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Honors College Staff

For general inquiries please call our main number: 765-494-2929

Below are the dedicated Honors College staff.

Brady Alumbaugh
Brady Alumbaugh

Recruitment Specialist

Brady is excited to be the Recruitment Specialist for the Honors College! Brady is a Purdue alumnus (and first-generation student) with a BA in Theatre Design & Production with minors in Spanish and Computer & Information Technology. He has worked in several areas on campus including the College of Liberal Arts Recruitment and the Office of Admissions. Brady is happy to answer questions about the Honors College for prospective students and their families. Outside of work, Brady enjoys traveling, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.

Leighton Buntain
Leighton Buntain

Community Outreach and Events Manager

Leighton works in the Purdue Honors College to support events and programs with faculty and scholars, the local community, and alumni of the Honors College. He completed his undergraduate degree in International Relations and Chinese language at the University of Calgary in Canada and his Master’s degree in Public Administration at the Ohio State University. He is currently a PhD student in education, focused on intercultural learning and cross-cultural friendship. Prior to joining the Honors College, he worked in the International Programs office at Purdue and, before that, worked in various international education roles in Asia and Canada. He has lived and worked in East and Southeast Asia for over 15 years and is originally from Vancouver, Canada.

Kelli Dawson
Kelli Dawson

Administrative Assistant

Kelli serves as the Administrative Assistant for the Honors College. Before joining the Honors College, she served as the secretary for the Student Activities and Organizations Department. Although she did not attend Purdue University, she is a Lafayette native who has deep Purdue pride. In her free time, Kelli enjoys going to as many Avett Brothers concerts as possible, any outdoor activities, and spending time with her husband and two dogs.

Sherry Hardebeck
Sherry Hardebeck

Dean's Administrative Office Manager

Sherry Hardebeck graduated with her B.S. in Human Resource Development and completed her M.S. in Career and Technical Education in 2009 from Indiana State University. Before joining the Honors College, she worked at Purdue in the Physical Facilities Administration Department. As the Dean’s Administrative Office Manager, Sherry is responsible for the smooth management of the educational administration, public relations/outreach and discovery-related roles of the Dean.

Mindy Hart
Mindy Hart

Director of Recruitment and Admissions

Mindy Hart is a proud Purdue alumna who earned her BS in Health Education with a Minor in Computer Education and also her MS Ed in School Administration. Mindy has considerable knowledge of many areas across campus, having held positions in Computer Science, Engineering, Purdue Polytechnic and Recreational Sports. Mindy also spent 7 years as a high school teacher, teaching and coaching a variety of subjects and activities. Mindy is a fan of baseball, 80s movies, gummi bears, and laughing.

Hieatt
Tracy Hieatt

Lead Administrative Assistant

Tracy is a Lafayette native who joined the Honors College in 2006 when it was the University Honors Program.  In her role as Senior Administrative Assistant for the Honors College, she performs general day to day office duties as well as serving as the Honors College Schedule Deputy for HONR courses. Additionally, she serves as the department computing liaison to ITAP and the liaison to the Office of International Students and Scholars. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends when she is away from the office.

Ethan Johnson
Ethan Johnson

Honors Advisor

Ethan Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Classical Cultures from Ball State University. He earned a Master of Science for College Student Personnel from Southern Illinois University. Ethan has worked as a high school teacher, a residence hall coordinator, and a barista. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, laughing, and drinking iced coffee—sometimes all at once.

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Chaonan Liu

Scholar in Residence for Undergraduate Research

Chaonan earned her M.S. in Cell biology from Beijing Normal University, China. She completed her Ph.D. in biology education from Purdue University in 2021, where she worked as a graduate research assistant and teaching assistant. Her Ph.D. research focused on improving instruction for scientific reasoning during undergraduate biology laboratory investigations. During her spare time, she enjoys painting and spending time with her family. 

Jordan Meyer
Jordan Meyer

Data Analyst

Jordan Meyer earned a B.S. and M.A. in sociology and a graduate certificate in institutional research from Ball State University. As Data Analyst, he is responsible for statistical reporting in the Honors College. Outside of work, he enjoys video games and spending quality time with his wife and son.

Mike Morton
Mike Morton

Senior Honors Advisor

Mike Morton earned his B.S. in public relations and his M.S. in college student personnel administration at the University of Central Missouri. As a graduate student, Mike worked in the university president’s office and in alumni relations. Prior to coming to the Purdue Honors College, Mike spent two years as an academic advisor, recruiter and social media manager at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He enjoys golfing, going to the movies and road trips to see friends and family.

