World Readiness Programs, Resources, & Events
Current Programs
The Student Belonging Advocates (SBAs) at Purdue’s John Martinson Honors College are an interdisciplinary team of peer-educators who support students, staff, and faculty to develop evidence-based strategies to navigate differences, develop intercultural competencies, and ethical leadership. They facilitate workshops for student leaders across campus to create an enhanced sense of belonging for all.
The SBAs have received multiple grants and awards, including the NEH’s INcommon Grant, Purdue University’s Experiential Education Grant, and the Council for Undergraduate Research’s Scholars Transforming Through Research Fellowship.
Autumn Reynolds
Autumn (she/her/hers) is a junior majoring in public health with the intent to concentrate in health policy and management. She was born and raised in Michigan City, Indiana with four siblings. She has a strong passion for creating and fostering belonging. She pursues this passion by working on projects with several different clubs and organizations that center belonging and inclusion. She wants to continue this passion in her career by helping make healthcare more accessible and equitable for all people, no matter their socioeconomic status. She hopes to continue this passion at Purdue working with her fellow Student Belonging Advocates doing research, workshops, and planning belonging-centered events for the John Martinson Honors College community. Outside of her SBA responsibilities, she enjoys reading, participating in other organizations on campus, listening to R&B music, and going on wellness walks.
Olanrewaju Sodunke
Olan (he/him/his) is a John Martinson Honors College student in his senior year, majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Economics. He is a proud first-generation college student who is passionate about a career in mechatronics and the automotive industry. Olan was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the United States where he now lives in Indianapolis, IN with his parents and two siblings. Armed with his experiences of transitioning into a different culture both in and out of academic spaces, he currently serves as a Student Belonging Advocate (SBA). In this position, Olan is dedicated to converting evidence-based research into educational material in the form of workshops, events, and panel discussions to help our peer-leaders learn about issues of inclusion and belonging. When he is not studying engineering or engaging in materials for peer-education, Olan spends his time running, cooking, watching anime, and appreciating the great outdoors.
Nehemiah Boyd
Nehemiah (he/him/his) is a third-year studying Neurobiology and Physiology with a minor in Spanish for the Professions. Coming from Indianapolis, IN, Nehemiah strives to bridge the gap between the many diverse individuals within the John Martinson Honors College. In his role as an SBA, he hopes to create a stronger understanding of inclusion and enhance belonging within the college. In this position, Nehemiah is interested in learning more about inclusion and belonging issues, especially within the medical sector to improve care throughout his community and beyond.
Marin Brooks
Marin Brooks (she/her/hers) is a first-year Pre-Pharmacy student with a strong dedication to community and leadership. Originally from Noblesville, Indiana, Marin has been actively involved in diverse leadership roles for her peers to create an equitable and welcoming environment. Additionally, Marin is driven by a commitment to addressing healthcare disparities, especially those impacting African-American women. She is particularly interested in the drug development process, striving to contribute to cost-effective production methods that could reduce prices for patients in need. Marin looks forward to combining her academic pursuits with a meaningful role in advancing healthcare equity through innovative medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys participating in wellness activities like yoga and engaging with community initiatives.
Grace Chen
Grace Chen (she/her/hers) is a second-year student studying Nursing. She was raised in New Jersey and is passionate about promoting health equity in underprivileged communities. On campus, she is involved in several cultural organizations, mentors first-year HHS students, conducts research on Latinx health in the Ruiz Lab, and serves on the Honors Leadership Council. She is excited to bring this interdisciplinary experience to the role of Student Belonging Advocate and hopes to help cultivate a supportive and welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds within the John Martinson Honors College. In her free time, Grace enjoys photographing, running, playing guitar, and trying new matcha orders.
