In honor of the 40th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, the Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance presented on October 11, 2012, Purdue’s Title IX Distinguished Service Award.  The following 40 individuals were recognized and honored for their significant contributions to the advancement of gender equity in education.

*Presented Posthumously 

Evelyn Blackwood

Evelyn Blackwood is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at Purdue. Her course topics range across a spectrum of issues including gender across cultures, Sexual Diversity in Global Perspective, and Introduction to LGBT Studies, which was offered for this first time this semester.

Dr. Blackwood has published a multitude of scholarly articles and books focusing on world and cultural gender identification and sexuality issues and is a strong advocate for women’s and LGBTQ issues.

Roger L. Blalock*

Roger L. Blalock was a Purdue graduate and a member of the Boilermakers basketball team. He served as an associate director of admissions and most recently as senior associate athletics director at Purdue.

The women’s intercollegiate athletics programs under his supervision flourished as Mr. Blalock fought for better coaches and resources. When Mr. Blalock was named to the NCAA National Track and Field and Cross Country Committees, he was not satisfied until those NCAA championships provided the same quality experience for the female student athletes as the males.

Beth Brooke-Marciniak

Beth Brooke-Marciniak is a Purdue graduate and was the first female to receive a basketball scholarship. As the global vice chair of public policy at Ernst and Young, she has global responsibility for the firm’s diversity and inclusiveness efforts and has made a name for herself as an outspoken voice for the advancement of women.

Ms. Brooke also chairs the board of the White House Project, an organization designed to ignite the leadership of women in business and politics, and has been named four times to the Forbes annual list of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.” She also serves on the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership at the request of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Morgan J. Burke

Morgan J. Burke served as Purdue University’s athletics director from 1993 to 2017. He earned both his Bachelor’s and his master’s degree at Purdue. His attitude toward an all-inclusive student-athlete experience ensured Purdue’s compliance with both the spirit and letter of Title IX.

Mr. Burke has not only advanced women student athletes, but has advanced the roles of women in leadership positions in sports by mentoring and appointing women to leadership positions at Purdue.

Susan Bulkeley Butler 

Susan Bulkeley Butler, a graduate of the Krannert School of Management, has dedicated much of her life to maximizing opportunities for women. Among her contributions to Purdue is the endowment of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence, a center offering a wide array of programs and initiative for women at Purdue.

Ms. Butler focuses her efforts on developing women leaders. She has been a voice for equality and encouragement while serving on a large number of organization’s boards.

Martha Oakley Chiscon

Martha Oakley Chiscon earned her PhD from Purdue and is a professor emerita of biological sciences and associate dean of science emerita of Purdue University.

Dr. Chiscon was instrumental in organizing the Women in Science programs. By word and example she encouraged her female students to challenge the concept that women didn’t belong in the male-dominated STEM fields. She also served as a faculty athletic representative to the Big Ten Athletic Conference and the NCAA.

Barbara S. Clark 

Barbara S. Clark, a Purdue graduate, is the director of the College of Science’s Science Diversity Office and the Women in Science Program at Purdue.

While serving as the director of the Women in Science Program at Purdue, Ms. Clark developed the Graduate and Undergraduate Mentoring Program, as well as a tutoring program for graduate and undergraduate women in the College of Science. She also serves on the NSF ADVANCE-Purdue Initiative and nationally works with the CIC Women in Science and Engineering peer group.

Sally Combs-Dunaway

Sally Combs-Dunaway taught physical education and health education at Purdue from 1958 to 1967. She then started the girls athletic program in the West Lafayette Community School Corp. and was athletic director until 1975.

She returned to Purdue to become Purdue’s women’s athletic promotions and public relations director and started a fundraising organization for women’s athletics. She retired in 1988.

Barbara Ivy Cook 

Barbara Ivy Cook earned her PhD from Purdue and retired from serving as Purdue’s dean of students in 1989. She served as advisor for Purdue’s chapter of Mortar Board for 30 years. Purdue’s chapter is now named in her honor.

Dr. Cook dedicated her career to advancing women’s career opportunities and creating better student experiences. While at Purdue she served as a representative for women’s interests and fought for their voice to be heard. Dr. Cook also served on statewide and nationwide organizations devoted to improving opportunities for women.

Cheryl A. Cooky

Cheryl A. Cooky is an assistant professor in the Departments of Health and Kinesiology and Women’s Studies. Her courses focus on women and gender issues in sport.

In her published work, Dr. Cooky has examined Title IX, media representations of female athlete and media coverage of women’s sport. Her work has attracted national and international attention and spurred offers to further fund her research on girls and women’s sport participation.

Nancy Cross

Nancy Cross earned her master’s degree from Purdue and is Purdue’s senior associate athletics director for development and sports and senior woman’s administrator.

Ms. Cross is passionate about opportunities for women and works toward equal recognition, facilities, coaches, and student athlete-experiences. Her voice is highly respected in the Big Ten Conference as well as across the country.

Jane Zimmer Daniels 

Jane Zimmer Daniels earned her PhD from Purdue and is director emerita of the Purdue Women in Engineering Program.