Rachel Newell
Rachel Newell

Student Leadership and Engagement Manager

As part of the Honors College Rachel works to create development opportunities for students through leadership, community service, and other meaningful experiences. She advises the Honors Leadership Council and the HonorServes Committee, and is part of the Diversity & Inclusion Team. Rachel received her B.S. in Education from Eastern Illinois University and her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she spent twelve years teaching at the Intensive English Institute before joining the Honors College in 2017. She has also taught English in China and Turkey as well as worked as a professional actor, landscaper, sign language interpreter, and an advocate for an international child development organization. Rachel loves to hike, write, do yoga, sing harmony, and find ways to spoil her amazing niece and nephew.

Dani Parsons
Dani Parsons

Honors Advisor

Dani earned their Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, now known as Purdue Fort Wayne. After that, they came to the main Purdue campus to earn their M.S. in Social Psychology, where they served as a Graduate teaching assistant and research assistant. In their spare time, Dani enjoys trying new foods, making crafts, and spending time with their cat.

Catharine Patrone
Catharine Patrone

Chief of Staff

Catharine Patrone completed her B.A. in communication and minors in women’s studies and human development and family science and M.A. in higher education and student affairs at Ohio State University. While in graduate school, she worked as a research consultant in the Student Support Office at Lancaster University in Lancaster, England during the summer of 2002. Prior to coming to Purdue University, Catharine served in the capacities of Graduate Associate and Program Coordinator at the University Honors & Scholars Center at Ohio State University.

Lindsay Perrault
Lindsay Perrault

Media Coordinator

Lindsay Perrault serves as the Media Coordinator for the Honors College.   With more than a decade of experience in television news, she brings a journalistic perspective to the college’s message designs.  Before joining Purdue, Lindsay anchored “Hello Wisconsin” a morning news program for the NBC affiliate out of Eau Claire.  She has earned numerous awards for her anchoring and reporting, including an Emmy nomination for an investigation into Wisconsin’s regulation of for-profit colleges.  Prior to her time in Eau Claire, Lindsay anchored and reported for stations in Wisconsin’s capital city of Madison, her home market of Green Bay, and in Lansing, Michigan.  She graduated with a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jasmine Pruitt
Jasmine Pruitt

Honors Advisor

Jasmine Pruitt earned a BA in Creative Writing from Prescott college in Prescott, Arizona. She earned a Masters of Arts and Sciences in Creative writing from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Previously, Jasmine has worked for organizations that promote equity and education including University of Michigan’s Creative prison arts project and Americorps’ City Year program. In her spare time, she loves to write and spend time with her family and dog, Blanket.

Jess Ramsey
Jess Ramsey

Director of Advising

Jess serves as the Director of Advising for the Honors College. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Mount Union, an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel from Kent State University, and an MBA from Purdue University Global. Prior to working with the Honors College, Jess spent six years working with Purdue Promise- most recently serving as the Senior Assistant Director for the program. She has led study abroad programs to Spain and has taught several courses across campus. Outside of work, Jess enjoys hiking, travel, reading, and cats.

Antonia Roach
Antonia Roach

Program Coordinator

Antonia Roach is a Purdue alum who graduated from the Honors College in December 2018. She earned her B.S. in Psychological Sciences with minors in African American Studies, English, and Global Studies. While here as a student, she was involved with the Honors Mentor Program, the mentor council, and served as one of the Honors College’s first Student Diversity Officers. She earned her M.S. in higher postsecondary education at Syracuse University where she served as a graduate assistant to the Native Student Program.  She returns to the Honors College as a program coordinator for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Leadership Development and looks forward to the continuous development of the campus community through her work.  Antonia enjoys trying out new vegan recipes, hiking, yoga, and spending time with family, friends, and her fur babies — Charlie and the cats.

Emily Sheetz
Emily Sheetz

Student Engagement Coordinator

Emily serves as the Student Engagement Program Coordinator in the Honors College. As a graduate of the John Wesley Honors College, she has long been passionate about supporting students as they pursue meaning in their Honors College experience and find belonging in both the college community as well as the world at large. She graduated with her B.S.in General Studies and Honors Humanities from Indiana Wesleyan University and received her MAEd in Leadership in Higher Education from Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio. Prior to coming to Purdue, Emily held roles in residence life, community engagement, and the Baldwin Wallace University Honors Program. Outside of work, Emily enjoys hiking, trying new recipes, perhaps drinking too much coffee, reading, and laughing. When you meet her ask her about losing a whole van on a service trip or if it’s better to be a bulldog or a cow mascot.

