Programs, Resources, & Events

Current Programs

The Student Diversity Officers

The Student Diversity Officers (SDOs) at Purdue’s John Martinson Honors College are an interdisciplinary team of undergraduates who facilitate evidence-based peer-education on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). The SDOs research the experiences of minoritized and underrepresented students in higher education, strategies for building inclusive campus environments, and inclusive student-leadership practices.

They transform research into educational materials/experiences to train student leaders, peer-mentors, undergraduate TAs, and RAs to be inclusive, equity-oriented, and interculturally aware in their engagement with students.

Through workshops, trainings, learning modules, and student-panels, the SDOs equip undergraduates to undertake difficult conversations and foster equity-minded and inclusive practices in their personal, academic, and professional lives. The SDOs have received multiple grants and awards, including the NEH’s INcommon Grant, Purdue University’s Experiential Education Grant, and Council for Undergraduate Research’s Scholars Transforming Through Research Fellowship. Currently, the SDOs are working on a research project to publicize the importance of DEI-focused peer education, and to offer a template for other universities to develop peer-education programs that equip undergraduates on DEIB issues.

Autumn Reynolds

reyno225@purdue.edu

Autumn Reynolds (she/her/hers) is a freshman majoring in public health with the intent to concentrate in health policy and management. She was born and raised in Michigan City, Indiana with four siblings. She has a passion for all things belonging, equity, and inclusion (BEI) and is pursuing that by working on projects and joining organizations and clubs with a BEI-centered mission. She wants to continue this passion in her career by helping make healthcare more accessible and equitable for all people, no matter their socioeconomic status. She hopes to continue this passion at Purdue working with her fellow Student Diversity Officers doing research, workshops, and planning BEI-centered events for the John Martinson Honors College community. She is excited to grow her skills and knowledge through this position. Outside of her SDO responsibilities, she enjoys reading, participating in other organizations on campus, listening to R&B music, and going on wellness walks.

Cahue

Emily Cahue

Ecahue@purdue.edu

Emily Cahue (she/her/hers) is a second-year honors student majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management. She is a proud first-generation Latina college student who aspires to be at the forefront of the design and implementation of health equity and disease prevention initiatives in the future. Her passion for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) not only within the health field but also in the Purdue community, led her to get involved as a Student Diversity Officer (SDO). Being an SDO has given her a voice to advocate for underrepresented groups, the skills to become a peer educator, the language to engage in DEIB conversations, and the vision to view the world from an equity-based lens. It has been an empowering experience for Emily to work, grow, and learn alongside young leaders like her that share the same mission of creating a space where every person belongs and feels included through the power of peer education.

¡Yo hablo español! - I speak Spanish!

Danielle Ejiogu

dejiogu@purdue.edu

Danielle Ejiogu (she/her/hers) is a first-year student majoring in Computer Science. Danielle was born in Boston, MA and raised in Houston, Texas by Nigerian immigrants. She is passionate about science, social justice, and the arts. She is eager to learn and grow in this position and with the community at large. In her spare time, she loves to brows Letterboxd and write essays. She is excited to begin working as an SDO to support marginalized students within the John Martinson Honors College and be a part of designing programs that enhance inclusion and belonging.

Yates

Mia Yates

yatesmm@purdue.edu

Mia Yates (she/her/hers) is originally from Chicago Heights, OL, but has lived in Fishers, IN for most of her life. She is currently a sophomore studying pre-pharmacy with the intent to earn a Pharm-D and a minor in Spanish for the Professions. She loves chemistry, music, dancing, food, and spending time with friends. She is passionate about addressing the racial and social disparity in the US healthcare system and

in academia. The SDO opportunity has helped her support her peers and create an inclusive environment within the John Martinson Honors College and beyond. Additionally, being an SDO pushes her to think critically about my own beliefs and encourages me to continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn how I approach diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging topics. She is excited to continue working with a team who shares the common goal of creating an environment that fosters diversity of thought, culture, an experience.