Dr. Daniels served as director for Purdue University’s Women in Engineering Program, the advisor for the Society of Women Engineers Purdue Collegiate Section at Purdue, and is one of the founders of the Women in Engineering Proactive Network. She is regarded as the “mother” of women in engineering programs and has shared her knowledge throughout the nation.

Carol Dewey

Carol Dewey was the first head volleyball coach at Purdue University and retired from coaching in 1994. Every student-athlete that was coached by her and played four years graduated.

Under her guidance, volleyball became Purdue’s first women’s revenue sport and made Purdue’s program the model for other intercollegiate volleyball programs. Ms. Dewey had a tremendous influence on the growth of volleyball as an intercollegiate sport, as well as on the coaching profession.

Carol A. Ecker

Carol A. Ecker was one of the first women graduates of the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine. She served on the Purdue Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1997.

Dr. Ecker currently serves on the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Women’s Initiative Committee and the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Campaign Cabinet. She has been named an Old Master and is very active in opening doors for women within the veterinary medicine profession.

Barbara Edmondson

Barbara Edmondson is a Purdue graduate and serves on the Libraries’ Dean’s Advisory Council as well as on the Women’s Archives Advisory council. She served on the Purdue Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2006.

As a trustee, Ms. Edmondson was an advocate for female faculty, staff, and students and worked to make the University accountable in the area of gender equity. Ms. Edmondson serves on a multitude of boards and clubs supporting initiatives and opportunities for women and children.

Zenephia E. Evans

Zenephia E. Evans earned her PhD from Purdue in cell and developmental biology and is the director of Multicultural Science Programs and associate director of diversity.

Dr. Evans constantly works to improve the student experience of women and minorities at Purdue. She has served in a multitude of roles such as counselor, organizer, mentor, professor and as an overall role model for women in higher education and in intercollegiate athletics. The list of organizations that can claim her as a member is immense and focuses on women and minorities at Purdue and in the community.

Mary Harrison Ford

Mary Harrison Ford earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Purdue. Ms. Ford previously served as the Purdue Women’s Club president as well as the National Alumna vice president for the Alpha Chi Omega Fraternity.

Ms. Ford has held a variety of offices in organizations focusing on leadership roles for women, financial support for women in higher education and promoting equal opportunities for all people.

Monica Gary

Monica Gary is a former supervisor of track and field operations at Purdue. She began her coaching and teaching career in Cleveland, Ohio and spoke out against the discrepancies in the track and field events offered to the female athletes.

Ms. Gary is an outspoken role model who advocates for equal pay for coaches and actively encourages women to become coaches. Ms. Gary also coached one of the first girl’s track and field’s teams to compete in the Ohio State Championships.

LaNelle E. Geddes

LaNelle E. Geddes was a professor of nursing. She arrived at Purdue in 1975 to serve as the assistant head of the Purdue School of Nursing.

Dr. Geddes was instrumental in instituting a four-year nursing baccalaureate program as well as starting the Freshman Scholars. She challenged the role of nurses as just a doctor’s assistant and pushed her students to expand their roles in a traditionally female profession.

Eva L. Goble

Eva L. Goble was dean of the School of Home Economics, now called the College of Health and Human Sciences. During her tenure as dean, the school’s enrollment nearly doubled.

Dr. Goble was a tireless advocate for women in leadership positions and actively encourages women through phone calls and emails to run for office and to take on more prominent roles.

Leah H. Jamieson

Leah H. Jamieson is the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and Ransburg Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She is the co-founder and past director of the EPICS program at Purdue.

Dr. Jamieson has led efforts to create committees and programs dedicated to ensuring women faculty, staff and students are an integral part of and play a key role in the success of Purdue’s College of Engineering.

Carolyn E. Johnson

Carolyn E. Johnson earned her PhD from Purdue and is the director of the Diversity Resource Office at Purdue.

Dr. Johnson is the former national president of the United Methodist Women, an organization that focuses on developing women and creating programs for women, children and youth around the world. Dr. Johnson has championed opportunities for women and locally, nationally, and internationally.

Laura Reasoner Jones

Laura Reasoner Jones is a Purdue graduate and the founder and director of the Girls Excelling in Math and Science Club.

Her club and the Society of Women Engineers formed a partnership to encourage more young girls to pursue the STEM disciplines. Ms. Jones is also founder and director of the design and engineering lab at McNair Elementary school where she instructs and mentors girls and minorities in computer programming, video editing, and robotics.

Dorothy Leland

Dorothy Leland earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees from Purdue. She is the Chancellor of the University of California, Merced.

While at Purdue, Dr. Leland served as the founding director of the Women’s Resource Office as well as director of the Women’s Studies Program. She has served and continues to serve in a variety of national leadership positions focusing on gender equity.

Joan L. Marshall

Joan L. Marshall was the senior associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts, college coordinator for affirmative action, and the college liaison to the CLA Diversity Action Committee and other campus offices for diversity.

