This week’s ‘Thumbs Up’ recipients

Kim Vi-Zook and Stephanie Willis

Many thanks to Kim Vi-Zook and Stephanie Willis in Sponsored Program Services. Their recent assistance with expenditures data and adapting to evolving requirements is deeply appreciated. Always a pleasure to work with, and in this recent effort they went the extra mile. — Jordan Gooch (Data Analytics)

Johnathan Macintyre and the counselors of Boiler Kids Camp

Scores of Purdue parents are raising their thumbs for, cheering, applauding and huzzah-ing the fabulous, caring, dedicated, flexible, hardworking and unbelievably generous caregivers at Boiler Kids Camp, who’ve given our kids a memorable, enjoyable and exciting summer full of rich activities and time with friends. After Boiler Kids Camp, my kids are so excited to spend more time at Purdue, especially at the new esports center. Thanks, Johnathan (Recreation and Wellness) and company, for all you’ve done. We look forward to next year! — Ted Fondak (IT End User Experience)

Carli Payne

Carli (Sponsored Program Services) was extremely careful and thorough handling my recent grant proposal during the submission process. I know that this time of year for the pre-awards office is particularly busy, and both faculty and pre-award specialists are probably quite stressed as a result. That makes how attentive and meticulous Carli was to the minutiae of proposal guidelines even more impressive. Kudos to Carli! Great pre-awards specialists make submitting research proposals so much easier. — Jonathan Delph (Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences)

Jo Otremba

We want to give a huge shout-out to Jo Otremba, the Barron Hilton Archivist for Flight and Space Exploration and clinical assistant professor for Purdue Archives and Special Collections. Jo was absolutely instrumental in our Neil Armstrong storytelling — not only helping us locate key archival materials but also recommending additional treasures based on their deep knowledge and expertise. Their efforts played a pivotal role in helping us enchant audiences with a story enriched by the archives they helped us uncover. We can’t imagine the time and dedication they poured into this project, and we are beyond grateful for their care and innovative ways of keeping us organized along the way. Their responsiveness made us feel like they were an extension of our own team. Thank you, Jo — we couldn’t have done all of this without you! — Teresa Walker, David Ching, Jonathan Hord and the entire Purdue Brand Studio team

Katie Nelson and Kate Caward

A big thumbs-up to Katie Nelson (Career Services) and Kate Caward (Experiential Education) in Indianapolis for their incredible work on Indy Amplified! Their leadership and creativity brought Indianapolis and West Lafayette students together for a dynamic summer experience in Indianapolis, blending professional development, networking and cultural exploration. Katie and Kate helped students build connections with alumni and industry professionals while fostering a strong sense of belonging. The impact of Indy Amplified is a direct reflection of their dedication and passion. Well done! — Mary Andrade (Career Success)

Ted Fondak and Joshua Anderson

Many thanks to Ted Fondak and Joshua Anderson (IT End User Experience) from the Education Information Technology team for their help. They assisted me in installing an application on my MacBook and gave me detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to use it. I sincerely appreciate their support and patience throughout the process. — Wanju Huang (Curriculum and Instruction)

Purdue academic advisors

Thank you for the incredible work you’ve done this summer to meet with every new beginner at Purdue. Because of your dedication, every student has had an hour with an academic advisor to plan for college and start their Purdue journey with confidence. This first meeting is critical and arguably the most important one-on-one conversation our new students will have before arriving on campus. Your time and care make a lasting impact, and we deeply appreciate all you’ve done to support our newest Boilermakers. — Jeff Elliott (Undergraduate Advising)