Purdue Science honors outstanding alumni at the 2025 Distinguished Science Alumni Awards
04-25-2025
The Purdue College of Science honored nine alumni on April 11, 2025 for the annual Distinguished Science Alumni Awards. The event was held at the historic Purdue Memorial Union where recipients were presented with awards in honor of their outstanding contributions to the scientific community.
Their work and accomplishments are real world proof that a Purdue degree in science can lead to professional success and help to solve some of the enormous challenges facing modern society. They are inspirational role models for us all.
Awards are given to alumni whose work and achievements have made a significant difference in our communities and lives. This year, Purdue Science granted one Philanthropy Award and eight Distinguished Alumni Awards from the seven departments within the college, plus the actuarial science program.
“We honor our Distinguished Science Awardees, exceptional individuals who exemplify leaps forward, continuously pushing boundaries and making an impact. Through their ideas, they propel the world ahead. Through their achievements, they elevate the college’s reputation and influence. And through their ongoing connection with Purdue Science, they inspire the next generation of Boilermakers,” said Lucy Flesch, Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science.
Philanthropy Award:
This award recognizes a philanthropist who has positively impacted the world. The honoree demonstrates loyalty to the College of Science in advancing its stated mission and goals.
Mary Jane Elmore, BS Mathematics, 1976
Mary Jane (MJ) has been a pioneer in the male dominated world of Silicon Valley venture capital, becoming the first female partner on the west coast. MJ helped build Institutional Venture Partners into a firm that has created over 400 companies, more than 100 of which have gone public.
She continues to be an advisor and Limited Partner of the IVP funds while focusing on Angel Investing. With women being only about 8% of venture capital partners and female entrepreneurs receive only 2% of the startup capital, she has turned to funding new female led venture firms and start-up companies that are led by women. MJ is passionate about the issues our youth face and works with groups making a difference in Teen Mental Health and Youth Homelessness. MJ has strong interest in the visual arts and is an oil painter and on the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. MJ is the proud mother of three adult children and a new grandchild.
Distinguished Science Alumni Award:
These awards honor individuals who provide significant leadership within her or his chosen field and has noteworthy professional accomplishments, while demonstrating loyalty to the College of Science in advancing its stated mission and goals.
Tamás Darvas, PhD Mathematics, 2014
Tamás graduated from Babeș-Bolyai University in 2009 with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. He earned his PhD in Mathematics from Purdue University in 2014 under the supervision of László Lempert and has been a faculty member at the University of Maryland since then.
In recognition of his contributions to complex geometry, he received a CAREER award from the NSF in 2019, a SloanFellowship in 2021, and a Simons Fellowship in 2024.
Michael Goodrich, Computer Science, 1985 MS and 1987 PhD
Michael received his B.A. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Calvin University in 1983 and his PhD in Computer Science from Purdue University in 1987. He is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine, where he has been a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science since 2001.
In addition, he was a professor at Johns Hopkins University from 1987 to 2001. His research is directed at high-performance algorithms with applications to information assurance and security, the Internet, machine learning, and geometric computing. With over 350 publications, he has done research on efficient solutions to fundamental problems, including sorting, convex hulls, nearest-neighbor searching, linear programming, network traceback, and data authentication. He is an ACM Distinguished Scientist, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a Fulbright Scholar, a Fellow of the IEEE, and a Fellow of the ACM. He is a recipient of the IEEE Computer Society Technical Achievement Award, and he is a foreign member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters.
Indrajit Lahiri, PhD Physics 1998, MS Electrical & Computer Engineering 1995, MS Physics 1993
Indrajit is Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the OLED Patterning business unit in the Display group at Applied Materials. Prior to his role as OLED GM Dr. Lahiri was the Chief of Staff, Head of Business Management, Strategy & Field Operations for the Display group at Applied Materials. Since joining the Display group in January 2008, he has focused on developing new business opportunities, supporting new business growth, driving customer engagement and sustainability, developing strategy and executing key field strategies to drive financial performance. Dr. Lahiri first joined Applied in 1998 as a New College Graduate, starting out as a reliability engineer in the Dielectric Chemical Vapor Deposition division.
He has since held several management positions of increasing responsibility, including General Manager, BEOL Dielectric Etch. Dr. Lahiri holds a Master’s degree in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay, India); Master’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering and a Ph.D. in Physics, both from Purdue University. He has authored >10 patents, published >25 papers & >50 conference proceedings.
Peter Mueller, PhD Statistics, 1991
Peter is Professor of Statistics and Mathematics at UT Austin. He obtained a doctorate in statistics from Purdue University, held faculty positions at Duke University, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is an elected fellow of the ASA, the IMS, and ISBA, recipient of the Zellner award (ISBA) and served as president of ISBA, and as chair of ASA/SBSS.
