julia Wickard, Executive Director of the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association.
Organized in collaboration with Danica Kirkpatrick and the Purdue Ag Alumni Association team, the tailgate saw strong attendance right outside the gates.
“I think we had over 450 registered, and I know we’ve had several walk in,” Wickard said. “We’re right here in the portal coming into the top of Ross-Ade Stadium, and it’s a great, beautiful day to be a Boilermaker.”
Wickard noted that roughly 100 attendees were graduates of the veterinary school. Building those professional ties early is a key goal for the association, beginning with the incoming veterinary class of 2030 that arrived on campus this fall.
“We’re trying to figure out a way—and it’s working—to make them feel a part of that alumni network now while they’re in college, but then it just grows to the 450 that are here today,” Wickard explained. “I think it’s about establishing relationships. It’s about that communication between the College of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, the relationship between Dean Engel and Dean Marsh, and then the team behind them. It just makes sense.”
The collaborative momentum will continue beyond West Lafayette, with both associations looking to connect alumni at regional and national industry gatherings.
“Whether it’s the U.S. Animal Health Association that will be up in Madison, Wisconsin, next month, or opportunities where it just makes sense where Dean Engel and Dean Marsh are together and we can bring that alumni together,” Wickard added.
Alumni and friends can find upcoming event details and networking resources by visiting the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association website and/or the Purdue Ag Alumni Association site.
