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| Virginia (Cabrera) Johnson has been named the Sr. Assistant Director of Orientation Programs in Indianapolis effective Monday, March 4. In this role, Virginia will lead efforts for Boiler Gold Rush in Indianapolis, continue to serve as part of the Orientation Programs team, and join the Teaching and Learning Programs team led by Chris Krull. Virginia was hired as a Program Assistant to focus on international-specific programming in 2016, where she quickly became the lead coordinator of Boiler Gold Rush International. Virginia took over responsibilities for Boiler Gold Rush in West Lafayette in 2021 and since that time, the percentage of new students attending BGR has increased each year, with 2023 reaching its highest level of participation since 2014. Over 55,000 new Boilermakers have experienced BGR alone since Virginia’s arrival to campus, with an additional 4,200 having served as student leaders for Orientation Programs during that time. Some of Virginia’s many notable contributions over her time in West Lafayette include: leading BGRi and BGR programs for new students, incorporating the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) into student leader training, and being a co-recipient of the 2022 Purdue Focus Award and 2021 NODA Innovative Orientation Program Award for her creation of the Boiler Gold Rush Sensory Guide. Virginia also has left unquantified impacts on campus partners, student leaders, new students and their family members – particularly students of color, and Spanish-speaking students and families – throughout her tenure at Purdue. |
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| Virginia has also been extremely active outside the office. She is currently enrolled as a doctoral student in the College of Education’s Curriculum Studies program, contributed to work of several on-campus offices (most notably CILMAR, the Latino Cultural Center, and others), served as the International Student Network Co-Chair for NODA from 2019-2021, presented at a variety of higher education conferences, contributed to the Big Ten network of orientation professionals, and served in a variety of leadership roles for the NODA Region VII Conferences, including as a co-chair for a NODA Regional conference at Purdue in March 2020 (shifted virtually at the start of the pandemic). Virginia will continue to work in West Lafayette for the majority of the spring 2024 semester and transition to Indianapolis in May. Questions for BGR in West Lafayette can be directed to Craig Johnson or Maggie Smith in the interim. Future vacancies within the Orientation Programs team will be shared broadly when available. With more than seven years of service to Orientation Programs and Student Success Programs in West Lafayette, Virginia brings exceptional knowledge and experience to lead the university’s efforts for new students in Indianapolis. Reply to this message to congratulate Virginia directly on her new role. |
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