This week’s ‘Thumbs Up’ recipients

Purdue Today’s “Thumbs Up” series gives faculty and staff members the opportunity to recognize, thank and congratulate others for their outstanding service, support and performance across the Purdue system. This week’s “Thumbs Up” recipients are:

Margaret Ascolani, Yao Yang and Marquetta Strait

“Thumbs Up” to Maggie, Yao (both Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment) and Marquetta (Enrollment Management) for responsibly exploring AI-assisted analysis for part of our work affiliated with the Student-Centered Advising Initiative. This team applied the innovative analytic approach to focus group data from campus partners involved in transfer student success. They maintained data security expectations, human-coder checks and careful review throughout the process. AI (via Copilot 365) supported data organization, pattern identification and early coding, but these human analysts retained responsibility for evidence review, interpretation, synthesis and final decisions. Their work demonstrates how innovation can increase efficiency while preserving rigor, transparency, participant voice and human judgment. Thank you for modeling curiosity, collaboration and responsible innovation. This work helped to construct an evidence-grounded narrative from campus partners’ perspectives and supports data-informed decision-making about how advising practices can be strengthened for transfer students. — Anne Weiss (Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment)

Polytechnic staff members and student ambassadors who helped with Welcome Week

Over the course of seven days, the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s Office of Academic Excellence and Globalization, marketing and communications team, and student ambassadors engaged with 1,500 Polytechnic students as part of Welcome Week activities! The positive environment and feelings of community that these events create for our incoming and returning students truly make Purdue Polytechnic special. A huge thank-you and well done go to Heather Boswell, Misty Clugh, Payton Drake, Lisa Lawson, Miah Moore, John O’Malley, Jen Ramos, Zach Rodimel, Kim Vi and all the Polytechnic ambassadors who spent so much of their time ensuring Techies had a great start to the semester! — Elizabeth Barajas (Polytechnic)

The Orientation Programs team

Many thanks to the Orientation Programs team for their work coordinating a successful Boiler Gold Rush and Boiler Gold Rush International. Thank you to Alison Webb and Virginia Johnson for their vision and execution of these programs and their ability to bring campus and community partners together to support them; to Jacque Rickett, Adina Loomis, Whitney Johnson and Hannah Keeler for balancing student staff development and training with significant projects like move-in, check-in and other individual programmatic events; and to José Perez and Kenneth Burrell for their willingness to jump right in while being new to the team and Purdue. Now, 9,200 participants, 840 leaders and 20 days of August later, our students are off to a strong start because of the team’s hard work and dedication. I’m grateful to have witnessed it firsthand. — Craig Johnson (Orientation Programs)

Jacinda Shirley

We currently have over 50 forms — soon to be close to 90 — available on our forms webpage, and I would like to give Jacinda (Administrative Operations Communications) a “Thumbs Up” for her continuing work to help us make them more accessible to our customers. Not only was Jacinda helpful, ensuring our forms comply with ADA accessibility standards, but she also used her web developer skills to provide multiple ways for customers to search for and find forms they need. In addition to the more traditional means of alphabetical listing and search bar to match keywords, Jacinda added a filter to show forms grouped together by the safety program to which they belong. This filter will be useful when a customer knows the safety program but doesn’t know the form’s exact name. Another added feature is that the form’s safety program is now printed above the form’s name. — Judah Young (Environmental Health and Safety)

International Students and Scholars Student Services

Thank you for all the tireless work the ISS Student Services team is doing to help and support our international students and scholars navigate the recent fixed period of admission rule change! — Dianne Little (Basic Medical Sciences)

Riley Mowry-McCord

I would like to thank Riley (Purdue Conferences) for handling a stressful medical situation in a calm, collected and professional manner. As a new member of the team, she called emergency services to the Purdue Farmers Market to treat a guest. Your willingness to quickly take charge in this situation, being your second week on the job, is greatly appreciated. — Lauren Stearns (Purdue Conferences)

Becky Engwall

“Thumbs Up” to Becky from the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development for her outstanding commitment to Purdue and its people. Becky consistently delivers high-quality professional development workshops while expertly managing countless behind-the-scenes details. She is a master connector who builds meaningful relationships and links colleagues with valuable campus partners. Becky truly embodies the Boilermaker spirit through her service, collaboration and dedication. — Alli Loy (Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development)

Want to recognize someone for a job well done? View the submission form and guidelines on the “Thumbs Up” webpage.