Backpacking through Central America and India was a life-changing experience for Radhika (Rangarajan) Dirks (S’03). During the trip with her husband, Travis Dirks (S’04), she witnessed heartache, strife — and an opportunity to leverage the enormous power of artificial intelligence (AI). “We saw a lot of unfortunate things that seemed like they should have been […]
Reading literature boosts empathy among other health benefits Quick: name the last book you read! If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. According to a report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Americans are devoting less time to reading for pleasure with every passing year — in 2017, the average amount of time […]
Remains of soldier killed in Vietnam return to Indiana after 51 years Ann (Bardach) Vollmar (LA’67) will never forget the cold January day in 1968 when an army captain from Fort Harrison knocked on the door of her family’s Westfield, Indiana, home. Her father was away in New York City for business, and her mother […]
Best thing about Purdue? The people! I love how many people there are, but also how diverse and individual everyone is. What do you do for fun? I founded the Stand-Up Comedy Community of Purdue; I perform improv comedy with Ad Liberation; and I’m on the hospitality team at Campus House. Why Purdue? I saw […]
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 […]
As a child and a teen, Mike Duffy’s (T’02) interests were highly varied. He built a photography darkroom in his parents’ basement. He spent two summers at journalism camp. He played around on computers, which were just becoming common in households in the ‘90s. After he left Purdue, Duffy’s résumé was just as colorful. He […]
This story is sponsored content. Alumnae share their roads to success at KAR Robin Leslie (T’84) doesn’t think of herself as a trailblazer. But when she enrolled in computer information technology at Purdue, the department was in its infancy. She was one of few women in the major — and one of few students of […]
Tight-knit bonds formed among wrestlers leave lifelong impact Dylan Lydy (HHS’19) came to college to wrestle. The fact that he also fell in love with his major was incidental. As a 21st Century Scholar, Lydy never had to worry about securing scholarship assistance as an undergraduate. The program covers up to four years of tuition. […]
Name: Robin Rhine Gig: Clinical Manager Years on the job: 14 On duty: Oversee operations of the Clinical Research Center in the Department of Nutrition Science. We take biometric measurements and draw blood from research study participants per the instructions of the study administrator. You’d be surprised: There are times where the study may require […]
Alumna embarks on a 500-mile journey to grapple with her devastating diagnosis and advance breast cancer screening for others The pilgrim gripped each stone, one by one, turning it over in her hand. She felt its weight and ran her finger over its surface before laying it gently down at the base of the Cruz […]