He works on Bayesian inference, with a focus on nonparametric Bayesian methods, simulation based methods, optimal design and multiple comparison procedures. He is interested in applications in biostatistics and bioinformatics, including in particular Bayesian clinical trial design, hierarchical models, population PK/PD models.
Sonia Nasr, PhD Biological Sciences 1996
Sonia is a distinguished Global Therapy Management Professional with over two decades of experience shaping the landscape of medical communications, clinical research, and disease management. As the Founder of GLOVAL, she has spearheaded innovative solutions in medical strategy consulting, publication planning, key opinion leader engagement, patient and clinician education, and leadership coaching. Her work has significantly advanced therapeutic areas such as rare blood disorders and cardiac hypertrophy. Following completion of her doctorate from the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University, her career began in academia as an Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, where she earned the prestigious “Women in Science” award from UNESCO and L’Oreal.
As a Senior Associate at McKinsey & Company, she transitioned into the industry, advising global pharmaceutical leaders on product launch business strategies. Her tenure at Baxter Healthcare Corporation as Senior Global Marketing Manager solidified her expertise in global therapy management to improve patient treatment outcomes. Dr. Nasr is from Lebanon and currently resides in Colorado with her husband and 3 children.
Amalia Olivera Riley, PhD Geoscience, 1995
Amalia is an executive leader with 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Her experience spans across a spectrum of international companies from supermajors to small independents including ExxonMobil, Repsol, and Tullow Oil. Amalia’s strengths include her strategic vision, technical and organizational leadership, and designing and implementing change. She has worked projects on five continents covering 40+ countries. Amalia was on the World Energy Council 2020 list of Influential Women in Energy, and Distinguished Alumni from the EAPS department at Purdue University (2008). She is an active industry forum participant in Technology, Inspirational Leadership, Energy Outlook, Future of Exploration, and Women in Energy.
She sat on the board of the IAPG Houston (2010-2013) and is a board member of Lean In Equity and Sustainability since 2022. Amalia has a PhD in Geoscience from Purdue University, Indiana, USA. Amalia grew up in Argentina. She is married and has 3 children and has worked and lived in Houston, USA; London, UK; and Madrid, Spain.
Michael Roscoe, BS Mathematics and Statistics, Actuarial Science program, 1979
Mike has had a long career in the Life Insurance Industry. He has been responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining individual life insurance and annuity products for over 40 years. Mike joined The Hartford in 1980 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in life insurance and annuity product development at The Hartford as well as CIGNA and Lincoln until he retired in early 2012. Retirement however was short-lived as he joined Symetra in the summer of 2012, eventually leaving Symetra and joining AXA/Equitable in 2016. In both instances, Mike continued to lead Life Insurance Product Development efforts while also helping to drive each company’s strategic plan. Over the years, Roscoe and his teams have been recognized as leading innovators in the life insurance industry. Developing new and creative approaches to previously unsolved problems has been a hallmark of his team’s work. They have over a dozen patents to their credit.
Mike fully retired in 2023. He now enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, golf and photography.
Richard Wien, BS Chemistry, 1967
Richard retired as Manager of Strategic Business Development after a distinguished 34-year career at Eastman Kodak. During his tenure, he was recognized with both a technical EMMY and an OSCAR, reflecting his contributions to the field of technology and innovation. Dr. Wien’s connection to Purdue began in high school when he worked on a science project in the Chemistry Department, later continuing with undergraduate research. This led to an NSF Graduate Fellowship, further cementing his lifelong relationship with Purdue. Dr. Wien holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Purdue and a Ph.D. from Stanford. Currently, Dr. Wien is actively engaged in various educational and community initiatives. He serves on the boards of the Pittsford Education Foundation, Pittsford Food Cupboard, and The First Baptist Church of Rochester. He is also a member of the Purdue JMHC Dean’s Advisory Board and has been a mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Wien was named a Hero of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society in 1996 and received the NASA Public Service Medal in 1995. Alongside his professional work, Dr. and Mrs. Wien have made significant contributions to academia, establishing a faculty position currently held by Dr. Mei, as well as sponsoring a collaboration room in Purdue’s new Data Science building. Additionally, Dr. Wien serves on the boards of two medical device startup companies.
Congratulations to all our awardees for their awards and outstanding contributions to science, their communities, and Purdue Science.
About the College of Science
Purdue University’s College of Science is committed to the persistent pursuit of the mathematical and scientific knowledge that forms the very foundation of innovation. More than 350 tenure-track faculty conduct world-changing research and deliver a transformative education to more than 6,800 undergraduates and 1,800 graduate students. See how we develop practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges with degree programs in the life sciences, physical sciences, computational sciences, and mathematics at www.purdue.edu/science.