Awards

Award Announcements

Nutrition Clinical Assistant Professor wins Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship

Marie Alsopp has received the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation awards first Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship to Purdue faculty member
In this article, Marie made this statement "I am grateful and thrilled for this opportunity to give back to a profession that has given so much to me." Allsopp said. "I will endeavor to make sure that underrepresented minorities will not only have a seat at the table but will feel welcome at the table."

HHS Graduate Student Diversity Fellowship Awardees

HHS Diveristy Fellows receive two years of stipend/salary and tuition coverage.

Congratulations to the 2021 recipients!

Shabeba Islam

Shabeba is beginning the Department of Psychological Sciences’ program in Clinical Psychology in Fall 2021.

Shabeba Islam is a born and raised New Yorker and a graduate of New York University (BA ’20, MA ’21). As a Bangladeshi-American, her research interests include perceptions of danger, stereotyping, and the acculturative stress of South Asians and other ethnic groups in immigrating to the United States. She is also a first-generation student and has an interest in studying internalizing disorders on a cross-cultural scale. Outside of the lab, Shabeba is an avid writer and traveler. She loves to spend time meeting new people and visiting art exhibits and museums. At the conclusion of the program, Shabeba hopes to serve the South Asian community and other similarly underrepresented communities through research and practice. Her ultimate goal is to find a faculty position at a major research university.

Edem Sededji

Edem is beginning the School of Health Sciences’ PhD program in Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences in Fall 2021.

Edem Sededji is from Togo, in West Africa, and is a first-year PhD student candidate in Health Sciences. He is the recipient of the HHS Diversity Fellowship award, and he will engage in Occupational and Environmental research under Dr. Ellen Wells. Edem is deeply interested in learning about environmental factors (chemicals) that affect human health.

Prior to coming to Purdue University, Edem has held various positions in the corporate world. He worked at companies such as Chevron Corporation, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), and AMRI--a Pharmaceutical R&D facility where he assumed the position of EHS Manager. During his professional career, Edem has achieved a CSP credential from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and has focused his career in creating initiatives that protect employees, families, and communities from hazardous environmental agents. He also championed continuous improvements processes to optimize occupational and environmental health (OEH) practices, while preventing injuries and/or illnesses caused by industrial noise, ergonomics, and chemicals.

Prior to his professional career, Edem attended Murray State University, in Murray, KY, where he received a B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering Technology and a M.S. degree in Occupational Health and Safety with an emphasis on Environmental Health. In 2012, he was inducted into Rho Sigma Kappa, an honor society that recognizes academic excellence.

Edem is currently residing in Indianapolis, IN, with his wife and two children. He loves to travel, and he has visited many U.S. cities and states, as well as many cities in Europe and Africa. In addition to traveling, Edem loves to participate in basketball and soccer events.

McKenzie Figuracion

McKenzie received their bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience and minor in sexuality, gender, and queer studies from Portland State University in June 2020. Prior to joining the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Purdue University, they worked in labs dedicated to investigating the unique differences between individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as the influence of environmental factors during gestation on offspring neurobehavioral regulation. They have also spent time volunteering with NW Noggin, a non-profit outreach organization dedicated to bringing scientists, artists, and students together to learn about ongoing neuroscience research and educational resources in Portland, Oregon. McKenzie’s ambition is to pursue a career as a clinical scientist and work to improve the access underserved populations have to formal diagnoses and treatment through novel research. They are excited to begin in the Clinical Psychology PhD program under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah Karalunas and investigate the cognitive, emotional, and physiological processes that contribute to ADHD. Specifically, they are interested in how electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarkers can be used to understand heterogeneity within ADHD and how these may be used to enhance access to clinical diagnosis.