Category: Experiential Education

If it’s true that experience is the best teacher, then Purdue students learn from the best.

One year ago, Asumani Gregoire used a computer for the very first time. In May, the freshman at Purdue Polytechnic High School will compete against 800 other teams at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas.

The passion is pure. You can see it in Jennifer Dobbs-Oates’ ear-to-ear grin and hear it in her spirited voice.

One of the proudest achievements of Melinda Zook’s career is implementing the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program, which encourages Purdue’s undergraduate students to broaden their understanding of the world and strengthen their communication and critical-thinking skills through general education courses.

Danny Milisavljevic dreams of giving every Purdue undergraduate student the opportunity to look through a telescope before they graduate. With the new Astro-Boilermaker Telescope and observatory at his disposal, Milisavljevic might someday be able to provide that invaluable learning opportunity.

Jason Ware prioritizes personal connections with his students and focuses on mentoring, both in and out of the classroom. Ultimately, Ware wants his students to cultivate their sense and concept of humanity – and he wants them to realize the impact they can have on the world around them.

The goal of Purdue animal sciences professor Elizabeth Karcher is to motivate students and challenge them with new concepts and learning experiences. Paying forward the role as mentor, she makes every effort to walk with her students through the process of developing a research project and presenting at national meetings.

When recent Purdue grad and kindergarten teacher Joseline Aguilar was in second grade, she knew she wanted to be a teacher. She felt called to connect with students for many reasons, but her own experience as a bilingual student influenced her most.

When Purdue University computer science student Niyati Sriram set out to secure an internship for the summer before her senior year, she didn’t put much emphasis on representation. As an Indian American woman, she was used to being one of only a few women among her computer science peers, and one of even fewer women of color.