Category: Alumni

Lee Ann De Reus’ career mantra of “If not me, then who?” led her to the top of several nonprofit agencies dedicated to women’s rights, gender justice and racial equity. Some of her most recent positions worked to eliminate domestic, sexual and gender-based violence both domestically and internationally.

Faculty and alumni of the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) share what makes hotels stand out from the rest.

Mark Paulik utilizes his expertise in science, nutrition and biochemistry — as well as the grit three degrees from Purdue University earns you — to battle a formidable foe in Parkinson’s disease.

From throwing a welcome party for the Argentinian ambassador at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, D.C., to developing an authentic Irish pub at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) alumnus Brian Findley (HTM ’85) has seen many different aspects of the hospitality industry throughout his long career in hotels.

A call comes in the middle of the night: A donor has been found for a gravely ill patient in need of a transplant. Garrett White, a Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumnus and executive director of aviation programs at the Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance (NORA), and his team spring into action, setting off a series of well-timed logistics to get the vital organ to its destination.

Brandi Smith, a Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences alumna, has always enjoyed looking at the world from others’ perspectives. From early on, often being the one her friends would go to for advice, Smith knew psychology was the go-to path for her. After exploring a wide range of psychology-related careers during her time at Purdue, she found her path moving in an entrepreneurial direction.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a statistic that Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, a two-time Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences alumna, is working to change.

Purdue University Human Development and Family Science and Psychological Sciences alumna Janine Zweig’s passion for helping sexual assault survivors and those who have had other victimizing experiences has shaped her more than 25-year career.

Ivan Anthony Henares’ passion for tourism, especially in his home country of the Philippines, started in the 2000s when he was an influential travel blogger. As the years passed, Henares obtained degrees, awards and opportunities to make a career in the travel and tourism industries, including a Fulbright scholarship to study in the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Henares earned his PhD from the program in 2021.

From studying animal science to elevating cancer research to helping health science investigators, Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science alumna Lynn Adams has always had one goal in mind: to make an impact. As a program director in the Outcomes Research Branch in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Adams helps researchers as they secure National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to unlock new cancer knowledge and treatments.

Plucked from retirement in January 2021 by President Joe Biden’s transition team, Purdue Health Sciences alumnus Jim Frederick led OSHA for 11 months until assistant secretary of labor Doug Parker was hired. Today, he still leads numerous worker safety initiatives that are applied nationally.

When Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Breeah Carey (SLHS ’18, ’20) flipped a coin to determine her undergraduate direction between a five-year university in Pennsylvania and Purdue, she was faced with disappointment, staring down at a future in Pennsylvania. The twisting in her gut led her to flip again, and when she got the side that represented Purdue, she felt completely at ease, which led to the start of her next giant leap in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS).

Jaqui Carrell (’12) and Pierre Nesbit (’13) are both products of the Purdue University Department of Health and Kinesiology and are working the big game as athletic trainers — Carrell for Washington and Nesbit for Michigan.

Alumna Nick Cochran (’21) penned a grant proposal and business plan for the Lafayette National Alliance of Mental Illness facility. A year later, the agency earned a $1.28 million Community Catalyst Grant.

Internationally recognized clinical psychologist and Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Louise Evans carried a legacy of charity work and a career dedicated to improving mental health prior to her death in September 2021.

Brad Niemeier, Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumnus, former Purdue football player and founder of Azzip Pizza, recently was recognized as the Top Menu Innovator in Pizza Marketplace’s list of 100 Top Movers and Shakers. Since launching the business less than two years after his 2012 graduation from the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), Niemeier has grown Azzip Pizza to 10 locations, with the 11th opening in Indianapolis this summer.

Join the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) for Spring Fest 2023, where we’ll have a variety of fun activities centered around human health and well-being.

Whether in emergency care, pediatrics, outpatient surgery or the neonatal intensive care unit, Mollie Henderson, an alumna of Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, is bringing comfort and compassion to children and families’ hospital experience.

As president of what is now the HTM Society, Elizabeth Whittaker (BS ’99) wanted to put the hospitality skills she was learning into practice. From presentation to getting the food out hot and delicious, it was a way to show what HTM students could do front- and back-of-house in an upscale setting.

Matthew Smith, who will return to West Lafayette to receive an Early Career Achievement Award from the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences on March 31, maintains a practice in Downers Grove, Illinois, while teaching physical therapy students as an assistant professor at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

Jim Dora Jr., a 1986 Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumnus and president and CEO of General Hotels Corporation, has a photo on his desk from the launch of a water park at one of his hotels in the 2000s. A success until the 2008 recession, the water park marked just one instance of the innovation that Dora has maintained throughout his more than 30 years in the hospitality industry.