Augustine Gallespen
Augustine Gallespen (she/her/hers) is a sophomore double majoring in Public Health on the premed track and Spanish. Originally from Plainfield, IL, she strives to promote health equity and improve access to healthcare for all. In the future she hopes to work for the United States Public Health Service and serve underprivileged communities so that they may receive sustainable healthcare. She is excited to work with her fellow Student Belonging Advocates in promoting Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion (BEI) in the Honors College and Purdue as a whole and grow her skills and knowledge on how to best understand others and their experiences. In her free time, you can find Augustine hanging out with her friends, working out at the gym, or trying a new restaurant or recipe.
KJ Lewis
KJ (he/him/his) is a first-year student majoring in Biomedical Health Sciences with a pre-med concentration. He was born in Seattle, Washington with one sister. He is passionate about creating environments where all students have a place to excel and shine. Within this position he would also like to continue to learn about diversity, inclusion, and belonging and emphasize these within all aspects of his life and within the honors college. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music (r&b, soul or rap), working out, and playing lacrosse.
The World Readiness Mentoring Network is a mentoring program that pairs John Martinson Honors College alumni with John Martinson Honors College students. This program is based on a structure intended to bring mutual benefits to students and alumni.
The program creates an opportunity for students to engage with young professionals who graduated from Purdue University and now thrive in the world. This exchange will yield crucial lessons and insights for both groups on how to navigate academic spaces and how to be world-ready.
World Readiness means having the skills and preparedness to live authentically in diverse communities, work inclusively, interculturally, and ethically across differences and in global contexts.
Join the Program
The WRMN Program is no longer accepting applications for student mentees and alumni mentors for the 2024-2025 academic year. However, if you're interested in participating in future cohorts and receiving updates about program timelines, please fill out the interest form below.
Complete Form
Alumni Mentors - Spring 2023 Cohort
Mark Aronson
Mark graduated from Purdue University in 2017 from the College of Engineering and the Honors College. Following his time at Purdue, he went on to pursue graduate work in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. There, Mark joined the lab of Allyson Sgro, where he completed his Doctoral Dissertation entitled "Biophysical Methods Bridging Signal Pathway Architecture and Dynamics in Multigenerational Bacterial Processes."
Mark is currently a Postdoctoral Associate in the Sgro Lab at HHMI's Janelia Research Campus, where he is continuing to apply joint experimental and computational approaches to examine how bacterial signal behavior operates over multiple generations. In addition to tackling the complexities of the natural world, Mark enjoys his role as a researcher for its opportunity to mentor junior scientists, and has trained and mentored four undergraduate researchers during his time in graduate school. He is excited to expand the scope of his mentorship through the WRMN. Beyond the world of scientific research, Mark enjoys long-distance running, a hobby which took him to the finish line of the New York City Marathon in 2022.
Aubrey Bennett
Aubrey Bennett graduated from Purdue in August 2021 with a B.S. in Geology/Geophysics and Planetary Science with a minor in Classical Studies. While at Purdue, she was involved in many aspects of John Martinson Honors College life, including Honors Ambassadors and the Honors Leadership Council.
One of her undergraduate highlights includes the Study Away trips she took with the program to England and Romania. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Geosciences from the University of Arizona, focusing on geodesy or crustal deformation.
Elise Boessler
Elise graduated from Purdue in May 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Brain and Behavioral Science and a minor in Philosophy. During her time in the John Martinson Honors College, she developed confidence and competence from mentorship experiences and an enthusiasm to help others feel the same.
She is now an Orr Fellow at Zotec Partners in Indianapolis in a two-year post-graduate program which encourages young professionals through leadership development and skill-building opportunities in the Indianapolis area. She plans on applying to law schools in the coming year and working in the public health sector thereafter. In her free time, she loves to walk her dog Max on the Monon Trail, crochet, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, golf, and thrift with friends.
Peter Boyd
Peter Boyd graduated in 2017 with degrees in Actuarial Science and Statistics. He then went on to earn a PhD in Statistics at Oregon State University with research applications in seismology, gun violence, and disease modeling.
Peter's currently in Seattle, WA working as a Senior Data Scientist/Consultant for New Light Technologies. Catch Peter climbing, skiing, backpacking, foraging, and surfing.
