Writer: Matt Vader | Editors: Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic, Danielle Fawbush
Editorial Board: Barb Frazee, Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic | Inquiries Contact: studentlifemarketing@purdue.edu
Student Spotlight
Peter Boyd probably could’ve used a helping hand at commencement earlier this month, as the winner of the G.A Ross Award for top graduating senior male had to carry four degrees with him offstage.
The G.A. Ross Award is presented annually to Purdue's outstanding graduating male. G.A. Ross, a 1916 graduate, stipulated that the award go to a graduating senior man demonstrating high standards of academic achievement, outstanding leadership, strength of character and contribution to Purdue. The recipient receives a financial award, medallion and his name inscribed on the award marker on Purdue Mall.
Boyd, who lived in University Residences in all four of his years at Purdue, graduated with degrees in applied statistics, actuarial science, mathematical statistics, and mathematical statistics with a math emphasis in the College of Science, as well as a minor in management.
The four degrees came from two double majors with many overlapping courses, Boyd said, but to ensure he never had any free time, the Saint John, Ind., native was also incredibly active in campus organizations. Boyd was a Stamps Scholar and involved in the Honors College’s Honors Leadership Council, Mortar Board, Purdue Student Government (PSG), Student Organization Grant Allocation (SOGA) Board and the Honors Mentor Program, among other things.
“I decided as a freshman that it would be my goal to one day be PSG treasurer. My junior year I was the treasurer, and it was great to go full circle in that organization and be able to have a big impact in that group for everyone on campus,” Boyd said. “On the Honors Leadership Council, which is basically their student council, I got to meet with the dean regularly and serve as the voice of the College of Science for Honors students. It was a really close group, and a really productive group that I enjoyed spending time with.”
During his Purdue tenure, Boyd lived in Shreve Hall as a freshman, in a Learning Community in Hillenbrand as a sophomore, and in Third Street Suites for his final two years.
“I enjoyed the community a lot. I made friends with some people who were a year or two younger than me, and they were still living in,” Boyd said about returning to UR every year. “It was a cozy environment. I felt that I was meeting new people regularly, and of course the food isn’t a bad deal at all."
Up next for Boyd is graduate school at Oregon State University, where he’ll study environmental statistics and research data on climate, ecology and forestry.
“I’ve had experience with many different areas in statistics at this point, and one of my biggest passions in life is the outdoors and the national parks, dealing with nature, so being able to fuse my personal and academic interests will be a very neat opportunity,” Boyd said.
Writer: Matt Watson
Alumni Profile
Lorrie Newhouse was a busy student leader in her time at Purdue, serving as the governess of Windsor Residence Hall Club, the president of the entire Residence Hall Association, and a representative on the Student Life Student Advisory Council all while working toward her degree in agricultural and biological engineering.
Even though she’s now two years out of school and living three hours away from West Lafayette, she hasn’t stopped working hard for Purdue and its student body. While she and her RHA executive board were unsuccessful in bringing a regional housing conference to campus, she was quick to volunteer when Purdue hosted a national housing conference in late May. She did everything from putting up signs across campus to collecting forms from guests to helping at a carnival, all to support University Residences and help show off the campus she loves.
“It had been a dream of ours for Purdue to host a conference. Since we went to conferences and had such a great time, we thought it’d be great for our student leaders to be able to experience that. Hosting a large conference and getting to show off Purdue, while bringing students from all over the nation to West Lafayette, was our hope” Newhouse said.
Newhouse also lends her young alumna voice to the Student Life Advisory Council, where she’s worked on marketing and with Purdue Admissions to share what Student Life is all about, and she served as a panelist at this year’s Women’s Leadership Series, just three years removed from participating as a student.
“It’s been a great experience for me. I hope to be a great advocate for our students and a great connection for them, to speak for them in that capacity,” Newhouse said. “I think it’s insightful to hear from recent alumni. It’s awesome to hear from older alumni of course, but while students are on campus they might not always be looking that far out in advance. Seeing someone who’s recently out of college can hopefully be beneficial for these students.”
In her new hometown of Washington, Ind., where Newhouse works at Grain Processing Corporation as the Alcohol and Utilities Division engineer, she’s gotten involved in the community by serving on the Daviess County Purdue Extension Board and as a 4-H leader. She advises current students and new alumni to continue leadership development opportunities after graduation, like she did participating in Leadership Daviess County.
“Leadership Daviess County was awesome because I was a transplant in southern Indiana and didn’t know anybody,” Newhouse said. “It was not only a great networking opportunity and leadership opportunity, but it helped me get plugged in.”
It’s a safe bet that anywhere Newhouse goes, she’s going to connect to the community, and she’s going to represent Purdue well.
Writer: Matt Watson
Housing News
Cary Racing wins Purdue Grand Prix
Last month Kyle Tilley and Cary Racing took the checkered flag at Purdue Grand Prix, becoming the first team from University Residences to win since 2005 and the first Cary Racing winner since 1986.
Tilley, a freshman from Fairland, Ind., took first place in his first Grand Prix race representing Cary Quad at the 60th edition of the iconic Purdue race. Tilley led the field for most of the first half of the race, then fell behind after a collision with another kart left him with a blown tire and bent tie-rod. A red flag shortly after halted the race temporarily, and then Tilley climbed the ranks after the restart and finally reclaimed the lead for good at lap 130 of 160.
The Grand Prix victory for Cary is the hall’s third all-time, with the first coming in 1966.
In the days after the race, the Andrew F. Boldt Cary Racing Scholarship was presented to Brendon Young, a mechanical engineering technology major currently serving as president of Cary Racing. The scholarship is funded by the parents of Andrew Boldt, a former Cary Racing president who tragically lost his life in 2014.
Writer: Matt Watson
Look back at Purdue Day of Giving with our Facebook photo album and the video below created by students working at the UR Alumni and Guest Center.
Writer: Matt Vader | Editors: Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic, Danielle Fawbush
Editorial Board: Barb Frazee, Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic | Inquiries Contact: studentlifemarketing@purdue.edu