Aspiring to become a marine biologist wasn’t all that unusual for Oahu, Hawaii, native Sienna Ogawa. But as a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno, she was introduced to plant sciences, moving her interests from the sea onto land. Accepted into Purdue’s PULSe program as a PhD candidate in fall 2019, she joined the lab of botany and plant pathology professor Sharon Kessler. Now Ogawa dreams of her own lab and an academic role that combines research and teaching.
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| AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Purdue professors honored by American Chemical Society
Two Purdue professors within the James Tarpo Jr. and Margaret Tarpo Department of Chemistry have received national awards from the American Chemical Society. Jean Chmielewski, the AW Kramer Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, is the 2025 recipient of the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal, and Jeffrey Dick, the Richard B. Wetherill Associate Professor of Chemistry, is the 2025 recipient of the
National Fresenius Award.
Coming Sunday (Sept. 15), “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert” will feature the movie showcased on a colossal HD screen, complemented by a diverse ensemble of musicians and instrumentalists performing the film’s iconic score and soundtrack live. This extraordinary lineup includes a full orchestra, a skilled scratch DJ on turntables, and percussion and electronic instrumentalists.
Ben O’Brien plans to work in electric transportation. Takaharu Igarashi hopes to become a space architect. Anika Bhoopalam wants to work in semiconductors. These are just three of the 16,000 current College of Engineering students who will advance society in the years ahead — as Purdue engineers have done for the past 150 years. As the College of Engineering celebrates its sesquicentennial, join us in examining how Boilermaker engineers will influence our future.
