HAIL PURDUE

The Special Boilermaker Awards were presented to Johnny Brown, Barry Delks (A’82, MS EDU’84), and Shontrai Irving (PNW MBA’09) by the Purdue for Life Foundation on the field at Ross-Ade Stadium.

A group of alumni enjoyed a reunion in Cerritos, California. All retired, they fondly remember the words of a favorite Purdue instructor, Professor Canfield: “If you can’t communicate verbally and in writing, you won’t make it out there!” From left: Ted Karlakis (AAE’62), Jim Kokenis (ECE’61), Ken Carpenter (ECE’61), John Tourkolias (ECE’61), Cal Lee (ECE’61), and Malcolm Kong (ECE’61).

Jerry Renbarger (A’53) celebrated his 90th birthday at a Purdue-themed tailgate. He is pictured with his family, which includes 14 other Boilermaker alumni.

Shyam Sriram (LA’02), Bob Mervos (ECE’69), and Brett Morgan (LA’99) reunited at the Alpha Chi Rho National Convention in Pittsburgh. They were all members of the Alpha Phi chapter at Purdue. Sriram, a political science professor at Canisius University, gave the first keynote of the convention: “Somewhere I Belong: How to Recruit and Retain Minority Chapter Leaders.”

CLASS NOTES

1960

Jack Champaigne (ECE’68) was inducted into the South Bend Hall of Fame for his work with the South Bend Symphony, the South Bend Civic Theatre, the South Bend Museum of Art, and Mishawaka Troop Town.

Theodore J. Williams Jr. (LA’69) joined the mediator and senior arbitrator panels of United States Arbitration & Mediation.

1970

Doreen A. (Buranich) Simmons (LA’71) was named a 2023 Upstate New York Super Lawyer. She is a partner in the environmental practice at Hancock Estabrook.

1980

Carla (George) Russ (M’80) was selected to serve as interim principal of All Saints Catholic School in Portland, Oregon, for the 2023–24 school year. She has worked at the school for 27 years.

Elizabeth (Melchior) Coghill (LA’86) was promoted to executive director of student academic success services at East Carolina University. She is responsible for five departments and initiatives that support undergraduate student success.

1990

Mike Petersen (MS E’94) founded Raise a Hood, a company that connects car owners with seasoned mechanics via video calls, in 2021. Raise a Hood was named a High Tech Division Winner at the 2023 MN Cup, a startup competition at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

2000

“I am excited to announce that I have agreed to become the vice president of tax and tax counsel at Steel Partners, a publicly traded global holding company based in New York. Working closely with business leaders throughout the company, I will be responsible for helping the company continue to grow and achieve positive financial outcomes for all its stakeholders.”
Jon Lamphier (PG’03)

“I’m excited for this next chapter as CEO of the Community Foundation of Boone County (CFBC). Boone County will see CFBC focus on our organizational purpose of pouring back into the community and supporting local nonprofits to address unmet needs while further developing our connector, convener, and leader role in the county. It is a powerful time to be a leader in philanthropy at such a pivotal point in Boone County’s history, and I look forward to seeing the impact we will make collaboratively with our community partners, donors, and nonprofit organizations.”
Julie (Isley) Reagan (LA’07)

2010

Jenn Farrell (A’12) was named director of research and development and quality at Columbus Vegetable Oils. In this role, she leads all research and development efforts and quality assurance initiatives for the company.

“My new stand-up comedy special The Better Jared was released on YouTube and audio platforms through Ghost Runner Records, an indie comedy record label. It was taped at the White Rabbit Cabaret in Fountain Square, Indianapolis. I am a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles these days, but my childhood and college years in Indiana formed me.”
Jared Kassebaum (LA’17)

BOOKS

When former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels was named Purdue’s 12th president, he became one of a small handful of nationally renowned figures to lead an institution of higher education. He captured public attention for his willingness to take a stand on America’s most pressing challenges—in academia and beyond.

In Boiler Up: A University President in the Public Square, Daniels offers a compendium of commencement addresses, published columns, QR codes linking to recorded speeches, and insightful interactions spanning the 10 years of his presidency.

All proceeds support the Purdue Polytechnic High School scholarship fund at Purdue.

ORDER NOW

All proceeds support the Purdue Polytechnic High School scholarship fund at Purdue.

ORDER NOW

“I’m Older. Shouldn’t I Be Smarter? is a collection of humor columns that I wrote for the Purdue University Retirees Association newsletter. Readers will enjoy (and may identify with) some of my funny stories about working at Purdue and some of the funny experiences I’ve had since my retirement. This is my fifth humor book!”

—Sara Jane “Sally” Coffman (LA’70, MS LA’73)

“In my books, I draw on personal experiences and observations to dive deeply into the human experience—not only as it pertains to romance but, more importantly, in all that brings a man and a woman together, what comes with them into a relationship, and how they handle it. History. Family. Friends. Goals. Wounds. Ideologies. I want my readers to understand how the hero and heroine fit and have an intense comprehension of who they are. With Fighting the Pull, my latest book in the River Rain series, I had the luxury of four previous books to give nuance to both protagonists for an even deeper experience for my readers. I hope!”

—Kristen Ashley (LA’90)

“After seven years of writing, my debut thriller novel The Rising Order was released into the world this October. Already an Amazon bestseller, it touches on urgent and timely themes surrounding domestic terrorism, indoctrination, and big tech that was inspired by my nine years working in sales as an account executive for Google. It’s been a crazy ride trying to write and publish a book while working a demanding job and birthing and raising two children (all while our world crumbled around us amidst a global pandemic), but the overwhelming response has made it worth it!”

—Claire (Pickett) Isenthal (LA’12)
claireisenthal@gmail.com

“All my life, I have had a keen interest in education, and I have been engaged in educational reform work for the last 10 years. I believe I have a good grasp of the major issues and have proposed ways to solve many of the problems in the U.S. public education system. My new book touches on many diverse topics and includes 22 recommendations to improve the system.”

—Richard Garrett (IE’62, MS IE’64)