External Advisory Council Emeriti

Barbara Alving, M.D., who retired from her position as the Director of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland in September 2011, is an international consultant and a Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. Dr. Alving received her M.D. cum laude from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., completed a residency in internal medicine and a research fellowship in hematology at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and then became a research investigator at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Division of Blood and Blood Products on the NIH campus. She continued her research in thrombosis and hemostasis at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research from 1980-1996, leaving the military at the rank of Colonel. She received the Legion of Merit from the U.S. Army for her work on hemostatic agents for soldiers on the battlefield. Dr. Alving then served as the Director of the Medical Oncology/Hematology Section at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. In 1999, she joined the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH as a Division Director, followed by Institute Deputy Director and then Acting Institute Director before moving to NCRR in 2005. As the Acting Director and then Director of NCRR from 2005-2011, Dr. Alving oversaw an annual investment of more than one billion dollars in academic research institutions for development of new technologies for basic and clinical research, training for researchers in the biomedical sciences, and initiation of programs to provide health and biomedical education for students and the larger public. During this time, the NCRR also established a new initiative in 60 academic health centers known as the Clinical and Translational Science Awards, to increase the efficient translation of discoveries in the laboratory into new treatments and preventive strategies for patients. The institutions are also training investigators to work as interdisciplinary teams. Dr. Alving is a Master in the American College of Physicians and has served as a member of the subcommittee on Hematology of the American Board of Internal Medicine, as well as the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee and the Institute of Medicine Drug Forum. She is a co-inventor on two patents, has edited three books, and has published more than 100 papers in the area of thrombosis and hemostasis. Her current interests include translating biomedical research into treatments and prevention strategies for improving health, both nationally and internationally, in a cost-effective, efficient manner and in developing a team-based interdisciplinary biomedical research work force.

Celeste Bottorff is responsible for building the strategic corporate reputation framework for Coca-Cola North America. In this capacity, Celeste's work is instrumental in designing and communicating the Company's vision for how it delivers on its promise to consumers all across the country that Coca-Cola can be counted to make a positive difference in their lives. Celeste began her marketing career as a marketing and technology Strategist at McKinsey & Co. in 1983 after earning her Master's degree from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. She distinguished herself there by helping clients hone in on strategic imperatives and building game-changing business plans that resulted in successful achievement of business goals. In addition to her Coca-Cola experience, Celeste served as Senior Vice President of AHL Services where she developed strategies resulting in the transformation of the company to a profitable $970 million public company. As Marketing Director at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Celeste led marketing initiatives that won the paper "Marketer of the Year" honors from the Newspaper Association of America. Prior to joining the Journal-Constitution, Celeste was the Director of Global Planning for Holiday Inn Worldwide/Intercontinental Hotels. In this role, she developed growth strategies for North America, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Celeste did not start out as a marketer. A graduate of Purdue University, Celeste earned her B.S in Physics and spent a few years working in operations at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and at General Electric. This depth of knowledge and appreciation for science, coupled with her intuitive sense for what moves consumers to choose one brand over another, makes Celeste uniquely qualified to lead Coca-Cola North America's corporate reputation initiatives. She is a member of the Board of Advisors for HireDynamics LLC, one of the country's fastest-growing private firms. She also sits on the Purdue University College of Science Dean's Advisory Board and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cystic Fibrosis Reaching Out Foundation. Celeste served on the Board of Directors at Caraustar Industries for over six years. Celeste was born in Louisville, Kentucky. She currently resides in Decatur, Georgia.

Bill Killian is responsible for licensing and acquisitions for the Nutrition, Diagnostics and Diabetes Care Divisions of Abbott, a global, broad-based health care company. As Divisional Vice President in the Corporate Licensing and Acquisitions group, Bill leads a team that works with Commercial, R&D and Operations organizations to identify products, technologies and markets which provide unique products for patients and consumers of all ages throughout the world so they can live healthier lives. After graduating from Purdue with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Bill began his career at Abbott as a manufacturing engineer in Abbott’s Pharmaceutical Division. He subsequently held various roles of increasing responsibility in product development and marketing for the Diagnostics Division before he moved into global business development. Bill’s business development experience includes negotiating and executing acquisitions, joint ventures, licenses and other strategic agreements. He has closed over 50 deals in the areas of nutrition, diagnostics and ophthalmology. He holds a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) designation from the Licensing Executives Society. Bill resides in Wilmette, Illinois with his wife Cindy, also a Purdue engineering graduate (BSEE).

JoAnn Suzich is a leading scientist and researcher in infectious disease and played a critical role in the advancement and treatment of health issues affecting women and children. Suzich is vice president for research and development at MedImmune, where she is responsible for overseeing the company's research in the development of antibodies and antibody-like molecules for the prevention and treatment of infectious disease. In addition, she recently assumed responsibility for MedImmune's research on novel vaccines. Since joining MedImmune in 1988 as a scientist, she has held several positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as senior director, infectious disease research. She has been involved in many key development programs, including Synagis (palivizumab) which is the only monoclonal antibody approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help prevent an infectious disease, and the virus-like particle technology that is the basis of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines used to prevent cervical cancer. HPV is thought to be responsible for 70 percent of the instances of cervical cancer. Suzich's leadership has helped build MedImmune - where she is known as "employee number 13" - from a fledgling company with four employees, founded by fellow Purdue alumnus Wayne Hockmeyer, to an international biotechnology company with more than 3,000 employees worldwide. She has worked closely with all aspects of the company, including discovery research, biopharmaceutical development, clinical research, translational sciences, regulatory affairs, business development, and medical affairs. Before joining MedImmune, Suzich was a scientist at Molecular Genetics Inc. from 1986-1988. Suzich is the inventor of multiple patents and has authored more than 30 publications. She is the recipient of the Wallace H. Steinberg Award for Innovation. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Susquehanna University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She received her doctorate in biochemistry from Purdue in 1983. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota in 1986. Suzich received an honorary doctorate of agriculture from Purdue in 2011.