Dr. Marshall served as the original liaison for the College of Liberal Arts Sexual Harassment Advisor’s Network. She also worked to ensure an equitable hiring process for faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and focused on recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty body.

Sally Mason

Sally Mason earned her master’s degree in biological science from Purdue and is the president emerita of the University of Iowa.

Dr. Mason also served as provost at Purdue. During her tenure as provost, she oversaw an increase in the number of female faculty and worked to centralize diversity efforts. Her efforts also included increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in the student body, faculty, and staff.

Tamara E. Morse

Tamara E. Morse earned her bachelor’s, master’s and MBA from Purdue. She is a financial planner and owner of Morse Financial Group.

Ms. Morse served as vice president and president of the Purdue Alumni Association and served on the board of the President’s Cabinet for the Campaign for Purdue. She also created the Tamara Morse Purdue Alumnae Leadership Initiative.

Carolyn Peck 

Carolyn Peck is a former head coach of the Purdue Women’s Basketball team. She is a basketball analyst for ESPN.

Ms. Peck began her career in basketball by playing in high school and in college for Vanderbilt University. She has been an assistant coach for the University of Tennessee, University of Kentucky and twice for the US Women’s Basketball Team. As head coach of Purdue’s women’s basketball team, she was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1999. She became the head coach of the WNBA’s Orlando Miracle, and returned to collegiate level to serve as head coach at the University of Florida.

Robert L. Ringel*

Robert L. Ringel earned his PhD from Purdue. During his career at Purdue he served as a faculty member, department head, dean, and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Dr. Ringel had a long standing tradition of ensuring deserving women were encouraged and promoted and worked to make certain they had the same opportunities for advancement. Many of the women whom he promoted went on to advance their careers in even more distinguished positions.

Margaret Moan Rowe

Margaret Moan Rowe is a professor emerita at Purdue. She has served as an instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, head of the Department of English, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and associate provost of the University.

Dr. Rowe has been a role model, teacher and advisor for hundreds of female students. She has been a champion of salary equity for women across campus, and helped establish the Purdue University Women’s Studies Program.

Amy Ruley

Amy Ruley is a Purdue graduate. She is the associate athletic director for development at North Dakota State University.

Ms. Ruley was a member on Purdue University’s first female varsity basketball team. She peacefully protested on campus to urge the athletics department to accept responsibility for women’s sports opportunities. After graduation, she began a career as a coach and has received a multitude of accolades for her coaching skills. She has also encouraged other women to join the coaching profession.

Clara Bell Sessions*

Clara Bell Sessions was a professor emerita and a former director of continuing education in Nursing. She served as a cabinet member on the Human Rights Committee of the American Nurses Association and also helped establish the Minority Student Nurses’ Association.

In 1988, Professor Sessions, along with colleagues at Purdue, formed the Minority Faculty Fellows to encourage and support Purdue’s hiring of more minority faculty members.

Helen Blanche Schleman*

Helen Blanche Schleman was director of the first women’s residence hall at Purdue. She left Purdue to serve in the Women’s Coast Guard during World War II, and then later returned to serve as dean of women.

During her time as dean she ended the curfew for women students and spearheaded a freshman conference program for women. After her retirement as dean, she became the founder and first director of the Span plan.

Beverley Stone*

Beverley Stone began her career at Purdue as an advisor to student organizations in the Office of the Dean of Women.

Ms. Stone also served as dean of women. During her time as dean, she ensured that female student’s voices were heard by requiring their appointment to faculty committees and by giving them “speaking seats” at the Board of Trustees meetings. In 1974, she was named the first female dean of students.

Dorothy C. Stratton*

Dorothy C. Stratton was named dean of women at Purdue in 1933.

During her time as dean, Dr. Stratton oversaw an increase in enrollment of female students from 500 to over 1,400, as well as the construction of three new women’s residence halls and the creation of a liberal science program for women in the School of Science.

Dr. Stratton also created and directed the Women’s Reserve of the Coast guard. A coast guard ship has been named in her honor.

Beverly Davenport Sypher

Beverly Davenport Sypher served as Purdue’s vice provost for faculty affairs. She was also a professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication and the chair of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence.

Dr. Sypher is the founder and organizer of the Purdue Conference for Pre-Tenure Women and has also developed the Distinguished Women Scholars Program and was a co-founder of the Purdue Women Lead initiative. She served as a role model and a mentor for female students and faculty and constantly works to advancing women’s opportunities on campus and across the nation.

Emily M. Wadsworth

Emily M. Wadsworth earned her PhD from Purdue and served as the assistant director for the Women in Engineering Program.

Dr. Wadsworth created and administrated the undergraduate and graduate mentoring programs for females in the college of engineering. Among her contributions to Purdue is an award in her name which recognizes a graduate engineering student for mentoring women. She also served as a mentor for the Purduettes.

Sarah J. (Sally) Watlington

Sally Watlington is a Purdue graduate. Ms. Watlington has been involved with the board of the local YWCA Foundation as well as the Purdue Alumni Association and the Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette.

