Appointments, honors and activities
- Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, professor of botany and plant pathology, has been named head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture by Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of the College of Agriculture.
- Annabelle Atkin, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, has been named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science (APS). The APS Rising Star designation is presented to outstanding APS members in the earliest stages of their research career post-PhD. The designation recognizes researchers whose innovative work has already advanced the field and signals great potential for their continued contributions.
- Bryan Arbic will serve as the next director of the Dorothy Stratton Veteran and Military Success Center. Bryan was the assistant director and has been serving as interim director since the departure of Morgan Gamble. Arbic was selected after a thorough national search and is dedicated to continuing to provide support services for all military-connected students.
- Brett Bergman, a third-year student at Purdue Global Law School, recently won the American College of Legal Medicine’s (ACLM) Hirsh Student Writing Competition. Bergman’s paper — “The Evolution of Advanced Practice Providers: Addressing the Legal Lacuna — Who Has the Duty of Informed Consent?” — focuses on who has the legal duty to obtain informed consent and a review of how jurisdictions have evolved the doctrine over time, allowing the physician to delegate this duty to other qualified healthcare providers. In addition to receiving a cash award, he presented his research at the ACLM national conference in Phoenix on March 8.
- Assistant professor of history Jonathan Lande has been selected for the cohort of the National Fellowship on the Future of Liberal Education, a highly selective, multiyear national program. Lande is one of just 24 faculty members from institutions across the country chosen for the 2026-28 cohort. Fellows are nominated by institutional leaders in recognition of their promise and demonstrated commitment to advancing liberal education.
- Susan Baughman, a former vice president of Indiana Sports Corp and now an independent consultant, is the inaugural director of experiential learning and industry engagement for Purdue’s Master of Science in Sport Management program based in Indianapolis. Her role is designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world application — developing internships, consulting projects and partnerships that connect students directly with leaders across the sport industry. With more than 30 years of experience in Indianapolis’ sports community, Baughman will help shape graduates who are ready to lead in a fast-paced, high-stakes field.
- David Purpura, professor of human development and family science and director of Purdue’s Center for Early Learning, is the recipient of the 2026 Christian J. Foster Award. The award, named for the former First Gentleman of Purdue, annually recognizes a Purdue faculty member who has made demonstrable contributions to improving teaching and learning for K-12 students in science, technology, engineering and math education in Indiana. Purpura’s research focus is on understanding how children in preschool through third grade learn math, how to identify children at risk for later math difficulties and how to best to intervene on these skills early.
- A.J. Schwichtenberg, associate professor of human development and family science, is the recipient of the 2026 International Congress of Infant Studies Translational Research Award. The award recognizes scientists who have successfully moved basic research on early human development from the laboratory into applied settings, positively impacting infants and families, and highlights career-long contributions to translational science in infancy. Schwichtenberg’s research assesses how sleep and biosocial processes are developmentally consequential for children and families. She directs the Sleep and Developmental Studies Laboratory at Purdue and was an inaugural co-director of the Purdue Autism Research Center.
Faculty-Staff News
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May staff recognition for dedicated years of service
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