October 27, 2004
Purdue announces lineup for 2004 Old Masters
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A surgeon, a scientist, an astronaut, an FBI director and six other prominent leaders in their fields will take part in Purdue University's 2004 Old Master's program Nov. 7-9.
Sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students, the Old Masters program is an annual tradition that gives students the opportunity to interact with men and women who have risen to the top of their career fields.
"This is a chance for students to see how people who are successful in their fields had to overcome some of the same challenges Purdue students have faced or will face as they pursue their own career aspirations," said L. Tony Hawkins, dean of students. "The unique part of this interaction is that it's very informal, which lets everyone share on a more personal level. Students frequently get to hear directly from the Old Masters how their personal values and philosophies played a role in their success."
During their three-day stay on campus, the Old Masters, most of whom are Purdue alumni, will visit classrooms and residence halls and share informal meals where the masters will engage in open dialogue with students.
Two events are open to all students and faculty — the getting-to-know-you talks at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Purdue Memorial Union West Faculty Lounge and the all-campus reception at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 in Hillenbrand Hall.
The Old Masters program started in 1950 with the idea of inviting Purdue leaders who embody the ideals of "honesty, personal integrity and a good philosophy." More than 500 men and women have visited the campus in that capacity in the 54 years since the program's inception.
The 2004 Old Masters are:
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• Col. (ret.) Sue Abreu, is a trained nuclear-medicine physician who spent more than 24 years in the U.S. Army. A Purdue graduate in 1978 in biomedical engineering, she was the first woman to be awarded the Hughes Award, honoring the top Army ROTC graduates in the nation.
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• Rita Colwell is the first woman to be named director of the National Science Foundation. She holds a bachelor's degree in bacteriology and a master's degree. in genetics from Purdue and was awarded an honorary doctorate from her alma mater. Her doctorate in oceanography is from the University of Washington.
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• J. Douglas Field is the vice president of design and engineering and chief technology officer for Segway LLC. Field led the team of engineers responsible for the Segway Human Transporter, the self-balancing personal transportation system invented by Dean Kamen. Field graduated from Purdue in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
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• William Funk is a leading recruiter of university presidents and chancellors, currently the National Practice Leader of Korn/Ferry International's education practice. A graduate of the Krannert School's Master of Science Industrial Administration, he was awarded the American Council on Education's Network Leadership Award for work in advancing women into senior-level positions at higher education institutions.
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• Greg Harbaugh is a veteran of four space flights, logging 818 hours in space. He joined NASA after graduating from Purdue in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. He is a licensed commercial pilot who enjoys building his own aircraft.
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• Bernadine Healy is a medical correspondent for the U.S. News & World Report. She is a past director of the National Institutes of Health and is a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Healy received her M.D. from Harvard and completed an internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
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• C. Brad Hintz is an equity research analyst covering the securities and asset management industries at Sanford Bernstein & Co. He has worked 16 years on Wall Street. He became the nation's youngest Fortune 500 treasurer, and is lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He received his bachelor's degree in industrial management from Purdue, his master's degree in systems management from University of Southern California, and his MBA from The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
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• Michael Kirkpatrick is the assistant director in charge of the FBI's criminal justice information services division. He was awarded the presidential rank of meritorious executive for his leadership in the use of biometrics in the war on terrorism. He is a 1976 graduate of Purdue with a bachelor's degree in industrial management.
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• J. Russell "Rusty" Rueff Jr. is executive vice president of human resources at Electronic Arts, the Redwood City, Calif.-based game developer and publisher. He is a corporate board director, an executive trustee of the San Francisco-based American Conservatory Theater and a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He holds a bachelor's degree in communication and a master's degree in counseling from Purdue.
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• Stephen Zelnick is the former senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Advanced Micro Devices. He helped to build the small spinoff company into a multibillion-dollar corporation. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1960.
Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, news.writer@purdue.edu
Sources: Heather Webb, student affairs specialist, (765) 494-1250, oldmasters@purdue.edu
L.Tony Hawkins, (765) 494-1239, lthawkins@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: To arrange interviews with Old Masters, contact Heather Webb at (765) 494-1235, hwebb@purdue.edu.
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