News Release

MADISON, WI, AUGUST 11, 2011 – Bruce Erickson, a long-time Certified Professional Agronomist and expert in precision agriculture, has joined the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) as its new agronomic education manager.

In the position, which is a new one for ASA, Erickson will work to develop the society’s educational programs by giving classes, writing continuing education articles, organizing Webinars, presenting at meetings, and participating in other educational activities. He will also be part of the team that helps build the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program as it expands around the world.

“With the addition of Bruce, ASA will be complementing and expanding the continuing education opportunities it currently offers to certified professionals,” says Luther Smith, ASA’s Director of Certification Programs. “He brings the experience and knowledge to take the program to the next level.”

Erickson has a long association with the CCA program and ASA. A Certified Professional Agronomist since 1989, Erickson worked with both the International and Tri-State CCA programs as part of his Ph.D. work at Purdue University from 1996 to 2000. Two years ago, Erickson began teaching Fundamentals in Applied Agronomy, an online course offered by ASA. More recently, he became educational lead for the International CCA performance objectives, and began constructing the International CCA exam yearly as part of his position in Purdue’s agricultural economics department.

Now as an ASA staff member, Erickson will continue leading the development of performance objectives and exams for the International CCA program, and will assist the program as it expands its certification activities to India, Argentina, and other countries. Erickson will also expand ASA’s educational offerings beyond the Fundamentals in Applied Agronomy course, and will serve as a resource for state and regional CCA programs as they update their performance objectives and exams.

Erickson grew up on an Iowa farm and began his professional career as an agronomist with Pioneer Hi-Bred in Iowa. After completing his Ph.D. at Purdue, he served as Senior Technical Designer at Agri Business Group (now Adayana) in Indianapolis. He most recently was Director of Cropping Systems Management and Associate Director of the Center for Commercial Agriculture in the Purdue Department of Agricultural Economics, where he coordinated the Top Farmer Crop Workshop. At Purdue, he also worked extensively with precision farming and crop production economics research, and Extension.

Erickson, his wife Kathleen, and their three children will continue to reside in the Lafayette, Indiana area. He will also retain his Purdue affiliation as adjunct assistant professor in Purdue’s agronomy department.

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