Title IX

Title IX Distinguished Service Award Recipients

In honor of the 45th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, the Office of the Vice President of Ethics and Compliance presented on October 5, 2017, Purdue's Title IX Distinguished Service Award. The following five individuals were recognized and honored for their significant contributions to the advancement of gender equity in education. 

Carole A. Oglesby

Carole Oglesby earned her PhD in physical education at Purdue and is a professor emerita at Temple University.

Dr. Oglesby served as the first president of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1971-72, and has held many positions such as  president of the National Association of Girls and Women’s Sport, president of Women Sport International, co-chair of the International Working Group on Women and Sport, and is  the Women’s Sports Foundation’s International policy and program advisor. During her eight years at Purdue (1964-1972) Professor Oglesby coached multiple sports, taking the softball and gymnastics teams to national championship invitational tournaments. She also served as a co-director of "extramurals." She has presented lectures and delivered training and leadership workshops in over 30 countries and is a principal contributor to the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women monograph, Women2000 and Beyond: Women, gender equality and sport, 2009.

For her contributions in expanding the range and quality of the female undergraduate student experience at Purdue, as well as for her contributions to the advancement of women in intercollegiate athletics, we present to Carole A. Oglesby, Purdue’s Title IX Distinguished Service Award.

A. Charlene Sullivan

Charlene Sullivan joined Purdue’s faculty in 1978 and is currently the associate dean for undergraduate education in Krannert School of Management.

During her time at Purdue, Dr. Sullivan has received numerous teaching awards and is a member of the Teaching Academy. Her efforts were important to the creation of the Women in Management program, which later expanded to the Jane Brock-Wilson Women in Management Center. Under her leadership, the program established an alliance with WomenIN. Dr. Sullivan also initiated the Women in Management course for undergraduate students.

For her contributions in expanding the range and quality of the female student experience at Purdue, we present to A. Charlene Sullivan, Purdue’s Title IX Distinguished Service Award.

Sharon K. Versyp

Sharon Versyp, a former All-American basketball player, is a graduate of Purdue University. She returned to her alma mater in 2006 to become head Ccach of Purdue’s women’s basketball team.

Coach Versyp is the winningest coach in Purdue women’s basketball history, with 257 victories in 12 seasons, an average of 21.4 per year. Her nine NCAA Tournament appearances also are the most in program history, guiding the program to the Elite Eight on two occasions. In 2017, she became the winningest coach in the history of the Big Ten Tournament, leading the Boilermakers to the championship game for the sixth time. She currently is a member of a national recruiting committee with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association after serving as the head of the Carol Eckman Award committee in 2015 and 2016. She also has served as the head of the Big Ten women’s basketball coaches committee, chairing its annual meetings in 2014-15 and 2015-16. She is also a member of the Indiana and New England Basketball halls of fame.

For her contributions in expanding the range and quality of the female undergraduate student experience at Purdue, as well as for her contributions to the advancement of women in intercollegiate athletics, we present to Sharon Versyp, Purdue’s Title IX Distinguished Service Award.

Willie M. Reed

Dr. Willie Reed received his PhD from Purdue in 1982. He was appointed dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007.

Dr. Reed has worked tirelessly throughout his career to promote gender, ethnic, and racial diversity in the veterinary medical profession. During his term as dean there has been a substantial progress in increasing in the number of and support for female faculty. He was recognized for this work at a national level in 2011 when he received the Iverson Bell Recognition Award, which was given by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. Dean Reed will also be honored next year by the Royal College of Veterinary Medicine, part of the University of London system, during their graduation ceremony for his contributions to diversity and equality in the veterinary profession.

For his contributions in expanding the range and quality of the female student experience at Purdue, as well as for providing local and national leadership on issues related to gender equity in education at all levels, we present to Willie M. Reed, Purdue’s Title IX Distinguished Service Award.

Catherine J. Wright-Eger

Catherine Wright-Eger served as head coach of Purdue’s women’s swimming and diving program from 1987-2008, and currently serves as leadership advisor for the athletics department.

Catherine coached five Big Ten champions and 22 All-Americans. Some 231 of her student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors (an average of 11 per season), while 39 achieved Academic All-America recognition. In 2008 she received the Richard E. Steadman Award from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. That unequaled positive spirit has continued in her second career, in which she created the John R. Wooden Leadership Institute as a vehicle to help young people grow and develop the tools to become tomorrow’s leaders. The Wooden Institute utilizes John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success as its foundation. Wright-Eger is a highly respected voice among her counterparts across the country. She also serves as one of Purdue’s deputy Title IX coordinators and is a resource and advocate for Title IX-related matters.

For her contributions in expanding the range and quality of the female undergraduate student experience at Purdue, as well as for her contributions to the advancement of women in intercollegiate athletics, we present to Catherine J. Wright-Eger, Purdue’s Title IX Distinguished Service Award.