This week’s ‘Thumbs Up’ recipients

Brittney Adams

I’d like to give a big “Thumbs Up” to Brittney (Finance) for her outstanding work as our department’s business manager. Brittney is relatively new to the role, but she has already made a tremendous impact. She is always responsive, positive and proactive in addressing our needs. One example that stands out is her handling of invoices with Freeman for the supercomputing conference. Brittney managed these interactions with professionalism and efficiency. She resolved issues quickly, often going above and beyond to ensure everything was handled smoothly. Her efforts have exceeded my expectations and made a challenging process much easier. Thank you, Brittney, for your hard work and commitment; you truly make Purdue a wonderful place to work! — Eric Adams (Rosen Center for Advanced Computing)

Renee Kashawlic

A very big thank you to Renee (University Residences) for hosting a phenomenal staff and retiree celebration luncheon. Through her efforts and planning, she brought together the past and present of University Residences and Purdue Dining & Culinary. For Renee, uplifting people’s spirits is a talent and a skill. In these colder months, as the semester reaches a point of culmination, she helped us take a step back and remember what’s important. We are ever grateful to Renee for sharing her talents, passion and energy with us! — Kris Yambao (Resident Activities)

Teams and employees that assisted at Cary Quadrangle

Dave Burford and Scott Wright (both Operations and Maintenance); Wendy Tommas-Dolick, Billy Britton and Jill Gray (all Building Services); Terry VanHoosier (Environmental Health and Safety); Brian Siler (Residential Housing Operations); Jared Ward and Tyler Ellenwood (both Resident Activities) and their respective teams provided an incredibly fast response to Cary Quad during a flood Dec. 5. Their quick response prevented a large amount of damage to the residence hall. Their actions reminded me of why Purdue is a family! Thank you again for your incredible work! — Denton Sederquist (Residential Housing Operations)

All snow removal folks

Thank you to everyone involved in snow removal across Purdue’s campus! Your early mornings, long hours and hard work keep our walkways, roads and entrances clear and safe for the entire Purdue campus. I truly appreciate you; your efforts don’t go unnoticed. Thank you for all you do! — Terri Griffin (Operations and Maintenance)

Caleb Koontz and Brandon Ball

When one of the Grounds plow trucks was disabled during one of the last snow events and the replacement part was difficult to find, Caleb and Brandon (both Operations and Maintenance) made the decision to give up the part from one of the general labor trucks scheduled to be sold through salvage. Their unselfish decision allowed the Grounds truck to be repaired and returned to service in a quick manner. Thank you, Caleb and Brandon, for leading by example and exhibiting Administrative Operations teamwork. — Phil Richey (Grounds)

Volunteers for the Fall Undergraduate Research Expo

With almost 700 student presentations from Nov. 17-21, we had a wonderful turnout of 343 volunteer judges, who provided important feedback to student presenters and helped determine top awards. With consistent support from the Purdue community, we can continue growing this event without losing the individualization of the evaluation process. Additionally, we had 27 day-of volunteers who helped ensure smooth conference operations. Thank you! — JJ Sadler (Office of Undergraduate Research)

EDPS 105 (Academic and Career Planning) instructors

Thank you all so much for a great fall semester: Colleen Banter, Lynette Bleed, Karla Cunningham, Miranda Jack, Kate Layman, Jennifer McDonald, Eric Rodenberg, Beau Scott, Scott Vana, Cara Wetzel and Nate Wong (all Exploratory Studies); Amanda Emmons and Michelle Fulk (both Bursar); Jessica Chapman and Erica Lott (both Daniels School); Darcy Allen (Biomedical Engineering); Sam Cartwright (Resident Activities); Jenni Montes (Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences); Katy Panozzo (Engineering); and Ashlyn Ruff (Student Success Technologies). You’ve made a huge difference in the lives of our Exploratory Studies students, and for that, I am grateful. Cheers to an enjoyable and peaceful semester break! — Mary Beth Lencke (Exploratory Studies)

Jonathan Duncan and Josh Beauchamp

I wanted to recognize Jon and Josh (both Operations and Maintenance) for installing carpet in one of our research labs. They managed to complete the install while working under a heavy desk system with power and data. We thought we would have to break down and move much of the furniture in the lab to install the carpet and possibly disrupt ongoing research. They were professional and efficient, and they did an excellent job on the carpet installation. Also, this was completed several weeks ahead of what we had scheduled. I appreciate your work! — David Leonard (Computer Science)

Athletics Department

I am a newer hire in the Athletics Department and just want to voice my appreciation for the people I work with. I have worked in many departments within Purdue and, so far, Athletics has been very welcoming. So many of the people I see every day make it a point to say “hello” and “thank you,” and that makes a significant difference in my day. From the crew I work with every day, to the supervisors, Human Resources staff members and the maintenance folks — even people I just see in the hall — thank you for your kindness and help. — Alicia Evans (Athletics)

Mike Mundy

Winter weather is unpredictable at times, so I would like to thank Mike (Administrative Operations) for ensuring that the Indianapolis campus remains properly plowed, salted and safe. Thank you for keeping us safe! — Evan Hawkins (Administrative Operations)

Amy Deitrich, Cindy Salazar and Lisa Gross

This wonderful Botany and Plant Pathology crew stepped up in my regrettable absence to keep our undergraduate winter brain break going as scheduled. Your giving hands and warm hearts make it a joy to work with you! All our undergrads thank you for keeping tradition alive! — Lisa Klein (Botany and Plant Pathology)