APSAC honors outgoing, incoming members; award for staff excellence presented

Sam Guffey, APSAC's 2016-17 chair, ceremonially passes the gavel to Loran Parker, who will become chair June 1, during APSAC's annual luncheon May 10. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood) Download image

The Administrative and Professional Staff Advisory Committee celebrated one of its biggest days of the year on May 10 with transition of members and bestowal of the seventh annual APSAC Excellence Award to a staff member.

Before its business meeting, APSAC honored outgoing and incoming members, who officially change June 1, at a luncheon at Purdue Memorial Union. Also at the luncheon, the award for A/P staff excellence was given to Brooke Linn for her contributions as lead advisor for the IU School of Medicine-Lafayette, though she recently has changed positions from academic advising.

APSAC's outgoing members are Raelynn Boes, Sam Guffey (chair), Nicole Noel, Mary Ann Prah, Nina Robinson and Tiffany Weatherford. Also recognized were the 2016-17 emeritus members, who serve a nonvoting year to provide support, counsel and continuity, Joy May and Sal Vallejo. Guffey, who received the committee's thanks as outgoing chair, will be one of the 2017-18 emeritus members, along with Noel, Prah and Weatherford.

Guffey passed the gavel to the current vice chair, Loran Parker, who will be 2017-18 chair. By election at the April meeting, Brittany Vale will become 2017-18 vice chair.

New members

Incoming members received a welcome and an introduction to APSAC business. Those newcomers, some of whom are filling unexpired terms, are listed with the ending year of their term and their area of representation on APSAC:

* Malissa Ayala (2020), Office of the President and Areas Reporting Directly to the Provost, Vice President for Public Affairs, Board of Trustees

* Christopher Boomsma (2020), College of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, College of Veterinary Medicine

* Erin Britton (2020), Office of the President and Areas Reporting Directly to the Provost, Vice President for Public Affairs, Board of Trustees

* Jason Fitzsimmons (2020), Office of the President and Areas Reporting Directly to the Provost, Vice President for Public Affairs, Board of Trustees

* Alexander Gulik (2020), College of Pharmacy, College of Health and Human Sciences

* Michelle Hadley (2018), College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, School of Management

* Carla Hoskins (2018), Vice President for Information Technology

* John O'Malley (2020), College of Engineering, Purdue Polytechnic Institute

* Michael Piggott (2018), Office of the President and Areas Reporting Directly to the Provost, Vice President for Public Affairs, Board of Trustees

* Terri Schultz (2020), Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, Internal Audit, Vice President for Human Resources

* Danny Vukobratovich (2019), Vice President for Information Technology

APSAC Excellence Award

Brooke Linn receives the 2017 APSAC Excellence Award during APSAC's May 10 luncheon from Denny Darrow (left), vice president for human resources, and Sam Guffey, APSAC chair. Download image

Brooke Linn was honored for her energetic, caring service in academic advising. Until recently, she was lead advisor for IU School of Medicine-Lafayette. She continues at Purdue, working now as associate director of undergraduate and alumni career services at the Krannert School of Management.

Before her role in the School of Medicine, Linn was academic advisor in the College of Pharmacy, and in 2013 she received the Outstanding New Professional award from PACADA, the Purdue Academic Advising Association.

The remarks of her award nominators in both cases indicate some of the same exceptional factors: dedication to gaining expertise and knowledge, aptitude for networking with potential employers of her students, vision in forming constructive relationships across Purdue, willingness to be available, and a commitment to listening. Her nominator for the current award notes that she was the first lead advisor in the School of Medicine-Lafayette but immediately defined the role so vividly and expansively that the students gave her an award in six months.

One reference for the nomination, a pharmacy graduate, describes a focused and lengthy process by which Linn "helped me make a fully educated decision about where I wanted my pharmacy degree to take me." That guided process is at the heart of her approach.

"Part of what I do is make sure students have everything they need to succeed in the professional world," Linn said later. "Some of that happens by pushing them beyond what they think are their limits. I'm always looking for helpful ways to push. Sometimes that means conversation, and sometimes it means creating programming."

For her, programs and activities always lead to collaboration, and she praises colleagues in her initiatives. Her nominator also notes her initiative, while in her School of Medicine role, in developing and chairing a new Interprofessional Education Committee bringing together an array of health sciences programs -- medicine; pharmacy; nursing; health and kinesiology; dietetics; psychological sciences; and speech, language, and hearing sciences -- to uncover and develop new collaborations.

Linn, who has a master's degree in writing, continues to find challenges for herself. She published a children's book in 2014 and a young adult novel in 2016. Also, she has been co-author on a pair of scientific manuscripts that focus on career development strategies to use with students. Her zeal for challenges feeds into her approach with students, which she said is built on a balance.

"In pharmacy, for example, pharmacists do far more than fill prescriptions in a white coat," Linn said. "When I learned that, it lit a fire under me to make sure students know the range of possibilities. So one part is a high level of self-awareness -- that comes from self-exploration assessments and conversations about your strengths, interests, and values. That is balanced with knowing where opportunities are -- that comes from networking, being proactive and putting yourself out there, and going along on site visits to connect with employers. And it's important: Learn to show your passion."