Elizabeth Erickson-DiRenzo, a three-time graduate of the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS), came to Purdue with the goal of doing one thing: improving human health. As an associate professor and clinician scientist in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery in the Stanford University School of Medicine, her career has allowed her to do exactly that as both a researcher and clinician.

Barbara Millen, a 1972 Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences graduate, notes that her path to success was paved with acting on once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, from answering an office  call late one Friday night to meeting a group of friends who introduced her to Purdue. Now director of the Boston Nutrition Foundation and president of Millennium Prevention Inc., Millen’s career has allowed her to pursue a wide range of innovative research projects and leadership positions in academia, government and international settings.

Johanna Rohler has always been fascinated by both the art and science of nutrition, but when she sustained a jaw injury her senior year of high school and couldn’t chew anything, she discovered a career path awaiting her. A 2016 graduate of Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), Rohler found a supportive, welcoming family culture that shared her love for healthy food in HHS’ Department of Nutrition Science.

When it comes to keeping athletes healthy on the tennis court, Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Kathleen Stroia and her team serve up expert athletic training for the Women’s Tennis Association.

When Mary Lou Hazleton arrived at Purdue University in 1961, she found her fit in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, taking classes from pioneering faculty members, including program founder M.D. Steer.

While admissions directors prepare and work overtime to meet their programs’ needs, Neal Schmitt, a Purdue Psychological Sciences alumnus (MS ‘69, PhD ‘72) and industrial-organizational psychology distinguished professor emeritus, remembers a time when he explored admissions processes that might serve to complement SAT or ACT scores.

Shannon McPeek and her many Operation Happy Nurse volunteers scattered across the country have led programs, such as Fitness for the Caregivers, in all 50 states and six Canadian provinces. She received interest from Australia and some European countries as well. This growth and dedication earned McPeek multiple awards: a 2022 L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth honor and an Early Career Achievement Award from Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences.

True stories take six times longer to reach people on Twitter than false stories, according to a 2018 study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is a trend 1971 Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Mary Lee Chin has dedicated her career to shifting in the foods and nutrition industry.

Healthcare is ever-evolving, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting 2 million new jobs across healthcare occupations from 2021-31. As more and more people choose to enter the healthcare field, Justice Montgomery, a travel physical therapist and 2016 graduate from Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), is helping those interested in a career in healthcare delve deeper into the collaborative nature of healthcare through the podcast Pretty in Practice.

Anne Edwards, an alumna of the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences’ (HHS) undergraduate and graduate programs in hospitality and tourism management, has translated her hospitality knowledge to a variety of positions, ultimately pursuing a path in higher education. Coming from Northern Illinois University’s Center for Black Studies, Edwards recently returned to Purdue as the new director of the Black Cultural Center.

The College of Health and Human Sciences recognizes alumni through annual HHS Alumni Awards.

Dr. Alberto Oseguera, a 2013 Department of Health and Kinesiology alumnus, joined Boilermaker football as the team doctor in October, and he will travel with the program when it faces LSU at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Alumnus Devin Wyss will be rooting for Purdue despite working as an athletic trainer for both the Boilers and Florida Atlantic football.

When Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumnae Helen (Huser) Nill and Maria (Swiezy) Krach graduated with their respective degrees in nursing in 1983 and nutrition and dietetics in 1985, they never anticipated connecting years later to start their own business with three other women in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They didn’t even realize they’d encountered each other previously at Purdue when Nill had been Krach’s sorority rush counselor in Alpha Phi until weeks after they had officially met at a Fort Wayne Medical Society Alliance gathering.

People often associate trips to the chiropractor with back pain, but chiropractic care goes well beyond the spine, according to 2018 Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Liron Saletsky.

Jessica Mahecha, a 2020 Purdue University School of Nursing alumna, jumped into a pandemic and found a niche in travel nursing.

Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) alumnus Jeremy Warriner’s dream was to travel the world in the hotel industry. However, in 2005, after many successful years in the industry, a severe car wreck changed his life forever, causing him to lose both of his legs to severe burns.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Meredith Robbins was considering becoming a doctor until she took a toxicology class taught by Jonathan Shannahan. Shannahan, an assistant professor in the School of Health Sciences, introduced her to forensic toxicology through “The Poisoner’s Handbook” by Deborah Blum, and Robbins found herself hooked on learning more about an entirely different area of medicine.