Olan

Olanrewaju Sodunke

osodunke@purdue.edu

Olan Sodunke (he/him/his) is a John Martinson Honors College student in his sophomore year, majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Economics. He is a proud first-generation college student who is passionate about a career in mechatronics and the automotive industry. Olan was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the United States where he now lives in Indianapolis, IN with his parents and two siblings. Armed with his experiences of transitioning into a different culture both in and out of academic spaces, he currently serves as a Student Diversity Officer (SDO). In this position, Olan is dedicated to converting evidence-based research into educational material in the form of workshops, events, and panel discussions to help other peer-leaders learn about issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and to be more inclusive and equity-minded in their engagement. When he is not studying engineering or engaging in materials for peer-education, Olan spends his time running, cooking, watching anime, and appreciating the great outdoors.

Nehemiah Boyd

boyd151@purdue.edu

Nehemiah Boyd (he/him/his) is a first-year studying Neurobiology and Physiology with a minor in Spanish for the Professions. Coming from Indianapolis, IN, Nehemiah strives to bridge the gap between the many diverse individuals within the John Martinson Honors College. In his new role as an SDO, he hopes to create a stronger understanding of diversity and enhance belonging within the college. In this position, Nehemiah intends to learn more about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) issues, especially within the medical sector to improve care throughout the community and beyond.

Victor Garcia

vgarciam@purdue.edu

Victor Gerardo Garcia Mosqueda (he/him/his) is a junior majoring in planetary sciences and minoring in astronomy. He was raised in Cortazar, Guanajuato, Mexico and moved to Houston at the age of ten. Victor is a first-generation college student who is passionate about issues of social justice, especially race and class. He finds that being an SDO is an amazing position that allows for the voices of marginalized students on campus to be represented and catered to with content they care about and can relate to. Victor hopes that through his position as an SDO, more action can be taken to make Purdue a place where marginalized students can thrive with the resources necessary.

At Home in Honors: Conversations on Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

JMHC’s faculty and staff host monthly conversations over lunch to demonstrate how we integrate issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) into multiple facets of our life. These collaborative conversations will enhance your world-readiness and empower you with skills to build diverse and inclusive residential, academic, and professional communities at Purdue and beyond. Lunch is provided for all participants.

At Home in Honors Spring Sessions

January 11, 2023

February 1, 2023

March 1, 2023

April 5, 2023

World-Readiness Mentoring Network (WRMN)

The World Readiness Mentoring Network is a mentoring program that pairs John Martinson Honors College alumni with John Martinson Honors College students. This program is based on a structure intended to bring mutual benefits to students and alumni.

The program's mentorship design creates opportunity for meaningful knowledge exchange and engagement, and delivers value and social capital to both mentors and mentees.

Mark Aronson

Mark graduated from Purdue University in 2017 from the College of Engineering and the Honors College. Following his time at Purdue, he went on to pursue graduate work in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. There, Mark joined the lab of Allyson Sgro, where he completed his Doctoral Dissertation entitled "Biophysical Methods Bridging Signal Pathway Architecture and Dynamics in Multigenerational Bacterial Processes."

Mark is currently a Postdoctoral Associate in the Sgro Lab at HHMI's Janelia Research Campus, where he is continuing to apply joint experimental and computational approaches to examine how bacterial signal behavior operates over multiple generations. In addition to tackling the complexities of the natural world, Mark enjoys his role as a researcher for its opportunity to mentor junior scientists, and has trained and mentored four undergraduate researchers during his time in graduate school. He is excited to expand the scope of his mentorship through the WRMN. Beyond the world of scientific research, Mark enjoys long-distance running, a hobby which took him to the finish line of the New York City Marathon in 2022.

Aubrey Bennett

Aubrey Bennett graduated from Purdue in August 2021 with a B.S. in Geology/Geophysics and Planetary Science with a minor in Classical Studies. While at Purdue, she was involved in many aspects of John Martinson Honors College life, including Honors Ambassadors and the Honors Leadership Council.

One of her undergraduate highlights includes the Study Away trips she took with the program to England and Romania. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Geosciences from the University of Arizona, focusing on geodesy or crustal deformation.

Elise Boessler

Elise graduated from Purdue in May 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Brain and Behavioral Science and a minor in Philosophy. During her time in the John Martinson Honors College, she developed confidence and competence from mentorship experiences and an enthusiasm to help others feel the same.

