College of Liberal Arts to honor three young alumni

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Three alumni from Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts will receive the 2019 Emerging Voice Award on Friday (Sept. 13).

The College of Liberal Arts, CLA Alumni Board and Purdue Alumni Association present the award annually to young alumni who have excelled in their careers and have proven to be productive, engaged members of society. The CLA has recognized 36 alumni with Emerging Voice Awards since establishing the honor in 2007.

This year’s three recipients will receive the award at a reception at Purdue Memorial Union. They are:

* Emily Haas, who completed a Ph.D. in health communication at the Brian Lamb School of Communication in 2012. Haas is a senior research behavioral scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Her dedication to improving mining safety helped Haas earn a 2018 Arthur S. Flemming Award, which recognizes outstanding federal government employees.

* Ryan Heater, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 2006. Heater is the executive director of external affairs for the Indiana Regulatory Commission. He leads the commission’s legislative, media, and stakeholder management strategies and oversees the consumer affairs division. Heater previously served as policy and legislative director for Lt. Govs. Suzanne Crouch, Eric Holcomb and Sue Ellspermann. A former sergeant in the Indiana Army National Guard and 2012 graduate of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Heater previously worked as a legislative assistant under four members of the Indiana House of Representatives.

* Sarah Kyle, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2000. Kyle is senior advisor and senior director of federal government affairs at Eli Lilly and Co. She previously served as a legislative staff member under Sen. Evan Bayh and Rep. Tim Roemer and has held a variety of leadership positions in Washington, D.C., that relate to her specialties in health and social policy.

More information about the Emerging Voice Awards can be found here.

Media contact: Joseph Paul, 765-494-9541, paul102@purdue.edu

Source: Kati Pratt, director of marketing and communication, College of Liberal Arts, 765-496-7276, katipratt@purdue.edu