Honors College Staff
For general inquiries please call our main number: 765-494-2929
Below are the dedicated Honors College staff.

Dr. Rosanne Altstatt
Associate Dean for Community, Outreach, and Leadership
Rosanne Altstatt is the Associate Dean for Community, Engagement, and Leadership. 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.
- HCRS 1057
- altstatt@purdue.edu
- 765-496-1303

Andrew Archey
Honors Advisor
Andrew Archey earned his B.A. in History and Anthropology at Western Michigan University. After that, he spent a year working as a collections intern at Western’s Archives and Regional History Collection before earning an M.A. in Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University – Bloomington in 2017. Prior coming to Purdue, he began pursuing a Ph.D. in History, also at Indiana University – Bloomington, where he worked as a graduate teaching assistant and assistant instructor. Andrew’s academic interests include Ottoman and Safavid history, consumption studies, and travel writing in major cities in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, playing games and watching movies with his friends, and, of course, spending time with his cat, Harlan.

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.
- Duhme 134A
- buntain@purdue.edu
- 765-496-3093

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.
- HCRN 1103
- sahardebeck@purdue.edu
- 765-496-3021

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.
- HCRN 1081
- mindy@purdue.edu
- 765-496-0168

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.
- HCRN 1083
- hieatt@purdue.edu
- 765-494-7340

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.
- HCRS 1056
- jasek@purdue.edu
- 765-496-3389

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.
- HCRN 1140
- john2395@purdue.edu
- 765-496-0532

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.
- Duhme 134
- liu2313@purdue.edu
- 765-494-8582

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.
- Duhme 120
- meyer271@purdue.edu
- 765-496-3790

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.
- HCRN 1104
- morton35@purdue.edu
- 765-496-1884

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.
- Duhme 118
- newellr@purdue.edu
- 765-496-2195

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.
- HCRN 1134
- parsondm@purdue.edu
- 765-496-1146

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.
- HCRN 1097
- cpatrone@purdue.edu
- 765-494-2906

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.
- DUHM 134
- lindsayperrault@purdue.edu
- 765-494-8582

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.
- HCRN 1136
- pruittjc@purdue.edu
- 765-496-4006

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.
- HCRN 1083
- jnramsey@purdue.edu
- 765-496-7348

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.
- DUHM 134
- roach16@purdue.edu
- 765-496-0765

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.
- HCRS 1063
- vaschirm@purdue.edu
- 765-494-1727

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.
- DUHM 134
- easheetz@purdue.edu
- 765-496-6369

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.
- HCRS 1064
- smit4496@purdue.edu
- 765-494-2886

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.
- HCRN 1142
- ouzomah@purdue.edu
- 765-496-0534

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.
- DUHM 132
- lvaliant@purdue.edu
- 765-496-0153

Sarah Vaughn
Senior Administrative Assistant
Sarah serves as the Senior Administrative Assistant for the Associate Dean of Research & Creative Endeavors. She has been with Purdue in many different departments for nearly 15 years. Sarah is a graduate of the Accomplished Clerical Excellence (ACE) program and completed her certificate in Organizational Leadership and Supervision. She helped to create the Black and Gold and Green Tailgate Recycling Team which supports her personal mission of sustaining a green planet. Outside of work, Sarah is an avid gardener, cat mom, and rock-n-roll enthusiast.
- DUHME 134
- svaughn@purdue.edu
- 765-494-1101

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.
- HCRN 1100
- wagnerak@purdue.edu
- 765-494-4230