She is now an Orr Fellow at Zotec Partners in Indianapolis in a two-year post-graduate program which encourages young professionals through leadership development and skill-building opportunities in the Indianapolis area. She plans on applying to law schools in the coming year and working in the public health sector thereafter. In her free time, she loves to walk her dog Max on the Monon Trail, crochet, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, golf, and thrift with friends.

Peter Boyd

Peter Boyd graduated in 2017 with degrees in Actuarial Science and Statistics. He then went on to earn a PhD in Statistics at Oregon State University with research applications in seismology, gun violence, and disease modeling.

Peter's currently in Seattle, WA working as a Senior Data Scientist/Consultant for New Light Technologies. Catch Peter climbing, skiing, backpacking, foraging, and surfing.

Anjali Byappanahalli

Anjali graduated from Purdue in May of 2021 with Honors through the College of Science. She majored in Neurobiology and Physiology with a minor in Chemistry. During her time at the John Martinson Honors College, Anjali became passionate about ethical leadership, serving as a mentor and in leadership roles within the Honors Mentor Program.

Currently, Anjali is a research fellow at the National Institute on Aging (National Institutes of Health), where she explores biomarkers in age-related health disparities. She is currently applying to MD/PhD programs. In her free time, Anjali likes to bake, spend time with her friends, and watch Formula 1.

Breeah Carey

Breeah S. Carey, M.S., CCC- SLP is an ASHA-certified New Jersey bilingual (English-Spanish) speech-language pathologist. Breeah currently works with children ages 1-14 years in public school and private practice settings. As the daughter of an educator, Breeah was always interested in serving her community, similar to her mother.

She graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, with minors in psychology and Spanish. She then completed two years of comprehensive training in Purdue University's Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program, followed by a clinical fellowship in New Jersey's inner city schools. Her focus areas include language disorders, speech sound disorders, augmentative and alternative communication, and multilingualism. Breeah is also the founder and director of Breeze Educational Services (B.E.S.), a New Jersey-based academic tutoring company that serves students in grades preschool- 9 virtually and in person.

Bryce Colon

Bryce is a 2022 graduate of Purdue University and the John Martinson Honors College. He graduated with a BS Pharmaceutical Sciences with Distinction and BA Sociology. He is currently a graduate student at Purdue University pursuing a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology in the Rochet Lab. His work is focused on Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Outside of the lab he enjoys running, reading, and camping.

Laura Kightlinger

Laura Kightlinger is the VP of International Customer Success at Seismic, the global leader in Sales Enablement. In this role, Laura leads the team responsible for partnering with customers across Europe and Asia to ensure their long-term value realisation on the platform. Prior to Seismic, Laura built the Customer Success team at Qubit from inception to 15 team members globally, and supported significant growth in Finance and Business Operations roles at DocuSign and Google.

She holds an MBA from INSEAD, and a BS Accounting from Purdue University. Laura currently resides in London and has previously lived in Singapore, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. Outside of work, you can find her traveling the world, trying new foods, and/or participating in endurance sports, especially running and triathlon.

Emily Mast

Emily Mast is the Manager of Marketing & Communications at GlobalHealth, LLC. Emily started at GlobalHealth as a Social Media and Marketing Specialist. Within 8 months at the organization, she was promoted to Manager where she now leads the entire marketing department and works closely with the VP of Sales and Marketing. Emily was instrumental in launching successful Annual Enrollment and Open Enrollment marketing campaigns and leading the company through a new brand implementation. Emily is the founder of Big Sister Advice, a service project that develops core life and soft skills in teens and young adults through mentorship. In her spare time, Emily enjoys volunteering in her community, competing in pageants, exercising, and golfing.

Giovanni Malloy

Giovanni Malloy is a researcher at the RAND Corporation with expertise in data science, artificial intelligence, decision analysis, mathematical modeling, and simulation. In his research, he develops new methods and leverages existing methods, such as machine learning, deep learning, data analytics, economic modeling, and complex networks, to evaluate policy interventions. At RAND, his work has focused on machine learning, advanced data analytics, AI technology evaluation, forecasting, modeling, and simulation for the Army, Air Force, and law enforcement.