Ms. Watlington opened doors for women in the military at a time when it was very uncommon for a female to consider the armed forces. Capt. Watlington served in the Navy for 23 years and served as the NROTC executive officer at Purdue from 1976-1979.

 Helen Bass Williams*

Helen Bass Williams arrived in 1968 as the first African American Professor at Purdue.

Before her arrival Purdue, she served as a teacher, administrator, public health worker, and the director of Mississippi Action for Progress. Her call for equality continued at Purdue and led to the establishment of numerous diversity efforts at Purdue, including the Black Cultural Center. Ms. Williams also played a leading role in the establishment of the Academic Success Center.

Toyinda Wilson-Long

Toyinda Wilson-Long is a Purdue graduate and served as the supervisor of track and field operations in the Purdue Athletics Department.

Ms.Wilson-Long has served as the assistant director of the Science Diversity Office, and directed the Undergraduate Women in Science Program. She serves as a role model, mentor and coach to many women and constantly works to ensure women and minorities have opportunities to succeed.

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.

Pictured left to right in back: Patrice M. Buzzanell, Beth M. Holloway, Julie Wiejak, Cicelle D. Beemon and Lisa J. Goodnight. Left to right in front: Marcy H. Towns, Janet Badia, Ellen Ernst Kossek and Stacie Reardon.

The following individuals were recognized and honored as recipients of the 2022 Title IX Distinguished Service Award for their significant contributions to the advancement of gender equality in higher education, in intercollegiate athletics, and at Purdue University.

2022 Award recipients are:

Janet Badia

Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, professor of women’s studies and director of Purdue Fort Wayne’s Women’s Studies Program from 2009-21. Dr. Badia researches and publishes on Sylvia Plath, the literary reception of post-1950s women’s writing, and the discourse about women readers that shapes literary history.

Cicelle D. Beemon

Cicelle Beemon is the Student Outreach Coordinator in the Center for Women and Returning Adults at the Purdue Fort Wayne Campus. A native of Pomona, CA, and hometown of Fort Wayne, IN, Cicelle is a mother of two and has earned her Bachelor’s degree in General Studies, with minors in Communications and Human Services from PFW. She joined PFW in 2013 as the 21st Century Scholars Support Specialist through AmeriCorps Scholar Corps. She has been the Program Assistant for the Women’s Center since July 2017. She is a member of the Allen County College and Career Coalition Success,  the National Society of Leadership and Success, a member of the Black Caucus of PFW and the Faculty Advisor for the Black Student Union at PFW. She was also the 2016 Homecoming Queen at PFW.

Patrice M. Buzzanell

Patrice M. Buzzanell (Ph.D., Purdue) is Distinguished University Professor in and immediate Past Chair of the Department of Communication at the University of South Florida as well as Endowed Visiting Professor for the School of Media and Design at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Buzzanell was formerly a distinguished professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication. She also served as the Susan Bulkeley Butler Chair for Leadership Excellence and as director of the Butler Center. Most recently, she has been honored with the 2021 Steven H. Chaffee Career Achievement Award from the International Communication Association (ICA), the 2021 Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award from the National Communication Association (NCA), and induction into the 2020 Hall of Fame of the Central States Communication Association (CSCA). Fellow and Past President of ICA, she also has served as President of the Council of Communication Associations and the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language and Gender (OSCLG). She is an NCA Distinguished Scholar and Carroll C. Arnold Distinguished Lecturer; she has served on the NCA Publication, Research, and Doctoral Education Councils as well as the NCA Presidential Task Force on Inclusivity. Her research coalesces around career, work-life policy, resilience, gender, and engineering design in micro-macro contexts. Her internal and external grants total around $3.5 million with her NSF funding focusing on engineering ethics scales and everyday ethical processes as well as design thinking for the professional formation of engineers. She has published: 4 edited books; and over 300 journal articles, chapters, encyclopedia entries, and engineering education proceedings. She edited Management Communication Quarterly and co-edited special issues and forums in communication and other disciplines on: resilience communication; women’s career equality and leadership; sustainability; spirituality and work; organizing for reliability, resilience, and safety; and other areas. She currently serves on 20 editorial boards. She has delivered distinguished lectures and keynote addresses in Brazil, China, Denmark, India, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the United States. Among her other awards and honors, she has received ICA’s 2016 B. Aubrey Fisher Mentorship Award, Purdue’s 2014 Provost Outstanding Mentor Award and 2015 Distinguished University Professor, the 2014 Velux Fonden Faculty Research Fellow from the Copenhagen Business School, visiting scholar appointments, and feminist teacher-mentor and research awards from OSCLG, NCA, and ICA, among others.

Lisa J. Goodnight

Dr. Lisa Goodnight is the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and Chief of Staff at Purdue University Northwest. In this role, she is responsible for Fundraising, Marketing and Communications and Alumni Engagement.

As a faculty member and administrator at Purdue Northwest for over 25 years, Goodnight has made exceptional contributions in teaching, scholarship and service.

