January 25, 2008

Appointments, honors and activities

— Brian Knoy is the new director of development for the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Knoy previously served as the manager of development operations and prior to that as the director of leadership giving in the annual giving department.

— Catharine Adair has been promoted to director of special events at Purdue. For the past three years, Adair served as the assistant director of special events.

– Erin Bittenger is the new director of development for the College of Liberal Arts. Bittinger previously worked as a donor relations specialist for Ivy Tech Community College. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 2002 and is from Dodge City, Kan.

Faculty and staff honors:

— Marcia Gentry, associate professor of educational studies, has been appointed director of the Gifted Education Resource Institute. Gentry is responsible for overseeing the institute's goals related to learning, engagement and research. After 12 years as a middle school teacher and administrator, she earned her doctorate in educational psychology, gifted education and talent development from the University of Connecticut in 1996. She has served as associate director of the institute since joining the Department of Educational Studies at Purdue in 2004. Gentry is replacing Sidney M. Moon, associate dean for the College of Education and Gifted Education Resource Institute director from 1997-2007.

— Ala Samarapungavan,  associate professor of educational psychology, has been appointed associate head of the department of educational studies. Samarapungavan received her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1991. Her initial appointment in the department was as a National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow in 1993. She has a national reputation in research related to knowledge acquisition in the sciences.

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