Robert Wright (’67) and his family’s Beef House Restaurant has been home to sizzling ribeye steaks and famous hot dinner rolls since 1964.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Julie Taulman’s first introduction to adaptive sports came only months after her son, Kyle, became paralyzed in 2003. At two years old, Kyle was diagnosed with a stage-three, high-risk neuroblastoma cancer, which caused a tumor to wrap around his spine and prevented him from walking again. Despite the daunting diagnosis, the discovery of adaptive sports gave Taulman renewed hope that her son could live a normal life.

Lois Dennison’s dream college had advanced Chinese language courses and a stable where she could bring her horse along with her. Purdue University offered both. A 2013 College of Health and Human Sciences alumna, Dennison arrived at Purdue with an open mind about where her education might lead her, and during her second semester, she found her passion in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM).

Ten years ago, Bailey (Personette) Warmoth was put on the national bone marrow registry, which led to her saving the life of a little girl.

The professorship is named after two pillars of the program – Professor Emeritus Paul Ziemer and Purdue Health Sciences’ first head, Dr. John Christian. The goal of this professorship is to recognize upcoming researchers who, with the support of this professorship, can invest more time in research that will advance Health Sciences.

To further advance student learning in the Purdue University School of Nursing, Purdue alumni Mark and Maureen Miller recently gifted $14 million to endow the headship, contribute toward equipment for the planned Nursing and Pharmacy Education Building, create a new endowed scholarship for the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, and add substantially to their existing scholarship endowments.

Phil Klaus and John Gremling, both 2004 graduates, worked together to not only provide shelter to the displaced families — they helped establish the Afghans into central Indiana communities.

When it comes to literally fueling Purdue student athletes, Lauren Link’s work as director of sports nutrition for Purdue Athletics is of utmost importance. From menu planning to overseeing food service, Link supplies proper nutrition that drives slam dunks, workouts and studying.

S. Sianna Castillo credits her time at Purdue for igniting her love for molecular science and continuing her passion for research.

Scott Hutton and his team have developed products and methods that analyze and perform blood-based diagnostic testing.

Currently leading Argonne National Laboratory as laboratory director, Kearns is being recognized with the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award for his significant accomplishments and leadership in bionucleonics, as he advances Argonne National Laboratory’s research and teamwork to new heights.

Tasha Hall finds orthodontics to be a puzzle — no two patients are quite the same. While she attributes her diverse education from the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) with equipping her with the prerequisites needed to enter any field of medicine, it was the variability of orthodontics that was her passion.

A professor in Northwestern University’s School of Communication, Dhar is being recognized with the Purdue HHS 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award for his significant career advancement, long-term leadership and noteworthy professional accomplishments in the speech, language and hearing sciences field.

Now in her 30th year of teaching in Dearborn County, Indiana, Osman is being recognized with the Purdue HHS 2022 Distinguished Service Award for her leadership and significant contributions in East Central High School’s family and consumer sciences program, as she shapes the lives of her students and encourages them to give back to their community.

Studying as an undergraduate and master’s student at Bihar University in India, College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumnus Ramadhar Singh read and admired the work of esteemed Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences professors in his textbooks. When he received a Fulbright scholarship in 1970, he took the opportunity to pursue his doctoral degree in the United States, where he requested to transfer from another university to Purdue to work under the direction of social psychologist Donn Byrne.

From Bell Tower kisses to picnics in Horticulture Park, these HHS alumni started their love stories at Purdue.

The Lodde family’s business has lasted through 16 U.S. presidents, six U.S. wars, 456 Purdue football victories and countless road construction projects. One pandemic will be on that list as father and son Bill and Wiley Lodde have teamed up to keep Igloo Frozen Custard in the minds, hearts and stomachs of its loyal clientele.

Having three family members who were diabetic, nutrition played an important role in Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Jennifer Folliard’s family. She made the decision in seventh grade that she wanted to major in dietetics and set her sights on finding the best dietetics program in country. She ultimately chose Purdue’s Department of Nutrition Science.

As vice president of hospitality at Staples Center, HTM alumnus Sam Porter must make sure guests are comfortable and provided with quality food, drink, merchandise and any other request — whether it’s from someone with 13 million Twitter followers or 30.

Brad Garton, a 1979 Purdue University School of Health Sciences alumnus who is now director of the Computer Music Center at Columbia University, was once known as Mr. Science when he was an undergraduate student conducting research and performing in front of thousands of his fellow Boilermakers as part of the punk rock band Dow Jones and the Industrials.

