Student Honors

June 23, 2006

Purdue students participating in scholars program

The program brings students from more than 85 universities nationwide to New York City, Boston, Chicago or Washington, D.C., to live, work and study from June 3 to July 29.

Students Christina Schowe, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts from West Lafayette, and Jason Farmer, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts from Borden, Ind., are participating in the Distinguished Scholars Program in Washington, D.C. Tracey Todd, a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts from Kokomo, Ind., Philip Davis, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts from Seymour, Ind., and Christina Kranc, a sophomore in School of Health Sciences from Granger, Ind., are participating in Chicago. Paul Putarek Jr., a sophomore in the School of Pharmacy from Poland, Ohio, is participating in the program in Boston.

Each participant is placed in an internship that matches his or her interests and career goals. In addition to the full-time internship, the scholars in Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C., are taking an evening class at Boston University, Loyola University Chicago and Georgetown University. Each three-credit course examines the contemporary city and the social problems challenging urban America.

Student receives scholarship to study in Japan

Spaid previously traveled to Japan, visiting the country with a high school exchange program. He has also traveled to China.

The Gilman Scholarship is a congressionally funded program established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. It provides finding to encourage students from public and private institutions from all 50 states to study at less-traditional study abroad destinations, such as Asia, Africa and Latin America. The program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education.

More than 1,600 undergraduate students in the United States have received Gilman Scholarships. These scholarships have enabled recipients to study in more than 80 nations, including Cameroon, Egypt, Uruguay and Latvia. Past Gilman Scholars have gone on to receive awards, including Fulbright Scholarships and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships.

Organizational Leadership and Supervision honors 3 graduates

Hilary Schnirring of Champaign, Ill., was awarded the outstanding senior award. She was instrumental in bringing the Deming Institute Conference back to Purdue in 2007. To achieve this goal, she spent much of her last year in school developing a research and marketing plan, then presented a proposal to the Deming Institute in Washington, D.C. Schnirring is now employed at JeldWen corporate headquarters in Klamath Falls, Ore.

Baddr Al-Abbas of West Lafayette was awarded an outstanding achievement award. Al-Abbas was wounded in action while serving in Iraq. He received two Silver Stars and earned commendations for his role in interrogating Saddam Hussein when his unit pulled him from an underground bunker. Al-Abbas is now a production engineer manager with Gentex in Zeeland, Mich.

Imonite Uduehi of Nigeria was also awarded an outstanding achievement award. Uduehi is vice president of the African Students Association, was the runner-up in the 2005 University Collaboration Entrepreneurial Challenge and is now pursuing graduate studies in the College of Technology.

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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