Purdue Graduation Briefs

May 4, 2001 Purdue doctoral candidate defies childhood labels WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – His second grade teacher wanted to enroll him in special education classes, and he couldn't read until he was in the fourth grade. On Sunday, May 13, however, Cary Countryman, 34, will graduate from Purdue University with a doctorate in hospitality and tourism management. "Teachers misjudged me," said Countryman. "They predicted that I would fail. Thanks to the support of my mom, I made it through some difficult elementary school years. And I learned that you can never underestimate the potential of anyone. What a special way to celebrate Mother's Day – receiving the first doctoral degree in the family." His mother, Sandy, and father, Larry, from Snohomish, Wash., will be watching as Cary graduates at 9:30 a.m. in the Elliott Hall of Music. Both say they believed their son was capable of great things. "I believe in giving my children a positive self-image," said Sandy. "I taught all six of them that they can do anything they want to do if they put forth the effort." In the 1970s, while he was attending elementary school, learning disabilities and learning styles were not as well understood as they are today, she said. Teachers did not want to promote Cary. His second grade teacher wanted to enroll him in special education classes. "I could not believe that he could not learn," said Sandy, "so I hired a special tutor for him each summer." Sandy said Cary had such a difficult time learning to read because he had been reversing words and writing letters backwards. She said his tutor taught him shortcuts and tricks, which helped him start learning and enabled him to believe in himself. When he entered fourth grade, Sandy said Cary finally started to become interested in learning and began to excel in the classroom. He was in the top 10 percent of his graduating high school class. He graduated, cum laude, with a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Washington State University. He later earned an MBA, with honors, from Washington State. After receiving his doctorate from Purdue, he will move to Texas, where he will be an assistant professor of hotel and restaurant management and director of the Technology Research Education Center at the University of Houston. "If I told his second grade teacher that my kid was going to get a Ph.D. with a marketing and statistics background, that teacher would have said I was absolutely crazy," said Sandy. "I'm very proud of him." CONTACT: Cary Countryman, office: (765) 494-4734, home: (765) 497-2570, ccountry@purdue.edu; Sandy Countryman, (360) 568-9622. Purdue graduates first deaf nuclear engineer WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – When Scott Krepel, 22, of Milwaukee, graduates on May 12, he will be the first deaf student to graduate from the Purdue University School of Nuclear Engineering. Krepel said he believes he may be the first deaf nuclear engineer in the country. "It's not like anyone has had to do a census of deaf nuclear engineers before, but I have had considerable interaction with the nuclear community, and I don't know anyone who has met a deaf nuclear engineer before me," he said. "In fact, when I went to the American Nuclear Society student conference, it was the first time they had to arrange for an interpreter." Krepel attended the Milwaukee High School of the Arts. He said he had aspirations to be an artist and poet but began to take an interest in engineering. "I decided to take advantage of my math and science skills and went into the most creative math and science discipline I knew of – engineering," he said. "And Purdue happened to be one of the top engineering schools in the country." He was accepted into the Purdue program as a National Merit Scholar and recently received the Outstanding Senior in Nuclear Engineering Award. Attending classes at Purdue presented Krepel with a challenge that he has faced his whole life – communicating in a hearing world. "Obviously the main challenge in being deaf and being successful in a hearing world is one of communication, but, usually, others are more concerned than I am," he said. "When it comes to nuclear engineering, interpreters do have a hard time with the terminology." Purdue provides interpreters for all deaf students who request them. "Most interpreters contracted by the university are certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf," said Janet Beattie, coordinator of interpreting services for Adaptive Programs. "The interpreters that I contract must be very highly qualified because the assignments that we have are very technical – especially in areas like nuclear engineering." Krepel is currently considering job offers from a company in Wisconsin and one in Tennessee. Once he makes a choice and moves, he will have to begin communicating with a whole new group of people. "I usually communicate by paper and pencil or typing in a word processor, and, along the way, I tend to teach people sign language," he said. "It's usually not tough for friends and co-workers to pick some of it up." Krepel will participate in the commencement exercises in Purdue's Elliott Hall of Music at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 12. CONTACT: Janet Beattie, coordinator of interpreting services, (765) 496-2973, jebeattie@purdue.edu. Scott Krepel, (765) 495-7035 (TTY), krepel@expert.cc.purdue.edu (until 5/12). Journalists who do not have access to a text telephone (TTY) but would like to interview Krepel, can call Telecommunications Relay Services at (800) 743-3333. The operator will relay questions and answers through a TTY. After graduation, contact Krepel through his parents at (414) 483-6794 (Voice/TTY). Purdue student marches into life after graduation WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Katie Campbell, a mechanical engineering major from Mishawaka, Ind., will be participating in three marches during the month of May: one for a diploma, one for the Indy 500 and one down the wedding aisle. Campbell's first march will be at Purdue University's commencement at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, in the Elliott Hall of Music. Two weeks after graduating, she will play in the Indianapolis 500 Parade and the race's opening ceremonies as trombone section leader of Purdue's "All American" Marching Band. Six days later, she will get married. Despite a hectic month, Campbell refuses to give up her last chance to play with Purdue Bands. "It’s the die-hard band people who do the 500. It’s my last chance to see everyone and march in uniform," she said. Campbell said her fiancé, Purdue graduate Mike Lemler, knew better than to try to talk her out of performing, even though participating in Indy 500 activities will consume three days of her life before their wedding day. Campbell played trombone in two band ensembles each semester that she was enrolled at Purdue. In addition to the marching band, she played in lab and concert jazz bands, Boiler Brass and Volleyball Pep Band. She also serves in a scholarship position as the band librarian. "I can’t imagine coming to Purdue and not playing in the band. It’s just such a big part of my time here. Just the chance to make music with other people and entertain is very valuable to me," she said. Campbell is a graduate of Penn High School. Her brother, Dan, is a trombone player in the Penn High School band. Her sister, Jenny, is freshman at Purdue and a tuba player in the "All American" Marching Band. Campbell will move to Columbus, Ohio, after her wedding. CONTACT: Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands public relations director, (765) 494-6785, kcmatter@purdue.edu; Katie Campbell, (765) 464-8557 (campus), (219) 255-6989 (home), campbelk@tools.ecn.purdue.edu.   Compiled by Brian Zink, (765) 494-2080; bzink@purdue.edu NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Credentials are required to cover Purdue University's graduation exercises. For more information, or to obtain credentials, contact Jenny Pratt at the Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2079, jmpratt@purdue.edu. To the Purdue News and Photos Page