Entrance to Engineering Mall, Purdue University, Spring 2015, Campus Scenes

Recipients named for 2025 Purdue University Online Excellence Awards 

May 9, 2025| Greg Kline

Purdue University Online has announced the recipients of the 2025 Online Excellence Awards. 

The awards are intended to recognize professional accomplishment and to promote creative and effective approaches to learning delivered via digital education media. The awards are accompanied by a cash payment ($2,500 per award, split between multiple team members where applicable). 

The 2025 recipients are: 

  • Dr. Michael Titus (Associate Professor of Materials Engineering, School of Materials Engineering, West Lafayette, Catherine Hixson (Lead Instructional Designer, Innovative Learning, West Lafayette), and Joshua Brown (Lead Producer, Innovative Learning, West Lafayette) received the Excellence in Online Course Design and Delivery (Degrees) award for the course MSE 59700 (Superalloys-High Temperature Alloys). 
  • Dr. Shams R. Rahmani (Soils Laboratory Coordinator and Soils Teaching Laboratory Manager, Department of Agronomy, West Lafayette) received the Excellence in Online Course Design and Delivery (Degrees) award for the course AGRY 25500 (Soil Science). 
  • Dr. Annika Kraft (Associate Instructional Developer, Center for Instructional Excellence, West Lafayette) and Dr. Frances Sobolak (Associate Instructional Developer, Center for Instructional Excellence, West Lafayette) received the Excellence in Online Course Design and Delivery (Credentials) award for the program Foundations in College Teaching. 
  • Dr. Cuneyt Altinoz (Professor, School of Business and Information Technology, Purdue Global) received the Innovative Online Use of Technology (Degrees) award for the course GB 513 (Business Analytics). 
  • Dr. Fred Whitford (Clinical Engagement Professor and Director, Purdue Pesticide Programs, Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, West Lafayette), Cheri Janssen (Curriculum Development Specialist, Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, West Lafayette), Connie Hahn (Lead Instructional Designer, Innovative Learning, West Lafayette), Leah Miller (Senior Instructional Designer, Innovative Learning, West Lafayette), and Louis Dierckman (Senior Video Production Specialist, Innovative Learning, West Lafayette) received the Innovative Online Use of Technology (Credentials) award for the Purdue Pest Management – Category 7a: Industrial, Institutional, Structural, and Health-Related Pest Management program. 

For more information about the Online Excellence Awards, please visit the awards website.