His dissertation focused on developing computational models and improving analytical methods for guiding health policy decision making. Applications of his work include COVID-19 mitigation in jails and prisons, structural sensitivity analyses, cost-effectiveness analyses, and developing analytical and metamodel alternatives to traditional model archetypes. He holds a Ph.D. in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.

Barbara McAnulty

Currently a Sr Scientist in manufacturing at Eli Lilly, Barbara is a 2019 graduate of the Honors College and a former Stamps Scholar. During her time at Purdue, Barbara studied biological engineering and was in leadership positions in Purdue Student Government and Society of Women Engineers.

Barbara has maintained extracurricular leadership positions in a professional capacity through Lilly’s New Hire Network and Purdue recruiting efforts. In her free time, Barbara likes to do crafts like knitting and sewing as well as take care of her bunny Frankie. Originally from North Carolina, Barbara also makes frequent trips to the Tar Heel State to visit her three nieces.

Brianna Meyer

Bri received her BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Throughout her time at Purdue she was involved in several organizations including the John Martinson Honors College Mentor Program, Women in Aerospace, and Purdue Contemporary Dance Company.

She currently works as a Flight Test Engineer for the Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB, CA. She spends her time outside of work volunteering for Civil Air Patrol, participating in endurance sports, and pursuing advanced flight training.

Madeline Powers

Madeline (she/her) graduated from Purdue and the John Martinson Honors College in May 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Public Health. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at Purdue with a concentration in biostatistics. She also works part-time at the Indiana Department of Heatlh as a Health Equity Data Analyst.

After earning her MPH in August 2023, Madeline hopes to work as an Epidemiologist at a state or local health department. In her free time, Madeline enjoys hiking, crafting, and spending time with friends and family. During her time as an undergraduate at Purdue, Madeline greatly valued her John Martinson Honors College experience and is excited to interact with current Honors students through this program.

Nimisha Prasad

Nimisha Prasad is a recent alum of Purdue University, graduating in December 2022 with her Master of Science in Human Resource Management. Nimisha is also a “Double Boiler” and received her Bachelor of Science in Psychological Sciences in May 2022. She was able to accomplish this through the then called Krannert School of Management Combined Degree Program. Within the John Martinson Honors College, Nimisha was involved through a variety of activities. She served as a resident assistant for two years on the 6th floor of the Honors College and Residences South.

Additionally, she was a co-chair on the Honors Outreach Committee, putting on events that connected Honors students to other organizations and members of the campus community. She was able to complete her research project through the Place-Based research initiative from the John Martinson Honors College and studied how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Asian and Asian American communities. Upon graduating, Nimisha is currently interning at her local government until she begins her full-time role in Capital One’s Human Resource Rotation Program in McLean, Virginia!

Emily Rodriguez

A former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Uzbekistan, Emily Rodriguez combines her engineering background with her passion for building and educating effective teams to her role as a Software Engineer at The MITRE Corporation. With a nontraditional Computer Science background, Emily has experience finding unique solutions to solve problems in the Embedded Software, DevSecOps, and Agile Workflow contexts. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Rahmaan Ruth

At the cross-section of business, tech, and DEI - Rahmaan Ruth is a Purdue Graduate, 1st year MS student studying Information Systems at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business as a GEM & MSIS Fellow. Currently supporting IU’s Marketing Department as a graduate assistant and Johnson and Johnson’s Integrated Risk Management (iRM) unit as a cyber security intern, Rahmaan aims to find and effectively communicate innovative solutions to stakeholders.

Rahmaan is from the South Side of the City of Chicago, but currently lives in Bloomington, IN, near IU’s Campus. In his free time, he likes to draw, exercise/do yoga, watch thrillers/action movies/anime, and listen to music. He loves to cook and tend his houseplants.

Tania Pliego Torres

Tania is a 2022 Purdue Alumna who graduated from the John Martinson Honors College with degrees in Brain and Behavioral Science and Spanish. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Life on campus. She is from Indianapolis and daughter of Mexican immigrant parents. Tania enjoys working with the Latine community off and on campus through a variety of service and leadership opportunities and In her free time, Tania enjoys singing and dancing.