HAIL PURDUE

Purdue alumni and friends displayed their Boilermaker spirit on a Purdue for Life Alaskan cruise. Clockwise from left: Marilyn Brown; Dan Brown (M’80); Carla Stites; Bob Stites (M’81); Jeff Pfister (ME’79); and Beth Pfister (NRS’80, HHS’81).

The Special Boilermaker Awards were presented to John Cox and Antonia Munguia (HHS’99, MS T’13) by the Purdue for Life Foundation on the field at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Alan V. Lewis (ChE’77) and Deborah (Romak) Lewis (ChE’78) welcomed grandson Finnley Lewis Reed in April.

“We carried our Purdue pride all the way up to the Arctic Circle.”
Sara (Hartung) Fifer (HHS’84, MS HHS’87) and Scott Fifer (DVM’87).

A group of Boilermakers visited Omaha Beach on a Purdue for Life trip to Normandy.

A group of Triangle alumni enjoyed a fishing trip in Northern Manitoba, Canada. From left: John Heinz (CE’72); Charles “Chick” Macal (AAE’74, MS IE’75); Roman Jamrogiewicz (AAE’74, MS AAE’75); Scott Baker (ME’74); Oak Stevens (S’74); and Charles “Charlie” Fishman (CE’74).

CLASS NOTES

1970

Doreen (Buranich) Simmons (LA’71) was named a 2022 Upstate New York Super Lawyer. She is the leader of the environmental practice at Hancock Estabrook.

Tom Eckel (ChE’75, MS ChE’76) retired in 2000. He is writing a comprehensive history of the Purdue cheerleading program from 1890 to 1990. eckelcheer@gmail.com

"I recently retired as a software developer for Adnovum Informatik AG in Zurich, Switzerland, in which country I’ve been living since 1987. In my spare time, I became an executive producer for the 2022 film Mad Heidi shot in Switzerland and making the rounds on the film festival circuit, where it’s already won a couple of awards.”
Scott Pedigo (NE’79)

1980

Kenyon Sayler (ME’81) was appointed to the audit committee of Mississippi Market Co-Op in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Heather (Banner) Kane (LA’87) was promoted to legal content director at TOPDOG Legal Marketing. She leads the TOPDOG production team in creating content and providing digital marketing services to clients nationwide. heather@tdoglegal.com

P. Michael Phillips (LA’87) was awarded a PhD in defense studies from King’s College London for his research on the social and cultural reproductive aspects of civil-military relations. poledorus@gmail.com

1990

Jill Bode (LA’90) received the Independent College Advancement Associates Newcomer Award. She is the director of annual giving and stewardship at Franklin College.

Matt Kupec (LA’95) received the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association 2021 Heroism Award for his actions during the evacuation of Afghanistan in August 2021.

“I was selected as the 2022 Kentucky Education Association’s (KEA) Teacher of the Year. The annual award is presented to a KEA educator who exhibits excellence in five critical areas of teaching—professional practice, advocacy for the profession, attention to diversity, community engagement, and leadership in professional development. I am currently a fourth-grade teacher at Northern Elementary in Georgetown, Kentucky, and have been teaching for 23 years.”
Lisa (Tylicki) Hanson (EDU’97) lisa.hanson9181@gmail.com

2000

Matthew Spaulding (LA’07) was recognized as “One to Watch” for commercial litigation in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He is an associate in the Toledo office of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick.

2010

Kelly Cory (HHS’03) was elected vice president of the National Council of Investigation and Security Services. In this role, she supports the mission of the council, providing leadership to members and legislative advocacy for the investigative profession. She received the council’s 2022 Vinson Award for outstanding leadership, dedication, and service. She is the president and CEO of Keystone Investigative Services in Pasadena, California.

Isaac Holyoak (MA’10) was named chief communications officer for bitcoin mining company CleanSpark. He oversees the development, advancement, and execution of the company’s public affairs strategy through corporate and employee communications.

Justin Buller (T’15) joined Brock Grain Systems as an engineering support associate. He collaborates with the company’s engineering, production, and purchasing groups.

Graham Bethel (CE’16) joined the Indianapolis office of Hanson Professional Services. He works on projects for the Indiana Department of Transportation and various public agencies.

“I am a NICU nurse and founder of the nonprofit organization Operation Happy Nurse, which helps nurses struggling with stress, anxiety, and/or depression in their profession— especially applicable given the pandemic. Burnout in the nursing profession was 40% before the pandemic and has now risen to 70%. We aim to change that statistic. This year, I was recognized as a L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth honoree for my work with Operation Happy Nurse.”
Shannon McPeek (HHS’16)

BOOKS

“Canoe camping trips to the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota inspired my romance novella Northern Woods. Readers will follow the characters through miles of open water, storms, bears, and steep portages on their guided trip in the Boundary Waters. The sweet romance will restore the reader’s faith in true love.”

—Amy (Tanner) Hepp (EDU’93)
amyheppstories@gmail.com

“After 25 years in the business world, I became a college professor and associate dean at my undergraduate alma mater, Virginia Tech. I recently published a book about the journey—From the Boardroom to the Classroom: Quitting Corporate for More Purpose—which was inspired by Krannert faculty member Dr. Henry Claycamp."

—Stephen Skripak (MS M'87)

“I authored two Purdue-themed coffee-table books that were published in summer 2022—Pledge and Promise: Celebrating the Bond and Heritage of Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Life at Purdue University, published in partnership with the Office of the Dean of Students, and WBAA: 100 Years as the Voice of Purdue. Learn more at angieklink.com.”

—Angie (Lipp) Klink (LA’81)
aklink@nlci.com

“Tom’s Poetry, From Back When to Right Now is a collection of poems I’ve written over several decades. Many have been published in anthologies, newspapers and magazines, and my own books. They address five different time periods and themes, starting with early days. My poems cover a variety of topics and experiences: my youth (Indiana small town), relationships, where I lived and hung out, our special San Diego natural worlds, and holidays. They’re all in the rhyming class and many are humorous.”

—Tom Leech (AAE’59)
tomleech68@gmail.com

“Everyone does program management; some just do it poorly. I wrote Program Management for Open Source Projects to share what I’ve learned about guiding community-driven open-source projects. An intentionally organized open-source community can collaborate to produce software more effectively and predictably. Writing this book fulfills a longtime goal of mine and gives me an easy way to help open-source communities large and small.”

—Ben Cotton (S’06, MS T’14)