Read some of the exciting activities of the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars alumni! Learn what they have to say about Purdue.
Stacey Schetzle received her Ph.D. in Consumer Sciences and Retailing in 2008. She is an assistant professor of Marketing and Management at Ball State University. Her favorite Purdue memory: "My favorite memory at Purdue would be the great times I shared with my fellow graduate students. I was lucky to meet and still remain close to friends from Canada, China, Mexico, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and the U.S. These individuals played numerous roles as classmates, tutors, co-authors, support networks, and educators of culture. It has been a great journey to see us transition from graduate students to professionals and to be involved in each other’s personal milestones throughout the years."
David L. Ortega received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics in 2012. He is an assistant professor of Global Agrifood Systems at Michigan State University. A native of Venezuela, his graduate research focused on consumer demand analysis, food safety and Chinese economic development. He chose Purdue for his graduate degree because the program is among the best in the country with leading researchers and professors in the field. "The department's national and international reputation played a key role in my decision."
Aaron DeRosa received a Ph.D. in English in 2012. He is an assistant professor at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. "The faculty in my concentration were superb scholars and excellent mentors. They devoted their time and sincere effort to my work and my professional training, and continue to do so even after my graduation."
Renee Killins earned a Ph.D. in the Purdue University Life Sciences (PULSe) interdisciplinary program, with a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. She is currently doing postdoctoral work at the University of California in San Diego. She chose to pursue her graduate education at Purdue because "I was interested in finding an interdisciplinary program in which I could expand my expertise and form useful collaborations. The Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science Program (PULSe) provided a perfect atmosphere for me to obtain my PhD. Furthermore, there were great networks in place to help ease the transition from undergraduate to graduate school, as well as plenty of support throughout my graduate career."
Constance Harris earned a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2013 and is working as an educational technologist in the Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP) area at Purdue. Her duties include consulting with faculty on course redesigns as part of the Instruction Matters Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT) program, supporting the use of the Blackboard Learn course management system, evaluating processes and tools to enhance teaching practices and student learning outcomes, and researching trends in educational uses of technology. She chose Purdue because she "wanted to study with faculty in the Learning, Design, and Technology program. They are leading scholars in the field."
Lenka Koller earned a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering in 2012. She is a nonproliferation technical associate at the Argonne National Laboratory. Her advice to new graduate students is to "Keep an open mind. Research is about solving problems using novel approaches. Don't be afraid to take classes outside of your major and take advantage of everything that the Purdue community has to offer. You can learn a great deal from the diversity of students and cultures at Purdue."
Miriam Chacon Boesch earned a doctoral degree in Educational Studies and is a faculty member in the autism program in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. "Purdue has an excellent reputation and wonderful faculty. Beyond that, I also enjoyed my first experience as a master's level student. So when it was time to select a Ph.D program, Purdue was on top of my list."
Annie Elble earned a doctoral degree in Foods and Nutrition in 2008 and a Master of Public Health degree in Health and Kinesiology in 2009. She is the CEO and Co-founder of Give Hope, Fight Poverty. "I went to Purdue for my undergraduate degree and met amazing faculty members who were willing to help me pursue my custom graduate degrees. I never took the traditional route in my education - I did interdisciplinary engineering as my undergrad which allowed me to dabble in courses from many engineering departments. Then in grad school I studied nutrition, taught nutrition courses, performed a research project on calcium metabolism, studied abroad, created a service-learning course for Purdue students, and studied international public health. If I attended a different university, I would not have been able to achieve all of those experiences in my educational career. Boiler up!!"
