HAIL PURDUE

Josh Lukasak (AAE’09) and Sarah (Behringer) Lukasak (EDU’09) enjoyed a family vacation in Yosemite with their children: Taylor, Ryan, Nora, and AJ.

The Riggs family proudly displayed their Boilermaker spirit. Graduates from left: Brandon Lewin (S’11); Emily (Riggs) Lewin (S’10); Roger Riggs (A’75); Renda (McDowell) Riggs (M’75); Megan (Morton) Riggs (EDU’05, MBA’18); and Doug Riggs (ABE’02).

Michael Gomez (PG’21) and Veronica Lopez (PNW’12, PG’22) earned their master’s degrees from Purdue Global’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and walked together during a commencement ceremony in October.

Terry Smith (A’78) and Jean (Thomas) Smith (A’79, PFW’83) visited Milford Sound in New Zealand on a Purdue for Life alumni trip.

Chad Speedy (M’18) and Kaylin (Orsburn) Speedy (A’18) welcomed Lindley Joy in September 2022.

Jim Overman (ME’80) and Diane (Brofazi) Overman (M’80) met Scot Anderson (IE’86) and Donna (Shoemaker) Anderson (HHS’85) on a trip to Antarctica.

CLASS NOTES

1960

“My granddaughter Hailey Davis (current HTM student) and I performed on the Ross-Ade Stadium field during Homecoming in September. Hailey is a member of the Purdue Dance Team, and I was part of the “All-American” Marching Band’s Alumni Band. I never dreamed, in 1960, that I would be the first of three generations to attend Purdue. Hailey’s dad, Paul Davis (T’94); mom, Julie (Hunt) Davis (EDU’94); and sister, Caitlin Davis (current philosophy student), are all proud Boilermakers.”
James Davis (CE’66) // daviscnj43@gmail.com

1970

Craig L. Sparks (M’70) retired after 34 years as chief legal counsel of Computer Services Inc. upon its sale to a private equity firm for $1.6 billion. He previously was a partner and chair of the securities law practice of Brown, Todd, and Heyburn.

“My wife and I took our ultimate road trip in August 2022, driving from Yorktown, Virginia, to Deadhorse, Alaska, in Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean—the farthest point north you can drive in North America. We took our Purdue pride along for the ride.”
Terry Simpkins (M’76, MS M’81) // simpkinsterry@cox.net

Christine Sobek (HHS’76) retired from Waubonsee Community College after more than 33 years of service and 21 years as president.

1980

Michael Sweeney (MS CE’81, PhD CE’90) was elected president of the WateReuse Florida board of trustees. He is the director of innovation and strategic design at Toho Water Authority.

Chad Haxton (M’89) was appointed chief information officer at Primoris Services Corporation. He joined the company in 2019 as senior vice president of information technology.

1990

Amy (Bannes) Morrissey (LA’92) joined Bowditch and Dewey’s business and finance practice area as a partner. She previously was senior vice president and general counsel at Computacenter.

2000

Katie Douglas (LA’01) is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2023 women’s induction class. She helped lead Purdue to the 1999 NCAA national championship and was named Big Ten Player of the Year in her junior and senior seasons. She played in the WNBA for 14 seasons, and her number 23 was retired by the Connecticut Sun.

Mari (Gallas) Plikuhn (PNW’01, MS PNW’04, MS LA’05, PhD LA’10) was awarded the 2022 University of Evansville Eykamp Prize in recognition of extraordinary contributions to the university. She was also named a 2022–23 University of Evansville Center for Innovation and Change Global Scholar and will examine study abroad opportunities for first-generation college students.

Kelly Komara (HHS’02) is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2023 Women’s Silver Anniversary Team, based on her outstanding accomplishments as a high school senior basketball player 25 years ago. She was named Indiana’s Miss Basketball in 1998 and was a 1998 Indiana All-Star.

Mary Jo Noon (HHS’03) is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2023 Women’s Silver Anniversary Team, based on her outstanding accomplishments as a high school senior basketball player 25 years ago. She was a 1998 Indiana All-Star.

2010

“I was promoted to cross brand marketing enablement manager with the global brand marketing team at Hilton.”
Patricia Gonzalez (HHS’11)

“I married my lovely wife, Rebecca Zatkulak (EDU’19), on October 1.”
Sloan Schafer (M’18)

BOOKS

“Raising your game as a communicator is a great way to make a difference in the world, but it requires courage. As a lifelong communication coach, I've discovered four sneaky obstacles that keep us from reaching our potential. My book Communicate With Courage illuminates them and helps readers take smart risks.”

—Michelle Gladieux (HHS’93, MS T’95)

“In my novel Man in a Cage, I dramatize the true story of American primatologist Richard Garner, whose desire to understand chimpanzee speech sent him on a quest fueled by ego, pride, and the need for validation.”

—Patrick Nevins (MFA’08)

“I am a public health researcher working to end domestic violence, child abuse, and pet abuse. Like family, pets provide us unconditional love and support during our most vulnerable moments. Yet pets are rarely included in family violence prevention, detection, or intervention initiatives. In Not Without My Pet, I discuss how we can provide better support at the very time victims need it most by including pets in family violence protection plans."

—Andrew Campbell (BS’08, MS PG’20)

“While many infamous homicides from past eras—the Lizzie Borden slayings, for example, or the ‘thrill killing’ committed by Leopold and Loeb—have entered into our cultural mythology, four equally sensational crimes have largely faded from public memory. Butcher’s Work, my quartet of gripping historical true-crime narratives, restores these once-notorious cases to vivid, dramatic life.”

—Harold Schechter (MA’71)

“Far too often, scholars imagine the cinematic index to be nothing more than an acknowledgment that the lens-based camera captures and brings to the screen a reality that existed before the camera. When cinema’s indexicality is so narrowly defined, the entire nature of film is called into question the moment film no longer relies on a lens-based camera. In Rewatching on the Point of the Cinematic Index, I demonstrate that the cinematic index invites spectators to enter a process of ongoing adaptation.”

—Allen H. Redmon (MA’99, PhD LA’03)