Save the date: Ag Alumni Fish Fry coming Feb. 1

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The annual Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry will be held Feb. 1 at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds with a theme of “People of Purdue Agriculture.”

The session will feature a fish fry lunch, an exhibit area called Purdue Ag Avenue and a panel of three young alumni who are shaping the industry. Doors and exhibits open at 9:30 a.m., and the program begins at 11 a.m.

“This year, we are taking an exciting new approach to the fish fry,” said Danica Kirkpatrick, executive director of the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association.

“Our goal is to showcase the critical role individuals — such as faculty, staff, peers, alumni and others — play in shaping the student experience, and we’d like to highlight this perspective through the lens of young alumni.”

Olivia West, a 2021 graduate from Purdue’s College of Agriculture, will host the panel discussion.

West serves as the in-game host for the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever and Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball League. She also has hosted numerous WNBA and NBA All-Star events.

Speakers on the panel are:

• Halee Fisher, a Purdue University 2023 graduate who holds dual degrees in agricultural economics and political science, with minors in international studies, global food and agriculture systems and psychology and has a public policy certificate. She currently serves as a legislative assistant for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture under Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, working on policy related to agricultural research, horticulture, crop protection and biotechnology.

• Mark Gee, a five-time Boilermaker, has worked with NASA, the Mars Society and Purdue to advance space nutrition research. He is now with Beck’s Hybrids. Gee’s international experience spans India, Mexico, Puerto Rico, France and the Netherlands, where he helped build sustainable food systems.

• Ryan Kornegay, who earned a master’s degree in Purdue’s agricultural sciences education and communications program, works as a biological science program specialist for the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Unity Environmental University. In November, Kornegay was elected mayor of Greenville, Florida, where he is committed to using his experiences to improve his hometown.

“The Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry is the annual homecoming of all things Indiana agriculture,” Kirkpatrick said.

“Each year, we hear from our attendees that they come to see old friends, hear about the exciting things happening in the college and, of course, the great food.”

For more information about the Fish Fry or to purchase tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/2025-Fish-Fry or call the Purdue Ag Alumni office at 765-494-8593.