Board Members
Maekin Smith (they/them)
PresidentDepartmental Program Coordinator, Purdue Study Abroad
Maekin is a Purdue 2009 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts where they studied Spanish and studied abroad in Spain. Maekin has been working in the office of Programs for Study Abroad since 2014 and delights in helping faculty, staff, and students have transformative study abroad experiences too.
Outside of work you can find Maekin organizing with SURJ, YWTF, or Working Hoosiers Vote, puttering around their garden, or taking photos of their friends' pets.
Ethan Johnson (he/him)
Vice PresidentHonors Advisor, Honors College
Ethan is an advisor in the Honors College, and has been working at Purdue since summer of 2018. Originally from Indianapolis, Ethan attended Ball State University for undergrad and Southern Illinois University for graduate school. In addition to PEP, he's a member of One Size Fits All improv troupe and Showing Up for Racial Justice of Greater Lafayette.
Ethan likes board games, iced coffee, and reading.
Carina Rebello (she/her)
Events Co-chairAssistant Professor of Practice, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Carina is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Physics and Astronomy and is new to PEP. Originally from Kansas, Carina attended Kansas State University for undergrad and University of Missouri for graduate school. Dr. Rebello’s expertise is in physics education research with the aim to enable students at all levels to develop critical thinking skills, and to become good problem solvers and independent learners.
She enjoys practicing power yoga, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her dog Henry.
Elizabeth Barnes (she/her)
Communications ChairExotic Forest Pest Educator, Department of Entomology
In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, painting, and embroidery. She is also always excited to help with caterpillar identification.
SJ Houston (he/him)
TreasurerCounselor for International Scholars, ISS
SJ is an Immigration Counselor in the International Scholar's Office, International Programs here at Purdue.He is an IDI Qualifying Administrator and coordinates several programs for International Scholars on campus. SJ holds a MS in Higher Education from Purdue University Global. He enjoys doing advocacy work and has spoken at area schools about creating a culture of acceptance in classrooms. SJ was previously on the Board of Pride Lafayette.
SJ and his wife, Christine Kassab, live in Lafayette and have four kids and currently two foster children. SJ spends his "free time" coaching his kid's sports teams, cooking, and working on DIY projects around the house.