Anjali Byappanahalli
Anjali graduated from Purdue in May of 2021 with Honors through the College of Science. She majored in Neurobiology and Physiology with a minor in Chemistry. During her time at the John Martinson Honors College, Anjali became passionate about ethical leadership, serving as a mentor and in leadership roles within the Honors Mentor Program.
Currently, Anjali is a research fellow at the National Institute on Aging (National Institutes of Health), where she explores biomarkers in age-related health disparities. She is currently applying to MD/PhD programs. In her free time, Anjali likes to bake, spend time with her friends, and watch Formula 1.
Breeah Carey
Breeah S. Carey, M.S., CCC- SLP is an ASHA-certified New Jersey bilingual (English-Spanish) speech-language pathologist. Breeah currently works with children ages 1-14 years in public school and private practice settings. As the daughter of an educator, Breeah was always interested in serving her community, similar to her mother.
She graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, with minors in psychology and Spanish. She then completed two years of comprehensive training in Purdue University's Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program, followed by a clinical fellowship in New Jersey's inner city schools. Her focus areas include language disorders, speech sound disorders, augmentative and alternative communication, and multilingualism. Breeah is also the founder and director of Breeze Educational Services (B.E.S.), a New Jersey-based academic tutoring company that serves students in grades preschool- 9 virtually and in person.
Bryce Colon
Bryce is a 2022 graduate of Purdue University and the John Martinson Honors College. He graduated with a BS Pharmaceutical Sciences with Distinction and BA Sociology. He is currently a graduate student at Purdue University pursuing a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology in the Rochet Lab. His work is focused on Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Outside of the lab he enjoys running, reading, and camping.
Laura Kightlinger
Laura Kightlinger is the VP of International Customer Success at Seismic, the global leader in Sales Enablement. In this role, Laura leads the team responsible for partnering with customers across Europe and Asia to ensure their long-term value realisation on the platform. Prior to Seismic, Laura built the Customer Success team at Qubit from inception to 15 team members globally, and supported significant growth in Finance and Business Operations roles at DocuSign and Google.
She holds an MBA from INSEAD, and a BS Accounting from Purdue University. Laura currently resides in London and has previously lived in Singapore, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. Outside of work, you can find her traveling the world, trying new foods, and/or participating in endurance sports, especially running and triathlon.
Emily Mast
Emily Mast is the Manager of Marketing & Communications at GlobalHealth, LLC. Emily started at GlobalHealth as a Social Media and Marketing Specialist. Within 8 months at the organization, she was promoted to Manager where she now leads the entire marketing department and works closely with the VP of Sales and Marketing. Emily was instrumental in launching successful Annual Enrollment and Open Enrollment marketing campaigns and leading the company through a new brand implementation. Emily is the founder of Big Sister Advice, a service project that develops core life and soft skills in teens and young adults through mentorship. In her spare time, Emily enjoys volunteering in her community, competing in pageants, exercising, and golfing.
Giovanni Malloy
Giovanni Malloy is a researcher at the RAND Corporation with expertise in data science, artificial intelligence, decision analysis, mathematical modeling, and simulation. In his research, he develops new methods and leverages existing methods, such as machine learning, deep learning, data analytics, economic modeling, and complex networks, to evaluate policy interventions. At RAND, his work has focused on machine learning, advanced data analytics, AI technology evaluation, forecasting, modeling, and simulation for the Army, Air Force, and law enforcement.
His dissertation focused on developing computational models and improving analytical methods for guiding health policy decision making. Applications of his work include COVID-19 mitigation in jails and prisons, structural sensitivity analyses, cost-effectiveness analyses, and developing analytical and metamodel alternatives to traditional model archetypes. He holds a Ph.D. in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.
Barbara McAnulty
Currently a Sr Scientist in manufacturing at Eli Lilly, Barbara is a 2019 graduate of the Honors College and a former Stamps Scholar. During her time at Purdue, Barbara studied biological engineering and was in leadership positions in Purdue Student Government and Society of Women Engineers.
