University Spotlight
Purdue Global Celebrates Black History Month
The Office of Organizational Culture and Inclusive Excellence (OCIE) celebrates Black History Month. This month marks the tremendous service and contributions African Americans and people of African descent have provided and continue to provide to American society. Join OCIE and the Purdue Global community as they celebrate Black History Month with events throughout February. For more information can be found on the OCIE website.
Black History Month Events
February 8th @ 2:00 pm ET (Registration Required)
Topic: Culinary Journey Across the African Diaspora: Exploring Nutritional Riches
Join Dr. Crystal Wynn and Dr. La’Mayah Hodges as they explore the rich history of foods across the African Diaspora. Delve into ancient diets, staple foods, and culinary influences. Discover the nutritional benefits, healing properties, and cultural significance of these diverse cuisines. Address challenges, promote cultural diversity, and engage the audience in a Q&A session for a holistic understanding.
February 20th @ 6:00 pm ET (Registration Required)
Black History Trivia Night
Sponsored by the Black Cultural Association
Test your knowledge and learn more about the incredible contributions of Black individuals throughout history! This event is open to students, faculty, and staff.
The ultimate prize? Bragging rights for the year! Bring your A-game, compete with your peers, and showcase your knowledge of Black history. Let's come together for an evening of fun, facts, and the chance to be the reigning trivia champion.
Don't miss out on this engaging and educational event – mark your calendars and be part of the Black History Month Trivia Night. All are welcome!
February 29th @ 1:00 pm ET (Registration Required)
Keynote speaker: Adam Harris, staff writer for The Atlantic magazine and author of “The State Must Provide: The Definitive History of Racial Inequality in American Higher Education. Mr. Harris’ book and talk detail the history of black higher education in America and sets out a path toward a more equitable system for all. Reading the book prior to the presentation is suggested but not required.
Month Long Activity
Join the Purdue Global chapter of the American Red Cross in a virtual blood drive to raise awareness of sickle cell anemia and other medical conditions that disproportionately affect the Black and African-American communities. Watch Dreylan's story to see the impact of your gift of blood on a real-life blood recipient!
The American Red Cross is also experiencing a record blood shortage, with the number of donors at its lowest in 20 years. Pledge to give blood in your local community today!
PG News and Updates
Purdue Global Moves Updates Highlight Chancellor's Report for Board
Purdue Global Board of Trustees members learned of progress updates to Purdue Global Moves from Chancellor Frank Dooley. Purdue Global Moves, the strategic initiatives for the university, include Student Success, Professional Skills, Classroom of the Future, and Equity Task Force – all with the goal of having a focus on addressing student success equitably. Highlights included the establishment of various partnerships to enhance the initiatives. Dooley provided information on the recent launch of the Purdue Global Learning Assistant, an AI tool developed for students with faculty input to provide personalized assistance with academic content. The PG Learning Assistant was launched to almost 800 students across four classes on Jan. 31, following months of testing and development. The PG Learning Assistant functionality and feature set will increase over 2024, with expected rollout to more courses occurring in 2025.
Laptop Replacement Progress
Last year, Purdue Global IT kicked off a hardware replacement initiative to retire approximately 100 units of PG-issued laptops and desktops that are five years and older. We have successfully replaced approximately 56 units out of the targeted 100, with 18 new laptops in the process of being imaged and shipped. We are making great strides and anticipate completing the replacement project by March.
One of the notable challenges we faced during this initiative was the accuracy of our laptop inventory. Identifying PG-issued computers in circulation proved challenging due to discrepancies in the available inventory. Despite this hurdle, we have worked to overcome these challenges and ensure the project's success.
We are well within our budget, with approximately $116,144.57 spent thus far. A special shout-out to Tito Figueroa, whose expertise in imaging and preparing laptops has been instrumental in us achieving our goals. He has worked closely with Myrlande Moxey to ensure a smooth and efficient execution of the project.
In addition to our hardware replacement initiative, we are working on another ongoing project that will help streamline purchasing for new hires. We are developing a new hire bundle to simplify the equipment purchasing process and establish standardization of equipment purchased for new hires. Stay tuned for more details on the new hire bundles.
We appreciate your continued support and cooperation throughout these initiatives. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Myrlande Moxey at Myrlande.Moxey@purdueglobal.edu.
