Weekly liberal arts series highlights alumni

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A variety of career experiences, including global affairs, toy design and government relations, will be highlighted in the Purdue University College of Liberal Arts weekly alumni series this fall.

The class and speaker series is part of the GS 300, LA (Liberal Arts) Influentials course that is offered to liberal arts students and taught by Irwin Weiser, the Justin S. Morrill Dean of Liberal Arts. The class meets from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. on Fridays in Beering Hall, Room 2290. The lectures are free and open to the public as seating allows.

The dates and speakers are:

* Sept. 20. Mark Achler, former senior vice president at Redbox in Deerfield, Ill., who earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1980. More information is available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Mark_Achler.html

* Sept. 27. Emerging Voice Award recipients panel discussion. Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, the co-founder/chief operating officer of Digital Brand Architects, New York City, who earned a bachelor's degree in communication in 2002, and Eric Siebenaler, design manager of D+D, Hasbro, Inc., in Providence, R.I., who earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design in 2002. More information is available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Kendra_Bracken_Ferguson.html and http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Eric_Siebenaler.html

* Oct. 4. Kim Koeller, president/CEO of Gluten and Allergy Free Passport, in Chicago who earned a bachelor's degree in French in 1978. More information is available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Kim_Koeller.html

* Oct. 11. Jennifer Glazer, OI-GPS Senior Manager, Grant Thornton, LLP in Washington, D.C., who earned a bachelor's degree in communication in 1998. More information is available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Jennifer_Glazer.html

* Oct. 18. Harold Bickham, partner with Barnes and Thornburg in Indianapolis, who earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1970. More information is available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Harold_Bickham.html

* Oct. 25. Matthew Miller, vice president of Business Roundtable in Washington, D.C., who earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 2000. More information is available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Matt_Miller.html

* Nov. 1. Harry Drozdowski, associate at Weinstock Manion A Law Corp. in Los Angeles, who earned a bachelor's degree from sociology in 2006. More information is available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Harry_Drozdowski.html

* Nov. 8. Thomas Christopoul, senior managing director of global real estate and infrastructure group for the Guggenheim Partners LLC in New York City, who earned a master's degree in organizational communication in 1988. More information available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Tom_Christopoul.html

* Nov. 15. Todd B. Putman, chief marketing officer at Bolthouse Farms, who earned a bachelor's degree in communication in 1984. More information available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Todd_Putman.html

* Nov. 22. Ed O'Rourke, vice president of procurement at Knowledge Universe, who earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1985. More information available at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/gs300/Fall_2013/Ed_ORourke.html

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Sources: Chris Sharp, director of alumni relations and special events, 765-494-7884, ctsharp@purdue.edu

Irwin Weiser, Justin S. Morrill Dean of Liberal Arts, 765-494-3661, iweiser@purdue.edu

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