The Formation

In response to the need for strong leadership skills among its graduates, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental sciences created Alpha Zeta Partners (AZP). AZP was formed in 1998 as a result of a partnership between Alpha Zeta Alumni Members (Ray Miller, Bob Joseph, John Ellinger, Bernie Erven and Carl Zulauf); Dr. L.H. Newcomb, Senior Associate Dean; and Dr. R. Dale Safrit and Dr. Garee W. Earnest, who had received a Higher Education Challenge Grant from the USDA to conduct a two-year leadership development program for undergraduates in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The overarching goal of AZP is to "provide potential employers with an exceptional cadre of well-educated graduates with a demonstrated capacity for leadership" (Newcomb, 1998).