Barbara has maintained extracurricular leadership positions in a professional capacity through Lilly’s New Hire Network and Purdue recruiting efforts. In her free time, Barbara likes to do crafts like knitting and sewing as well as take care of her bunny Frankie. Originally from North Carolina, Barbara also makes frequent trips to the Tar Heel State to visit her three nieces.
Brianna Meyer
Bri received her BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Throughout her time at Purdue she was involved in several organizations including the John Martinson Honors College Mentor Program, Women in Aerospace, and Purdue Contemporary Dance Company.
She currently works as a Flight Test Engineer for the Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB, CA. She spends her time outside of work volunteering for Civil Air Patrol, participating in endurance sports, and pursuing advanced flight training.
Madeline Powers
Madeline (she/her) graduated from Purdue and the John Martinson Honors College in May 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Public Health. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at Purdue with a concentration in biostatistics. She also works part-time at the Indiana Department of Heatlh as a Health Equity Data Analyst.
After earning her MPH in August 2023, Madeline hopes to work as an Epidemiologist at a state or local health department. In her free time, Madeline enjoys hiking, crafting, and spending time with friends and family. During her time as an undergraduate at Purdue, Madeline greatly valued her John Martinson Honors College experience and is excited to interact with current Honors students through this program.
Nimisha Prasad
Nimisha Prasad is a recent alum of Purdue University, graduating in December 2022 with her Master of Science in Human Resource Management. Nimisha is also a “Double Boiler” and received her Bachelor of Science in Psychological Sciences in May 2022. She was able to accomplish this through the then called Krannert School of Management Combined Degree Program. Within the John Martinson Honors College, Nimisha was involved through a variety of activities. She served as a resident assistant for two years on the 6th floor of the Honors College and Residences South.
Additionally, she was a co-chair on the Honors Outreach Committee, putting on events that connected Honors students to other organizations and members of the campus community. She was able to complete her research project through the Place-Based research initiative from the John Martinson Honors College and studied how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Asian and Asian American communities. Upon graduating, Nimisha is currently interning at her local government until she begins her full-time role in Capital One’s Human Resource Rotation Program in McLean, Virginia!
Emily Rodriguez
A former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Uzbekistan, Emily Rodriguez combines her engineering background with her passion for building and educating effective teams to her role as a Software Engineer at The MITRE Corporation. With a nontraditional Computer Science background, Emily has experience finding unique solutions to solve problems in the Embedded Software, DevSecOps, and Agile Workflow contexts. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Rahmaan Ruth
At the cross-section of business, tech, and DEI - Rahmaan Ruth is a Purdue Graduate, 1st year MS student studying Information Systems at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business as a GEM & MSIS Fellow. Currently supporting IU’s Marketing Department as a graduate assistant and Johnson and Johnson’s Integrated Risk Management (iRM) unit as a cyber security intern, Rahmaan aims to find and effectively communicate innovative solutions to stakeholders.
Rahmaan is from the South Side of the City of Chicago, but currently lives in Bloomington, IN, near IU’s Campus. In his free time, he likes to draw, exercise/do yoga, watch thrillers/action movies/anime, and listen to music. He loves to cook and tend his houseplants.
Tania Pliego Torres
Tania is a 2022 Purdue Alumna who graduated from the John Martinson Honors College with degrees in Brain and Behavioral Science and Spanish. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Life on campus. She is from Indianapolis and daughter of Mexican immigrant parents. Tania enjoys working with the Latine community off and on campus through a variety of service and leadership opportunities and In her free time, Tania enjoys singing and dancing.