Onyx Uzomah
Onyx Uzomah

Honors Advisor

Onyx received her B.S. in General Biology with a minor in Business Administration from California State University Dominguez Hills. She then made the move from the west coast to Purdue University and earned her M.S. in Biological Sciences in 2014. Prior to joining the Honors College, Onyx taught anatomy and physiology to pre-nursing students at Ivy Tech Community College, and worked with 6th-8th graders in special education with both the Lafayette and Tippecanoe school corporations. Outside of work, she enjoys reading voraciously, singing, dancing, sewing, crocheting, and analyzing the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her son.

Leslie Valiant
Leslie Valiant

Communications Manager

Leslie is a graduate of Purdue University with a B.A. in Communication and an A.S. in Computer Graphics Technology. She has 23 years of small business marketing and communication experience serving a wide variety of industries and clients. Leslie’s areas of emphasis are website design and development, professional writing, and project management. She is currently working toward a Masters degree in Psychology from Purdue University Global. In her spare time, Leslie enjoys hiking, playing tennis, traveling with her family, and attending sporting events.

Alyssa Wagner
Alyssa Wagner

Honors Advisor

Alyssa graduated from Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She earned her M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction specializing in Art Education from the University of Houston located in Houston, Texas. Before coming to Purdue and the Honors College, Alyssa spent almost a decade as a teacher. She taught math, science, and social studies for several different grade levels, as well as Elementary Visual Arts before eventually moving to Middle School (7th & 8th Grade) Visual Arts. Alyssa is a huge advocate of the arts and Arts Education as well as Mental Health Education. Outside of the office, Alyssa loves all things plaid, Andes Mints, spending time with friends and family, traveling, and reading a good book with an excellent cup of coffee.

Dr. Rosanne Altstatt
Dr. Rosanne Altstatt

Associate Dean

Rosanne Altstatt is Dean’s Fellow for National and International Scholarships. She was brought to Honors College from Purdue’s School of Visual and Performing Arts where she was Visiting Scholar. Rosanne has worked internationally as a curator, writer and the director of several art institutions that specialize in media art. She researched the media art institution in our information-filled atmosphere for her Ph.D. in Art and Media Studies from Carl-von-Ossietzky University, wrote about early video art for her M.A. in Art History from University of Cologne, and received a B.A. in Art History and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Veronica Schirm
Veronica Schirm

Director

Veronica Schirm graduated with her B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish from Purdue University in 2000. She completed her M.S.Ed. in Counseling and Development with a specialization in Mental Health Counseling in 2003 also from Purdue. While in graduate school, she worked as a teaching assistant in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and as a graduate assistant to the Learning Communities Coordinator. Through those experiences, she discovered her interest in academia and decided to pursue a university career rather than become a practicing therapist.

Michael Russell
Michael Russell

Scholar Development Advisor

Michael Russell graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Sustainability in 2013. He worked for Purdue’s Horticulture Department assisting in the management of their Plant Growth Facilities for two years and a half. Michael’s primary responsibilities are to encourage students make the most out of their undergraduate careers. In addition to student interactions, Michael enjoys camping, hiking, orchid biology, and supporting LGBTQ+ community.

Melissa Jasek
Melissa Jasek

Senior Administrative Assistant

An employee of Purdue University for 14 years, Melissa has participated in the Accomplished Clerical Excellence (ACE) program and has worked with staff advisory groups over the years. These experiences have allowed her to work with many staff members across campus. She is enjoying her new position in the Honors College and looks forward to getting to know other Honors College colleagues. Melissa is a current student at Purdue University Global where she will complete her AAS in the spring of 2022. Once she completes her AAS, she then plans to work toward a BS in Business Administration. Melissa is a proud dog mom of two beagle babies.

Kathryn Smith
Kathryn Smith

Writing Consultant and Peace Corp Prep Coordinator

Kathryn Smith is the Writing Consultant and Peace Corp Prep Coordinator at NISO. She started her career writing and producing newsletters in the same climate zone from a coastal Japanese village on northeastern Honshu to Harvard Law School’s East Asian Legal Studies Program in Boston. She has used her fluency in Spanish and Japanese in various roles across business, education, and government. She is anchored in the Midwest through her family roots in Iowa and her education in Minnesota and Illinois. The daughter of a legal wordsmith and a seamstress, Kathryn thinks of writing as sewing with our words.