Author: RM Barton

Purdue University is launching four new online graduate certificates in communication covering branding and marketing, health communication, digital media and communication technology, and sports communication. The graduate certificates from Purdue’s Brian Lamb School of Communication prepare students to tackle pressing challenges in a field that already has been changed radically with the advent of technologies such as the web, social media, smartphones and now –artificial intelligence.

When Lawrence Carter started his Master of Science in Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science (BIRS) with Purdue, he was in the middle of several big life changes. For one, he was thinking about changing careers – he was working as a public health analyst for a federal agency but wanted to transition into a drug compliance role.

Thomas McNamara grew up in New York, hundreds of miles away from Purdue University’s flagship campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. But thanks to his high school math teacher, a Purdue alum who recognized McNamara’s talent for engineering, he ended up applying to the university and getting accepted.

James Price, core lead in service engineering at Whirlpool, is a proud Hoosier. He was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana and describes himself as a Midwesterner through and through. Like many Hoosiers, he grew up hearing about Purdue University and its legacy in sports and academics, particularly engineering and technology.

John Sheffield, professor of engineering technology in Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute, has a long-standing passion for developing green hydrogen sustainable energy solutions. 

Melissa Zabel believes that artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to revolutionize the way people work – she’s seen this potential firsthand in her role as director of content experience at Salesforce, where she manages a team of software technical writers. In her job, Zabel uses and works on generative AI and sees firsthand how it can automate processes and optimize efficiency.

Victoria Olmsted, a student in Purdue’s online Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, started her healthcare career when she was a freshman in high school. She got a job sterilizing dental equipment at a local dentist office, and soon realized she wanted to continue working in the healthcare field.

After Gabriella Quintana graduated from Purdue University in 2018 with a bachelor’s in public health, she moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area and started a career in clinic services. A couple years later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and her field was thrust into a crisis. Her undergraduate coursework had focused on epidemiology, a branch of health science focused on the distribution and control of disease in communities

Experts predict that in the future economy, upskilling and reskilling will be the primary means by which professionals stay on top of market demands and keep themselves employable. But, according to Forbes, the future economy is already here – emergent technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) have already changed the job market, creating unprecedented demand for new skills.

During the 2024 election, America experienced a compelling story underpinned by data. Before the election, the likelihood that either party would win was forecast by election polls that projected candidates’ popularity state by state, congressional district by congressional district and community by community.