Distinguishing her work in scholarship and teaching, she has been honored with multiple excellence in teaching awards. Among these are the 2007 Purdue Northwest Outstanding Teaching Award and her honorary selection as a Faculty Fellow in 2012.

Her extensive academic portfolio includes many peer-reviewed articles and conference presentations.

This is highlighted by her co-authorship of Communication: Embracing Difference (5th Edition Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group, 2020) and co-editorship of The Basic Communication Course Online: Scholarship and Application (Kendall Hunt, 2005).

As an administrator at Purdue Northwest, Goodnight served as Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Senior Dean of Students from 2013-2018. During this time, she led the Dean of Students Office, the Career Center, the Counseling Center, Equal Opportunity Programs, the Office of Disability Resources, and Campus Life. Under her guidance, these units developed student-centered policies and created student-first environments.

Her leadership established the recognition of Women’s History Month at the university. She is a committee member for the related events which celebrate women’s contributions to history, culture and society. She is the Chair of the University’s Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Council.

Goodnight, an alumna of Purdue University Northwest, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. She earned a Masters in Political Communication from Northern Illinois University and a Doctoral degree in Communication from Purdue University in West Lafayette..

Kelley Hartley Hutton

Kelley Hartley Hutton has been the director of athletics at Purdue Fort Wayne since 2014, after spending 15 seasons as head coach of the women’s volleyball program and 13 years as the Senior Woman Administrator.
 
She initiated the department’s first strategic planning process in January of 2016, galvanizing vision and priorities for Mastodon Athletics which emphasize academic distinction, community engagement, and competitive excellence. At the same time, to celebrate the University’s first-50 years of sports, she organized a committee to identify significant events and people associated with the rich athletic history. That work resulted in the Mastodon Athletics timeline display which was unveiled at an event in August of 2017.
 
Truly a “coach” at heart, Hartley Hutton remains committed to mentoring and leadership and is involved in the NACDA I-AAA mentor program, matched with a mentee at another campus. In 2017 she served on two panels focused on the critical importance of women in coaching and administration – one in conjunction with the Alliance of Women Coaches and one for the Heartland Athletic Conference Women’s Leadership Symposium.
 
She oversees external affairs, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, and track & field. Other primary responsibilities include oversight of external affairs including fundraising, marketing, ticket operations, and athletics media services. Under her leadership, basketball ticket revenue has climbed 64 percent since 2014 and the largest deferred gift in the program’s history was cultivated. In her first year as the director, she successfully led the fundraising campaign to name the court in the Gates Athletics Center “Arnie Ball” court after the coaching legend announced his retirement.
 
In year two (2015-16), she led the initiative to study and rebrand the department as “Fort Wayne Athletics” and started the Mastodon Athletics Advisory Board (MAAB) which is comprised of leaders in the Fort Wayne business community.
 
With over 25 years of collegiate athletic administrative and coaching experience, she continues to emphasize student-athlete welfare issues and academic success. The department achieved its highest grade point average ever (3.25) in 2016-17 and tallied over 3,700 campus and community service hours the same year.
 
Currently the chairperson of the Summit League Women’s Basketball Committee, she also served as the chair of the Summit League Joint Council (2015-17), and was appointed to the men’s and women’s basketball scheduling committee (2016). She was selected to serve on the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee for a four-year term and has participated in the men’s basketball CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) selection process since 2016.
Hartley Hutton arrived to Purdue Fort Wayne in 1991 and took the reins of a volleyball program that had a solid tradition and embarked on 314 victories (314-161 overall) making her the most winning women’s volleyball coach in school history. She produced winning records in 13 of her 15 years at the helm of Purdue Fort Wayne and tallied 11 20-win seasons and a pair of 25-win seasons. Hartley Hutton saw the program through the transition to Division I in 2001 and entrance into the Summit League in 2007.

In 2006, she helped lead Purdue Fort Wayne to the Independent Championship title, and was named the Independent Coach of the Year for the third time in five seasons. Her 2009 team was crowned as Summit League Champions, giving Purdue Fort Wayne its first NCAA Tournament berth as a NCAA Division I member. Her squad repeated the accomplishment in 2012, falling in the opening round in five sets to nationally ranked Iowa State. The 2010 team won the regular season conference title, and Purdue Fort Wayne had never missed the Summit League Tournament under Hartley Hutton’s tutelage. The team was tournament runner-up in 2007 and 2010.

In addition to success on the court, the team’s accolades in the classroom were equally impressive. The team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, were named to the Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence and were recognized as a Summit League Fall Academic All-League Team. In 2006, Hartley Hutton coached her first-ever Academic All-American in middle blocker Claire Jackson, who graduated from IPFW with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in biology.
 
Hartley Hutton also spent 12 years at Purdue Fort Wayne as senior woman administrator and associate athletic director. She was assigned to the Purdue Fort Wayne Advisory Committee on Equity and participated in the department’s ongoing evaluation of equity, operations and budget.
 
She also previously coached at Robert Morris University (Pa.) and Walsh University. In 20 years as a head coach, she amassed an all-time record of 451-228.
 
