August 2017 Newsletter | Colombia Purdue Partnership

August 2017

Message from the Colombia-Purdue Initiative Executive Director

Dear Colombia-Purdue Community,

I am writing this message as the Fall Semester 2017 at Purdue begins. This provides an opportunity to extend a special welcome to all of the new Colombian students that are joining Purdue this semester. For some of these students, this new adventure will follow a previous undergraduate research experience at Purdue. We expect about 23 new students. This brings the total number of students to over 140, almost 3-times the number of Colombian students that were at Purdue in 2010 when the Colombia-Purdue effort began.

The new semester also provides an opportunity to briefly describe the Colombia-Purdue Initiative (CPI) and what it has to offer. Read more>>

In the Spotlight

Colombian faculty and staff at Purdue

The Colombian community at Purdue is not only formed by our students. There are 19 Colombian faculty and staff as well. Read their stories and connect with them! Read more >>

About You

Juan Diego Velásquez

Juan Diego Velásquez serves the Colombia Purdue Initiative in so many visible and unseen ways. He is a connector of people, a builder of strong relationships, a dedicated facilitator of partnerships, and an innovator of programs that reach across the university and across Colombia. He is compassionate and service oriented, but can dish out a bit of tough love when it is needed. He is passionate about bringing Purdue to Colombia and Colombia to Purdue. Read more >>

Happening Now

For Colombian Professors, Purdue is the PLaCE

The Colombia-Purdue Initiative (CPI) and PLaCE partnered to design a four-week intensive summer English Language Program, which would fulfill specific requirements for faculty and administrators from Colombian institutions. Read more>>

Our Graduates

In this issue, we introduce two of Purdue’s most recent Colombian graduates:


David Orrego López PhD in Agricultural and Biological Engineering Story >>	Alejandro Salazar PhD in Biological Sciences Story >>

Did you know?

Proud Colombian, Sandra Úsuga, wins CLA Doctoral Dissertation Award

Regarded as many in the Greater Lafayette area as the best Latin music singer in town, Sandra M. Úsuga Giraldo, has received the 2017 Distinguished Dissertation Award from the College of Liberal Arts (CLA)! This award, which is reviewed by CLA faculty, recognizes not only the quality of research, but its impact, and innovation. Her dissertation was selected among nominations submitted by each department and school within the College. Read more >>