Celebrating Black Excellence

Misinformation is rampant, and sometimes it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction. When it comes to public health, information literacy is critical to enable understanding and affirm credibility.
“Information literacy is fundamental to public health,” says Andrea Hayes, an assistant professor and health and critical information literacy librarian in the Department of Libraries and School of Information Studies.

Carlos Mahaffey grew up knowing about the Tuskegee syphilis study, in which researchers did not obtain informed consent from the 600 Black male participants who were denied penicillin even after it became widely available. For many Black Americans, the serious ethical issues that arose from the experiment created a legacy of mistrust in the medical community.

Don-Terry Veal Jr. is a pioneer in the 3+2 dual degree partnership between Morgan State University and Purdue.

For a decade, Shandey Malcolm worked in the Ministry of Health for Turks and Caicos Islands, most recently as the national epidemiologist. Now an assistant professor of epidemiology at Purdue University, she leverages her expertise in epidemiology to find determinants of disease, distribution of disease and frequency of disease to prevent health problems.

Richard Benberry is the new principal for PPHS North, located at the former Broad Ripple High School building.

Decades after her death in 1991, several examples of pioneering educator Helen Bass Williams’ impact at Purdue persist.

“Where are you going to college?” “What’s your major?” If you’re hearing these questions on a loop, you’re not alone.

Ashley Tippins’ desire to serve patients’ needs motivated her to relentlessly pursue three nursing credentials via Purdue Global.

When Nixon Opondo arrived in West Lafayette to walk in his graduation ceremony, he expected the experience to be unforgettable.

Lacey Beatty wanted to be a sign language interpreter. Now as Purdue Polytechnic High Schools’ Director of Leadership Development & Support, she continues to advocate for the students and coaches she serves.

Destiny White didn’t set out to become Purdue’s first Black female nuclear engineering graduate, but she did just that.

Like all good ideas, Junobie was created out of necessity. As a traveling working mother of two, Nickey Ramsey became frustrated with the few options available at the time to store her breastmilk — or, as she calls it, “liquid gold” — while on-the-go.