A graduate of the University of Toledo, Hartley Hutton played four years with the Rockets, serving as team captain during her junior and senior years. She earned an M.S. in sport administration from Bowling Green State University while working at the Mid-American Conference office. After completing a year-long NCAA internship with the MAC, she was appointed to a full-time position.
 
She and her husband, Craig Hutton, were married in February 2004 after meeting at IPFW. They reside in Fort Wayne with their daughter, Kennedy.

Beth M. Holloway

Dr. Beth Holloway is an experienced Engineering Education Administrator, Teacher, and Researcher working as an advocate for a positive and inclusive undergraduate student experience. Having worked at Purdue for over 21 years, Dr. Holloway us a professor of engineering practice, mechanical engineering, director of the Women in Engineering Program, and assistant dean of engineering for diversity and engagement. 

Ellen Ernst Kossek

Ellen Ernst Kossek is the Basil S. Turner University Distinguished Professor at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. She holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Yale University, an MBA for the University of Michigan, and a Bachelors’ degree with honors in psychology from Mount Holyoke College. She has served as the first elected President of the Work-Family Researchers Network and is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, and the Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology. Dr. Kossek has won many other national and international scholarly awards for research and service excellence to advance gender and work-life understanding. Her current research examines strategic and leadership initiatives to advance gender and work-life equality, and improve the implementation of flexibility and work-family/life policies to foster diversity and inclusion in employment. Previous academic appointments include: University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, visiting scholar at the University of Bologna, Italy and UNISA in Adelaide, Australia, and a U.S. Fulbright Fellowship at Cranfield University in the UK. Her articles have appeared in leading academic journals, such as the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Applied Psychology,  the Journal of Management, the Academy of Management Annals, among others; and in popular outlets such as Harvard Business Review, NPR, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Atlantic, Time Magazine, the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times.  Her research has been funded by NIH, NSF, and the Russell Sage, Alfred P. Sloan and Gerber Foundations. She has written or edited a number of books. Her most recent book is:  Creating Gender Inclusive Organizations (University of Toronto Press). She served on IESE’s Business Schools work-family and women’s leadership conferences advisory board in Barcelona, Spain and led in writing a commissioned report for the U.S. National Academy of Science on the effects of COVID-19 on the work-life boundaries of Women in STEMM Academic Scientists.  She has served as Chair of the  Gender and Diversity Division of the National Academy of Management and the board of governors. She has organized conferences at Purdue University on Dismantling Bias on bridging research to practice and helping scholars develop their research for publication. At Purdue, she also organized an NSF-funded workshop on the organizational science of work-life inclusion. She has contributed to the public and nonprofit sector, such as serving on the State of Michigan YMCA board, and writing reports on workplace flexibility for SHRM, the inspector general of the U.S. Postal Service, and a thought paper on work-life strategies for a U.S. Office of Personnel Management conference. Prior to becoming a professor she worked in industry for companies such as Hitachi, GTE, IBM and Deere and Company in Japan, Switzerland, and the U.S. She has taught managers and students and spoken to the general public and policy makers on advancing understanding of gender and work-life inclusion in many countries around the globe.

Ashley Malone

Ashely Malone is PFW’s assistant athletic director for administration and championships and currently on PFW’s Diversity Council and Community Engagement Action Planning Team. Ms. Malone developed, organized, planned and led Purdue Fort Wayne’s inaugural “National Girls and Women in Sport Day” luncheon, celebration and panel discussion in 2021. Ms. Malone was selected to the 2020 class of Women Leaders in College Sport/NCAA Institute for Administrative Advancement.

Stacie Reardon

Stacie Reardon is a student affairs specialist in the Office of the Dean of Students at PNW and leads programming and outreach geared toward bystander intervention and sexual violence awareness.

Dave Shondell

A legacy from one of the best-known families in American volleyball, Dave Shondell has firmly secured the tradition of Purdue volleyball among the nation’s best.

A proven success as a program builder, recruiter and game strategist, two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Shondell enters his 20th year at the helm of Boilermaker volleyball, having joined the staff on Feb. 13, 2003. Joined by associate head coach John Shondell and assistant head coach – recruiting coordinator Kathy Jewell, Shondell leads the longest tenured coaching staff in the Power Five and is one of eight active head coaches to celebrate 20 or more years at their institution (including one of two in the Big Ten).

Only the fourth head coach to lead the Boilermakers, Shondell enters the 2022 season a .668 overall winning percentage. During his tenure, Shondell has led Purdue to 16 NCAA Tournament berths in the last 19 years, including nine Sweet 16 appearances and four Elite Eight appearances in 2021, 2020, 2013 and 2010.

Purdue’s postseason success under Shondell has led the program to become one of 13 in the nation with at least eight Sweet 16 appearances in the last 15 years. Meanwhile, Shondell holds elite company as one of only nine head coaches to lead their team in 39 NCAA matches during the same time frame.

