Appointments, honors and activities

• Faculty and staff honors:

Kristina Bross, professor of English, has co-edited a book titled “A History of American Puritan Literature,” with Abram Van Engen of Washington University in St. Louis. The newly published book features contributions from an international team of scholars and challenges the traditional understanding of American Puritans. By offering new insights into their history and literary culture, each chapter creates a series of interlocked new histories of American Puritan literature.

Stacey Connaughton, professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication and director of the Purdue Policy Research Institute, has recently co-edited "Transforming Conflict and Building Peace: Community Engagement Strategies for Communication Scholarship and Practice" (Peter Lang, 2020). Co-edited with Pete Kellett and George Cheney, this book serves as the inaugural volume in the Peter Lang “Conflict and Peace” series. It ties together the application of communication theories and principles in relation to conflict transformation and peacebuilding around the world and in the U.S.

*  *  *  *  *

• Notables:

Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity has recognized the Kappa Omega Chapter from Purdue University with the regional Outstanding Financial Operations Award for a Collegiate Chapter, the regional Outstanding Professional Activities Award for a Collegiate Chapter and the regional Outstanding Service Award for a Collegiate Chapter. Award winners were announced via virtual presentations posted on the Delta Sigma Pi website in October.

To be recognized for an award, the chapter must submit an online application. Each application is first reviewed by a group of fraternity volunteers within each region. Regional winners are then progressed to a provincial award selection committee. A national winner is then selected from the five provincial winners by the fraternity’s National Scholastic Development and Awards Committee, led by an appointed individual who has shown years of dedicated service to the fraternity.

The Purdue Degradable and Intelligent Radio Transmitting Sensor team won 10,000 euros and the opportunity to showcase its solution in front of representatives from key industry leaders, startups and institutions during a presentation in October. The team, led by Rahim Rahimi, assistant professor of materials engineering and of electrical and computer engineering, developed biodegradable, battery-less, and chipless sensor to monitor soil properties. More information about the project, the team and the honor can be found here.

*  *  *  *  *

• Rankings:

Purdue University was one of 40 higher education institutions that made Campus Pride’s recent 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-friendly listing of colleges and universities. The listing looks at colleges and universities in various regions of the country that are committed to LGBTQ students and rate the highest for LGBTQ-inclusion in policy, program and practice.  The 2020 Best of the Best College and University listing is based on the data provided annually through the Campus Pride Index related to policies, programs and practice. 

In June, Campus Pride ranked Purdue as 13th in the nation and first in Indiana on its annual Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ Students listings at the national and state level. Purdue’s LGBTQ Center, was established in 2012 within the Division of Diversity and Inclusion and is a key instrument in engaging the campus community with educational, outreach and advocacy programs, and services and resources for students. The center has also helped students establish new LGBTQ+ student organizations, assist with the growth of Purdue Employee Pride and expand volunteer opportunities.