This week’s ‘Thumbs Up’ recipients

Christian Chimezie Obijianya

Thank you, Christian (Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment), for remaining dedicated to tasks and showing growth in communication techniques. — Bryan Price (Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment)

Heather Servaty-Seib and Jeff Elliott

Dr. Servaty‑Seib and Dr. Elliott (both Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning) are leading Purdue’s data‑informed effort to strengthen advising for transfer students, building on a universitywide push to enhance support for this population. Their work uses institutional data to identify areas where advising processes can better meet transfer students’ needs and to guide targeted improvements. They consistently champion the importance of recognizing transfer students’ distinct pathways and ensuring the university is prepared to help them succeed. Their multi‑phased, continuously refined approach blends data analysis, advisor insights and student feedback to shape more coordinated and effective practices. Jeff’s and Heather’s leadership demonstrates how thoughtful, iterative use of data can elevate the student experience, empower advisors and strengthen the Purdue community. — Margaret Ascolani (Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment)

Erin Gilman

A special shoutout to Erin (Purdue Athletics — Sports Medicine) for stepping into her role as our insurance coordinator and hitting the ground running. She has demonstrated professionalism and the kind of grit, accountability and team-first mindset that define Purdue Athletics. She has earned the respect of our athletic trainers, physicians and support staff, and we are grateful for her attention to detail, commitment to excellence and collaborative spirit. Boiler Up! — Michelle Leithliter (Purdue Athletics — Sports Medicine)

Zach Rost and Michelle Regan

Thumbs-up to Zach and Michelle (both Purdue University Online) for their thoughtful use of learner experience data to guide decisions and continuous improvement through the Purdue Online Learner Experience Project. They consistently engaged with survey results, asked practical questions about what the data meant for students and used findings to inform planning and cross-unit conversations. Their openness to the assessment process and focus on turning results into next steps helped ensure the data was not just collected but actively used to improve practice. Thank you for being engaged and data-informed partners in this work. — Yao Yang (Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment)

Keara Wilson

Thumbs-up to Keara (Basic Needs Program) for her leadership in using data to shape a more systematic and sustainable approach to basic needs assessment. After piloting an initial survey, Keara worked closely to translate early results into a longitudinal survey design, offering thoughtful feedback on equity-centered language, core constructs and how results could be tracked over time. She consistently emphasized how the data would be used to guide decisions, allocate resources and assess progress, helping move the work to an ongoing improvement process. — Yao Yang (Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment)

Patrice Castillo

Patrice (Finance) truly went above and beyond to support the Food Science Department this week. Due to an unexpected ordering issue — through no fault of her own — we found ourselves without essential paper supplies. Rather than allowing the office to be disrupted, Patrice generously used her own lunch hour to drive to Staples, purchase a box of paper and deliver it back to campus so operations could continue smoothly until the reorder arrived. Her initiative, problem-solving mindset and willingness to step in wherever needed reflect a strong commitment to the team and exemplify the kind of reliability and care that keep our department running every day. We are very grateful for her dedication and positive attitude. Thank you, Patrice! — Cory Brenner (Food Science)

Ally Goodrich

Ally (Vice Provost for Student Life) has consistently demonstrated her value as director of student employment, operations and leadership development. She provides thoughtful guidance on the hiring process, keeps stakeholders informed about job fairs and student enrichment initiatives, and offers ongoing assistance with employment descriptions and opportunities. Her patience and commitment to supporting others are greatly appreciated. — Will Heidbreder (Capital Projects)

Custodial crew that cleaned the floors in Rawls Hall

The Daniels School of Business would like to express appreciation for the custodial team that showed up on Monday and spent several hours giving our first floor of Rawls a sweep and polish. With the amount of salt and slush coming into the buildings from the crazy amount of foot traffic this time of year, any amount of effort makes a huge difference. But the team thoroughly and methodically worked their way around furniture (and students) sweeping, vacuuming and mopping, with the end result being a much more inviting initial impression of the building’s entryways and halls. Thank you much to Eddie Tovar Lopez, Maria Gaeta, Juana Marquez, Alex Serrano, Najib Wardag and Maribel Perez (all Building Services). If there were others, I did not have your names, but you have our gratitude. Thanks to all for the much-needed refresh. — Michael Humphrey and Blake Marks (both Daniels School)

Robin Becker

Robin (Finance) goes above and beyond in her work supporting units in Student Life. Thank you, Robin, for all your generous help! — Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center

John Grundy

John (Provost) has recently completed a large number of highly prestigious and prestigious award nominations. He has worked tirelessly with faculty, many times late into the evening to accommodate their schedules. He is a consummate professional, pursues leads, researches information and crafts compelling narratives to submit each nomination on time and at the highest level of quality. Besides his managerial and writing skills, he also pours his heart into the stories, celebrates each win and always tries to improve for resubmission if needed. John is an invaluable contributor to Purdue and a cherished colleague. — Cristina Farmus (Provost)

Kevin Burk

I want to recognize the outstanding support I’ve received from Kevin (Purdue IT) on numerous database requests across multiple projects, including Ag Directory and PRISM. No matter how many tickets I submit, they are always processed with impressive turnaround time, often completed as soon as possible after submission. What sets Kevin apart is the communication — I’m consistently kept updated on ticket status throughout the process, never left wondering. Beyond just completing requests, Kevin takes the extra step to help verify that everything is working correctly after implementation. During deployments and troubleshooting, he has shown tremendous patience in working through various issues until they are fully resolved. This level of reliability and responsiveness across multiple projects has made a real difference in keeping our development work on track. Kevin is truly one of the best support partners I’ve worked with. — Deshun Zhang (Purdue IT)

Sara Duff and Beth Russell

I want to give Sara and Beth (both Finance) a huge thumbs-up for helping me with an issue that I was not familiar with in payroll. You two rock! — Terri Griffin (Operations and Maintenance)