Named the Big Ten Conference and regional Coach of the Year in both 2021 and 2011, the Indiana native has also transformed Purdue into a perennial Big Ten and national contender with 414 victories to his name. Additionally, the 2021 season saw his 400th victory with Purdue (at Illinois on 10/7/21, W 3-2) and his 600th match (vs. Rutgers on 10/2/21, W, 3-0).

In his first season, Shondell led the Boilermakers to two top-25 wins and the program’s first win over Ohio State in Columbus since 1988. In the past 16 years, Purdue has made 13 NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the second round each season, making the program one of 11 nationally to do so.

The Boilermakers have posted 13 20-win seasons, including 29 victories in 2011, the program’s highest total since 1985. Purdue has defeated 71 ranked teams and climbed the Big Ten standings, finishing second in 2011, the team’s best finish since 1987. Overall, 40 of those 71 victories were played in West Lafayette, and the Boilermakers were the lesser ranked team in 30 of those contests.

In addition to Purdue’s successful record, Shondell has coached the Boilermakers to 18 All-Americans and eight Academic All-Americans. His charges also have earned 74 All-Big Ten, one Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and 193 Academic All-Big Ten accolades.

Laura Stegall

Laura Stegall is a 2002 IPFW graduate. She grew up near Fort Wayne and has been a battler, a leader and in her career and personal life lifts girls and women to be their best. She was also diagnosed with cancer in 2019, faced treatment with courage and is a currently healthy. She is the author of “Diary of a No Name Girl” which tells her story of cancer, hope, love and family. Ms. Stegall is the Co-founder of “I Can I will” win the day – a foundation which awards scholarships to students who have been impacted by cancer in their family.

Laura Stegall has served as DME Academy’s (in Daytona Beach, FL) Athletic Director since 2021, transitioning from a career in coaching collegiate volleyball. Stegall draws on her coaching and teaching experiences to provide leadership, direction, and mentoring to the DME Academy staff and students. Stegall’s role at DME Academy allows her to combine her passion for coaching and her love for education and teaching.

Before joining DME Academy, Stegall was responsible for launching a nationally ranked volleyball program. Under her tenure at Daytona State College, Stegall’s Falcons enjoyed seven winning seasons since the program’s conception in 2013. Under her leadership during her seven years with the Falcons, Stegall’s teams were ranked nationally six seasons, with a program’s record-high ranking of 6th in the nation in 2014. The success of the program led to Stegall being named the 2019 AVCA Southeast Region 2 Year College Coach of the Year.

Stegall has veteran experience in leadership and starting collegiate volleyball programs. In 2004, she launched the volleyball program at Indiana Tech, in Fort Wayne, Ind. In her two seasons at the helm of Indiana Tech’s program, Stegall helped lay a strong foundation for the program. In 2005, the inaugural season, the Warriors went 15-12. The following season Stegall led the Warriors to a 28-9 overall record, receiving honors as the WHAC Coach of the Year.

Academics have always been an essential focus of every program Stegall has led. Her Indiana Tech and Daytona State programs averaged a 3.5+ GPA annually and boasted a near-perfect graduation rate. Stegall looks to implement this same academics-first approach in her role as Athletic Director at DME Academy.

Stegall was a two-sport collegiate athlete at Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne (PFW), where she competed in both basketball and volleyball. Stegall finished her career as a three-time All-Conference and All-Region selection and was named the 2000 Great Lakes Valley Player of the Year and IPFW Female Athlete of the Year. Additionally, Stegall had the privilege of being a participant in the USA National Team Tryouts in 1997. Stegall’s accolades as a Mastodon culminated in 2006 with her induction into the PFW Hall of Fame.

Stegall graduated from IPFW in 2002. In spring 2013, Stegall completed her Master’s Degree with her MEd from Northcentral University. Before pursuing a career in collegiate coaching, she began her career as an elementary education teacher. Stegall moved to Daytona Beach in 2007 when her husband, Randy Stegall, accepted the position as Head Baseball Coach at Embry-Riddle. The Stegall family resides in Port Orange, Fl, with their three children Sarah, Ashtyn, and Brady.

Marcy H. Towns

Dr. Marcy H. Towns is the Bodner-Honig Professor of Chemistry and a 2021 Recipient of the IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry Award. She has served as faculty athletic representative for a three-year term in 2017 and was awarded the Society for College Science Teachers Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award in 2015.

Oriana White

Graduate student Oriana White, ’22, is completing her Master of Business Administration (MBA). White, of Dyer, has spent six years at Purdue University Northwest (PNW). She previously earned her bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in Human Resources.
During her collective time at PNW, White has had a hand in several student organizations, most notably Student Government Association (SGA). White has served as SGA’s president for 2 ½ years.

During her involvement with SGA, White feels most proud of her work helping establish student-family lounges and multicultural lounges at the Hammond and Westville campuses; obtaining free menstrual products in all gender-neutral and high-traffic women’s restrooms; establishing a prayer room at the Hammond campus; and revitalizing the Hammond campus’s community garden by University Village, which in turn will benefit the PNW Food Pantry.

White was recently recognized as “Outstanding Graduate Student” during the annual Founders Day celebration.