Alumni Mentors - Spring 2024 Cohort
Jordan Paine
Jordan Paine is a business attorney in Holland & Knight’s Dallas office and is a member of the firm’s Financial Services Practice group. Paine focuses her practice on financial services matters in the energy, automotive, and real estate industries, as well as some asset based lending deals across a variety of industries. Paine represents both financial institutions and borrowers. She also handles pro-bono matters including asylum cases for Afghani refugees and drafting of estate planning documents for local Dallas citizens. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Paine received a B.S. in Agricultural Education and a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University and then received a J.D. from Boston University and an L.L.M. from Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas.
Paige Rudin Kinzie
Paige Rudin Kinzie is a veterinary health systems engineer designing and implementing sustainable and equitable policy solutions to complex problems at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health security. She completed a 2018 Boren Scholarship in Romania, combining language and cultural immersion with experience in veterinary clinics. Starting in October 2019, Paige worked as a Research Assistant and Research Operations Administrator at the RAND Corporation managing Quality Assurance processes for research sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security. She provided analytic and administrative support to decision-making in disaster recovery, education, immigration, health, and emergency management while fulfilling her service requirement.
Paige is currently a joint D.V.M. (Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine) and M.P.H. (University of Minnesota) student. She holds a B.S.E. degree in Multidisciplinary Engineering (Honors, 2019) and a minor in Global Engineering Studies from Purdue University. Paige is also the 2018 Indiana Truman Scholar.
Sydney Keenan
Sydney Keenan graduated from Purdue with a BS in Applied Math and Economics in 2020 and a MS in Economics in 2021. During her time at Purdue, she was involved in the Honors Leadership Council, Exploratory Studies Ambassador program, Rotaract, the Purdue Foundation Student Board, and the jazz band. Sydney has always had a passion for service, and her time at Purdue helped her find a field where she can continue to give back.
Sydney currently works in Washington, D.C. as a Research Analyst for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She works within the Office of Economic Policy. Prior to working at the Treasury, she spent two years at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors as a Senior Research Assistant. In her free time, she enjoys staying active, volunteering, and socializing with friends and family.
Ryan Brown
Ryan started at Purdue in 2018 with his first pursuits in Chemical Engineering. Throughout this time as an undergraduate at Purdue, Ryan held many upper-level leadership positions, some of which include the likes of the Honors Mentor Program in Purdue's Honors College and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Club for Chemical Engineering Students.
After completing his first Bachelor's degree in 2022, Ryan began working towards a second Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Ryan is actively pursuing his career interests in product management and software development, a journey marked by significant achievements including receiving offers and completing internships at leading tech companies such as Microsoft, Meta, and Google. Ryan loves to exercise, cook with family, and explore the tech start-up scene in his free time.
Claire Lee
Claire is a 2018 Purdue graduate where she majored in Political Science and Economics. At Purdue, Claire was a Stamps Scholar and involved in Old Masters, Purdue Foundation Student Board, and the Honors College Leadership Council. After graduation, Claire attended law school at The University of Chicago. She is currently a litigator in Chicago having previously clerked for two federal judges. In her spare time, Claire enjoys international travel and time with her husband and dog.
Deklin Veenhuizen
Deklin graduated in 2018 with a degree in Food Science, a minor in Communication, and an Entrepreneurship Certificate. Following graduation, he started at Diageo, one of the world's largest beverage alcohol manufacturers, and has worked there ever since. Currently, Deklin serves as Manufacturing Intelligence Head where he works to transform manufacturing data into actionable insights in pursuit of Diageo's 2030 Ambition, specifically around accelerating to a low-carbon world and preserving water for life. In his free time, Deklin enjoys playing with Gus, his miniature Labradoodle, and spending time with his wife and friends taking in all Chicago has to offer.
Resources
Archive of Past Events
Leveraging Interdisciplinarity in Post-Graduate Educational and Professional Life
The panelists explored topics such as:
- The significance of an interdisciplinary education
- How to collaborate on multidisciplinary teams and explore inclusive solutions
- How to utilize interdisciplinarity to establish a more equitable collaboration in the workplace and with community partners
- Ways to center issues of belonging, inclusion, and ethics in educational and professional contexts
