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:

Mark Chen, Samanthi Obeyesekera, Michele Eavey and Matt Bowers

I needed technical help, so I reached out with a question, and within an hour, Mark, Samanthi, Michele and Matt (all Financial Aid) were on it and had me set up and right where I needed to be. No matter when we reach out or what we need, our great data team is always helpful and quickly resolves our issues. They don’t get a lot of glory for their work behind the scenes, but they are awesome and very much appreciated! — Stephanie Simms (Financial Aid)

Recreation & Wellness team

Thank you to the RecWell team, especially Melanie Red Elk and Mike Warren, for making the inaugural President’s Council Pickleball Tournament a memorable success. From coordinating the event to engaging with President’s Council donors, they created a welcoming, energetic experience for participants of every skill level. We are grateful for their partnership, enthusiasm and commitment to making this event so enjoyable for all. — President’s Council team

Those who organized Teaching and Learning Technologies retreat

I’d like to give a “Thumbs Up” to my Teaching and Learning Technologies colleagues Alexa Burleigh, Autumn Cottle, Jason Dufair, Sara Gretencord, Alex Mason and Rachelle Riendeau who planned, coordinated and brought this year’s TLT retreat to life! An event like this takes a great deal of time and care behind the scenes, and it showed. Their clear communication and helpful resource guide answered all the practical questions about the venue, attire, transportation, catering and agenda. The day was well organized, gave us meaningful opportunities to collaborate and used a music theme to help us learn more about one another. Thank you for creating such an enjoyable experience for our team! — Mary Grisham (Teaching and Learning Technologies)

Elaine Sanders

I would like to recognize Elaine in the College of Agriculture Business Office for the incredible support she has provided as I transition into my new role. From day one, she has been patient, approachable and always willing to answer my countless questions. Her knowledge, guidance and encouragement have helped me navigate new processes and responsibilities with confidence. No matter how busy she was, Elaine consistently made time to help, ensuring I had the information and resources needed to succeed. Her willingness to share her expertise and support others truly exemplifies teamwork and dedication. Congratulations, Elaine, on this well-deserved “Thumbs Up”! I sincerely appreciate everything you have done for me! — Michele Baker (Extension)

Nate Snodgrass and Justin Phillips

We had a strong smell here at the Honors College. Nate and Justin (both Operations and Maintenance) responded quickly and were able to purge the building with fresh air and the smell greatly dissipated within the hour. Thank you for your fast action! — Izzy Salazar (Operations and Maintenance)

Brittany Daugherty

I would like to recognize Brittany (Building Services) for the incredible care and pride she puts into her work at Bechtel Innovation Design Center. Brittany works hard every day to keep our facility clean, comfortable and welcoming for our students, staff and visitors. She takes so much pride in what she does, and it truly shows. Her work may often happen behind the scenes, but it makes a tremendous difference in our day-to-day environment. She consistently goes above and beyond to make sure our space is well cared for, and we truly appreciate the time, effort and attention to detail she brings to the BIDC. Brittany, thank you for everything you do! We are very fortunate to have you taking care of our facility, and we want you to know how much your hard work is noticed and appreciated. You make a difference every day! — Christina Perry (Engineering)

Luke Pavone, Jesse Miller, Garrett Clark and Josh Remaly

I’d like to give a “Thumbs Up” to the Zone 1 maintenance team, specifically Luke, Jesse, Garrett and Josh (all Operations and Maintenance). Luke identified a problem with a fume hood exhaust fan located on the roof of the Brown Laboratory of Chemistry. The team quickly began getting the necessary parts on hand and worked with the affected lab to schedule the repairs around their research activities, allowing important work to continue with minimal disruption. Their early identification of the problem and quick response helped prevent an equipment failure that could have resulted in major repairs and an extended disruption to the lab’s research. Thank you to Luke, Jesse, Garrett and Josh for being proactive, responsive and working closely with the lab to get the issue addressed. Great job, Zone 1! — Rob Barr (Chemistry)

National and International Scholarships Office

Throwing a successful National and International Scholarships Office Week is no easy task, but the entire team did such a great job with this year’s programming! Thank you for doing everything that you do for your students; we’re a lucky campus community to have you supporting the amazing work that happens as students prepare to leave here! — Samuel Day (Global Engineering Programs and Partnerships)

Amy Boyle and the Human Resources team

Thank you to Amy (Human Resources) and her team for all the work that went into recognizing staff members who have been at Purdue for 10 or more years. It was a wonderful reception, and I hope this tradition continues for many years to come! Congratulations to everyone who was recognized, and a special shoutout to those celebrating 40-plus years at Purdue! — Katie May (Nuclear Engineering)

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