Julie Wiejak

Julie Wiejak enters her third season as the Purdue Northwest head volleyball coach, after coaching the previous two seasons for Purdue Calumet. 

The Pride entered their first season in NCAA Division II and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last season. Wiejak led PNW to their NCAA Division II victory with a 3-2 win against Shippensburg and their first GLIAC victory with a 3-1 against Northwood. 

During the first season as head coach of the Pride, Wiejak propelled the Pride to an 18-16 record, her best record as head coach in the past three seasons. Wiejak led the Black and Gold to a 10-9 record in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference and saw many players receive post-season accolades. 

Junior Gabrielle Martin received AVCA All-Region, NAIA-Scholar Athlete and CCAC First Team honors while Brooke Ahrens received CCAC Freshman of the Year accolades under the leadership of Wiejak.

During the 2015-16 campaign, Wiejak led the Peregrines to a school-record 11 wins overall, while also winning five Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference matches, also a school record.

Wiejak had three players earn CCAC All-Academic Honors, Samantha Basar, Hannah Kelly and Gabrielle Martin, while seniors Basar and Kelly each were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Martin, also earned her second straight second-team All-CCAC award.

The Peregrine squad also received the CCAC Champions of Character Team Award, which goes to the program who reaches out and best serves their community.

After the Peregrines broke 17 program records in the 2014-15 season, the Black and Gold would continue to strive and set higher standards while re-breaking those records. Those marks included kills (1,227), kills per set (10.7), attack percentage (.162), assists per set (9.9), service aces (235), block assists (248), digs (1,660) and total blocks (171.0)

In her first year at the helm in 2014, Wiejak led the Peregrines to 10 victories, doubling the team’s win total from the previous year and setting multiple program records which were later broken in the 2015 season.

Highlights from the season included a big home-opening sweep over rival Indiana Northwest, a strong 3-1 win over a talented Rochester College squad, and a 3-0 sweep on the road over league rival Calumet College of St. Joseph. Freshman Gabrielle Martin earned all-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Second-Team honors under Wiejak’s leadership and the team featured four all-CCAC Academic Selections and one NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete in Christina Colon. 

Wiejak came to Purdue Northwest from Andrean High School where she spent three years at the helm of the girl’s volleyball program. She compiled an impressive 85-22 record, while leading the 59ers to the first two IHSAA Semi-State appearances in program history. At Andrean, she coached seven all-conference selections, five all-area honorees and one NWI Times All-Area Player of the Year in Ana Nicksic. Wiejak also served as the head coach of the St. Patrick’s (Ill.) boy’s volleyball coach the past two seasons, leading the team within a game of the state tournament in 2012 and 2013.

In addition to her high school coaching duties, Wiejak is active in the club volleyball ranks. She spent three years as the director of the Southshore Volleyball Club, while also serving the director of coaching development and fundraising for Powerhouse Sports Academy, the parent organization of SSVBC as well as Powerhouse VBC, Club 1 VBC, and Hardcross VBC. 

Prior to her time at Andrean, Wiejak served as the top assistant at her alma mater, Loyola, for four seasons, where she worked primarily with the Ramblers’ middle blockers. During her time on the Loyola bench, Wiejak’s teaching was proven to be instrumental in the development of several record-setting Loyola middles. Under her watch, Mallory Curran broke the school’s career record for block assists, becoming the first Loyola player to break the 300-block assist plateau. Melissa Craig also set new school records during Wiejak’s tenure, eclipsing the top marks for blocks in a match and block assists in a season.

Her coaching experience also includes a six-year stint as an assistant coach at DePaul. While in Lincoln Park, she involved with all aspects of the Blue Demons’ program, helping guide the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2001.

Wiejak was also the director of the Great Lakes Region High Performance Program, an extension of the governing body of USA Volleyball, coordinating camps and competitions while also handling the business and financial aspects of the program for the seven years it existed. In 2005, for her efforts within the USA Volleyball community, Wiejak was given the Robert L. Lindsay Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes individuals for contributing outstanding participation, motivation, and other services in the promotion of volleyball.

A member of the Positive Coaching Alliance, Wiejak was named one of organization’s the Top 50 Double Goal coaches in the nation. She was also nominated for Indiana’s 2011 AVCA National High School Coach of the Year, while being selected to the “Top 20 under the age of 40” class of 2012 by Northwest Indiana Times Business Magazine. 

Wiejak had an impressive career at Loyola as a middle blocker, racking up 678 kills and 297 total blocks. She set a single-season record with 135 blocks as a junior, before notching notching 342 kills and 125 blocks en route to First Team All-MCC and MCC Tournament MVP honors as a senior. The Bishop Noll product led the Ramblers to the 1999 MCC title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The Chicago native earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing from Loyola in 2001. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in business communications from DePaul in 2006. Still active as a player on the beach in the summer, Wiejak recently earned professional status from sandvolleyball.com and also participates in Extreme Volleyball Professional (EVP) tour events.  *Note: Records include seasons 2010-2014, when the program was reintroduced after being discontinued in the 1990s.