News | College of Health and Human Sciences

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.

Written by: Tim Brouk, tbrouk@purdue.edu In 1999, the average cost of gas was $1.17. The Backstreet Boys wanted it that way and a Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s (HTM) student organization’s signature event...

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.

Written by: Tim Brouk, tbrouk@purdue.edu Perhaps not for a billboard, Dr. Matthew Smith’s slogan for his physical therapy practice in the Chicago area is still impactful. “I tell all of my patients at some point ‘I have a very cool...

David Purpura, professor of human development and family science in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, has devoted much of his career to creating lasting change in children’s understanding of math. By understanding the mechanisms that have demonstratable impacts on children’s early math learning, Purpura and his research team have tailored their findings into the development of math-focused children’s books, including the “Little Elephants’ Big Adventures” series, the “Pattern Pals” series, and the upcoming “Our Mathematical World” series. The books not only offer an opportunity for young children to learn math but also offer a tool that teachers and family members can use to support young children’s learning.

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu David Purpura, professor of human development and family science in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, has devoted much of his career to creating lasting change in children’s understanding of math. By understanding...

The Center for Families fulfilled Purdue’s land-grant mission through research, teaching and outreach, and it continues to be a concrete reminder that families, in all their diverse forms, are the foundation of society.

Written: by Angie Klink Susan Kontos joined the Purdue University faculty in 1985 in what is now the Department of Human Development and Family Science. Kontos was an international authority as a top-notch researcher who investigated young children’s development through...

A team of Purdue University researchers in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management investigated if Americans are willing to put on their walking shoes to take in the sights and sounds at an urban tourist destination.

Written by: Tim Brouk, tbrouk@purdue.edu Encouraging Americans to move more is a goal of physicians and healthcare workers nationwide because it’s an effective way for most people to improve physical health — even while on vacation. A team of Purdue University researchers...

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.

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu 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...