Across the University
Leigh Dunning Completes Doctorate in Nursing Practice Degree
The entire Purdue Global community would like to congratulate Dr. Leigh Dunning, Immersive Learning Coordinator for the School of Nursing, for completing her Doctorate in Nursing Practice degree! Dr. Dunning's doctoral project was titled Clinical Practice Policy Development and Implementation: Assessment of Critical Competencies.
As well as completing her DNP degree, Dr. Dunning has become a published author. The published article is titled The Impact of Professional Integrity on Simulation Learning Outcomes –A Systematic Review Protocol.
Dr. Dunning has a tremendous amount of dedication to the nursing profession and simulation centers. Congrats, Dr. Dunning!
Purdue Global at CHEA Conference
Maricel Lawrence, Innovation Catalyst, and Julia Nyberg, Faculty - College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, represented Purdue Global at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's (CHEA) 2024 conference in Washington, D.C. They shared the work of Purdue Global's Strategic Foresight Team and the AI task force. Great work!
Tony and his PGLS Journey
Tony says he’s most proud of two things: first, the journey his family has taken from generation to generation (from his grandfather who picked cotton to Tony starting and growing two successful businesses). Second, being a loving dad to his young daughters.
Purdue Global Law School (PGLS) gave him what he needed to be better at both. He’s moved his businesses forward and still had time to be a devoted family man.
Pride@ Purdue Global Monthly Meeting
Join Pride@ Purdue Global ERG for their Monthly Meeting on Thursday, February 8th at 12:00 pm ET. This month, they honor National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and shine a light on Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, which is a week to promote information and awareness about aromantic spectrum identities and the issues they face. In addition, they will also discuss the latest news and updates. All are welcome!
Join the Purdue Global Ambassadors March Madness Pool
We are happy to announce that the Women’s and Men’s March Madness Brackets will be available this year in RunYourPool (RYP).
The NCAA March Madness Bracket is a single-elimination tournament played each spring. Each season, Purdue Global Ambassadors invite you to register to play and win! Click on the links below to create an account and join, or if you joined us last year, you just have to reactivate your account.
Purdue Global Women’s March Madness Brackets
Purdue Global Men’s March Madness Brackets
Mark your calendars to choose your brackets to win prizes starting Sunday, March 17, at 8:00 pm ET. The deadline to pick is Thursday, March 22, at 12:15 pm ET. Prizes for first, second, and third place will be awarded for women's and men's brackets. For more information, visit the Purdue Global Ambassadors site.
Email pgambassadors@purdueglobal.edu for questions about March Madness and other engagement opportunities or to join the Purdue Global Ambassadors.
Humanities Book Club - February 13
The re-launch of the Humanities Book Club will feature Scrute by Martin Pritikin, Dean and Vice President of Purdue Global Law School. "Between Wonder, Harry Potter, and Wayside School, Scrute mixes the realistic and the fantastical in a way that will make both kids and adults laugh." This event will highlight the book and include a Q&A for writers and readers. Dean Pritikin will discuss his books and writing process. The session should encourage others to follow their personal and professional goals. See you February 13 at 3 pm ET! All are encouraged to read the book before attending.
February Promo for Purdue Global Gear
Head over to the Purdue Global Gear online shop and take advantage of this month's promotion of 20% off select headwear.
Am I Too Old? - A Note From GetSet
Check out this week's post from GetSet, a student-facing virtual community where our students can network, interact, and support one another. This is a great example of our students' hopes, dreams, and a reminder of why we do what we do.
Upcoming Events
Check out more information about upcoming events on the Purdue Global Calendar.
Monday, February 5
11:00 am ET
Join this Purdue Global-wide meditation session to help foster self-care to better serve your family, students, and colleagues. Meditation sessions are open to all at Purdue Global; experience is not required. Students may access the link to enter via announcements in PG411 Help! Student Success Connection.
Tuesday, February 6
3:00 pm ET
Ethical Uses of AI for Faculty and Staff
Join Writing Across the Curriculum experts to learn more about how faculty and staff can use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) ethically.
Thursday, February 8
10:00 am ET
Verse & Vision: Nurturing Creativity in Teaching & Well-being
Verse & Vision is a transformative professional development series inviting faculty and staff to explore the profound impact of creativity on teaching strategies and personal well-being. Each session offers a blend of collaborative workshops and dedicated writing time, empowering participants to harness their inner storytellers while nurturing teaching methods and fostering a balanced, creative life in education.