It’s a passion for helping families through some of their lowest times that has driven her to continue her father’s legacy and help the oldest African American-owned business in Spartanburg, South Carolina, thrive as it approaches 106 years of service.

Upon graduating high school, Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumnus Ian Schaller knew he wanted to pursue a STEM career, but doing what, he wasn’t entirely sure. When he found the School of Health Sciences’ health physics concentration within the radiological health sciences major, he was intrigued to learn more. This set him on his journey of understanding radiation and helping others work with it safely.  

iversity College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Mallori Walker knows she was born to be a pediatric nurse practitioner — a statement that has been echoed by her former professors in the School of Nursing. Now a pediatric nurse practitioner at IU Health Arnett; chair of IU Health’s system-wide diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) council; a lecturer in the Purdue School of Nursing; and a doctoral student at Rush University, Walker hopes to continue to lead the nursing profession to new heights.

Bianca Pryor co-founded Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, which strives for equitable, quality care for Black birthing people. It is named after Shalon Irving, a fellow Purdue alumna, mother and former epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control.

It wasn’t a desire to teach that initially led Dennis Swender to the family and consumer sciences (FCS) education major in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences. He just wanted to help people — the training in education was merely a bonus that might help him if he chose to pursue a master’s degree in social work or counseling.

For Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Virginia Jacko, there are three kinds of people: those who do not see an opportunity, those who see an opportunity but are afraid to act on it, and those who both see an opportunity and act on it. Throughout her life, Jacko has embodied the last, taking advantage of every opportunity, even if it wasn’t what she had planned.

As owner of Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations consultation company, chef Charlie Baggs has helped restaurants, chains and companies develop new recipes and flavor profiles.

For many Purdue HHS alumni PAs, the profession’s flexibility to continue learning and help a variety of patients are especially appealing, and HHS opens the door to many interest areas that lead to PA school, including health and kinesiology, nutrition science, health sciences, public health and more.

A new study reveals the stress, psychological trauma and, at times, system failures, that occurred in healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported by the frontline critical-care nurses. themselves.

As the Tokyo Games entered its final days, Winger was voted by her fellow Team USA athletes to represent her country as the flagbearer during the Olympics’ closing ceremony.

Purdue Nursing alumna Shannon McPeek (BS ’16) is the founder of Operation Happy Nurse, an online non-profit organization dedicated to helping nurses improve their mental health.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Samantha Busch and her husband, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, are familiar with the struggles of infertility.

The road to medical school is paved with hard work and a passion for helping people, but biology and standard science tracks are not the only way to get there.

While many retail stores have several iterations of the same gown, creative director Natalie Harris’ bridal gowns are unlike standard dresses on the market.

HHS will once again be represented at the Olympics. For the events in Tokyo this summer, two HHS alumnae and one current student will compete for the gold, and they will be backed by thousands of Boilermakers rooting for them around the world.

From the hearty handshake to reading body language and unmasked facial expressions, soft skills enhance sales and management jobs.

For Kendall Landorf (NUR ’21), the 12 hours she spent working as a Purdue University School of Nursing student in two Purdue-affiliated rural health clinics where among her most memorable.

As a first-year student in HHS, Chelsea Hayes never imagined that she’d become the CEO of a company. All she knew was she wanted to help people.

A new cookbook by a Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna aims to eradicate heart disease using tasty ingredients straight from the garden.

Many people think of the pushy door-to-door salesperson stereotype when they hear the word “sales,” but for Benjamin George, a Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumnus, a career in sales means helping people.

A few months after the passing of his wife of more than 50 years, Roger Johnson started cleaning things out in their home. As he was going through a large, blue plastic tub Vicki had stored in their basement, he found an array of fabric: a mostly completed quilt top, several quilt blocks in various stages, and a stack of fabric that was cut into the components to create a quilt block that Vicki had likely designed.

Caroline Mullen Gerughty, a Purdue School of Nursing alumna, took small steps during her career that led to a giant leap to NASA Ames Research Center.

Congratulations to the 9 outstanding seniors of 2019 from each of the nine units in Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences. We asked each senior who their biggest influences were while studying at Purdue and what their next giant leap will be.

We conducted a public sidewalk hopscotch experiment for Purdue Day of Giving. What Giant Leaps will you take for Health and Human Sciences?

College of Health and Human Sciences has a deep bench of talented alumni working for professional sports teams, both as athletes and as key players behind the scenes.

In the next 150 years, the College of Health and Human Sciences will continue to envision a world where we all practice hospitality in the deepest sense of that word.

January 15, 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the “Miracle on the Hudson” crash landing, piloted by Purdue alumnus Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.