Senior Academic Advisor
Office: Young Hall (YONG), 6th floor
Phone: (765) 494-0843
E-mail: jmcdonald@purdue.edu
Hometown
I was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN. After bouncing around to various cities in Indiana, I now call West Lafayette home.
Education
- M.Cert., Instructional Design & Technology, Purdue University Global
- M.L.S., Library and Information Science, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
- M.S.Ed., Educational Psychology (Counseling), Purdue University
- B.A., Psychology, Purdue University
Experience
I've been an Exploratory Studies Advisor since 2006. Before that, I was a Career Consultant at the Center for Career Opportunities (Purdue), an advisor and instructor in First-Year Engineering (Purdue), and an Adjunct Instructor (Ivy Tech).
Awards
- Bravo Award - for volunteerism (2018)
- PACADA Professional Development Grant (2015)
- R.W. McDowell Best Counselor Award in Engineering Education (2005)
- The Purdue Deans Fund (2001) – grant for M.S.Ed research
Advice for the Future Boilermaker
- Be persistent and focus on constant improvement, not perfection. What I usually see from first-year students is a "hot start," then a sudden mid-semester drop off in motivation, resulting in a lackluster grades. This is usually because incoming students are good test-takers, but not good critical thinkers or problem solvers. To combat this, each semester, identify one or two ways you can improve your learning strategies and put these into practice. The better you are at learning new material and applying it toward problem solving, the more flexible and competitive you will be in this rapidly changing work world.
- Be open to learning . . . from everyone and everything. This is harder than it sounds - it takes real discipline and humbleness. Be curious and pro-actively engaged in your education. Talk to a lot of people to gain new perspectives. This will give your future work context and global application.
- Be realistic, but kind. Recognize and respect both your strengths and your limitations. Knowing and accepting yourself allows you to be open to new opportunities that you never realized existed.
- Realize that career exploration is a complex, life-long process. Career exploration can sometimes seem like a “hurry up and wait” proposition. Everyone wants you to pick a major right now! But what you really need to choose well are experiences, information, and time. Give yourself the gift of space to really reflect on the information you are discovering about yourself.
Fun Facts
I cultivate a lot of interests which ebb and flow into the foreground, including film, music, fashion, science, education and learning, culture, technology, and history. I spend a lot of time outside gardening, repairing my yard, building stuff, and taking my two cats for a wander. I sing with the Lafayette Master Chorale and the St. John's Episcopal Church choir, so if you need a contact for community choruses, let me know!