It started simply. Larry Juday (M’68) of Vancouver, Washington, had retired and pondered getting a dog. With several cats in the house, his wife, Susan Immer, suggested he “get his dog fix at the shelter.” This was in 2006, and hundreds of kittens plus their community have benefited as result of that conversation. Juday and […]
In high school, Brad Ruder (T’93) carefully researched college options across the country from his New Jersey home and chose Purdue for its outstanding construction engineering and management program. Building was his first love, and he wanted a curriculum that covered all aspects of the construction process. Little did he know then that his life’s […]
Popcorn. Hot Dogs. Hot cocoa on a cold football Saturday. While the students in Keith Molter’s (LA’76, MS HHS’89) Purdue School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) class served up good eats at a Ross-Ade Stadium concession stand, they offered up so much more. A healthy portion of compassion and commitment to a cause was […]
Hillary (Direnzo) Gramm’s (HHS’05) time at Purdue led her to a career, her husband, and their child, whom they gave a Purdue-themed name (Amelia, as in Earhart). And it was the unlikeliest of items that brought Gramm to West Lafayette: a baby sweat suit. “I’m one of the first in my family to graduate from […]
Joy. It’s a simple word to write, but it takes commitment to deliver, especially over the holidays. Cue the Purdue Alumni Club of Mid-Michigan, whose members are faithful volunteers at the Santa House in Midland, Michigan. Each year, they help children and their families experience the joy and magic of Christmas. Delivering delight starts the […]
An encounter with two members of the North Carolina state legislature put John Turner (HHS’01), a former Army officer and Iraq combat veteran, on track to fulfill the critical needs of 21st century military veterans through a program designed to facilitate community reintegration, counseling, training, and mentoring. During VFW State Legislator Day in May of […]
Super Bowl champ counts blessings as his foundation builds schools in Haiti Anyone’s life can change in an instant. A heart attack, a hurricane, a knee to the chin. At just 33 years old, Cliff Avril (HHS’11) speaks with hard-earned authority on each of those examples. His father, Jean Samuel Avril, died from a heart […]
Change can be scary, especially when it involves creating an unknown and uncertain path forward. That’s been the reality for some former street kids in Kenya, who were displaced from their families because of issues such as poverty and political unrest. They left life on the streets, where they had developed their own survival system […]
When Tamara Markey (IE’94, MS’16) walked down the halls of her Indiana high school, McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology, one day in October, she thought she was heading to a meeting for one of the many programs she leads. But then she turned the corner and saw her husband, Maurice (IE’98), and her children, […]
Veterinarian leaves career in academia to serve veterans In ways big and small, Purdue alumni shape the world every day. Across the country and around the globe, thousands of Purdue graduates make a positive impact on their communities. Timed to coincide with Purdue’s sesquicentennial, the Purdue Alumni Association is working to recognize the untold stories […]
