Founders Day

Save the Date for Founders Day 2025

March 7, 2025 | 2 to 4 p.m.

Please join Purdue Northwest as we celebrate the dedicated service of faculty and staff at the ninth annual Founders Day celebration.

This special event will recognize those who have achieved significant service milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years and beyond. It’s a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of our colleagues.

RSVP for Founders Day 2025

A reception will follow.

Be sure to RSVP by Feb. 21, 2025.

Location

Alumni Hall, Hammond Campus

Tommy Sanchez is recognized for 40 years of service at PNW Founders Day 2024.

Looking Back at Founders Day 2024

The PNW community gathered March 1, 2024 to celebrate our 8th annual Founders Day! Congratulations to all the award recipients, and thank you to PNW faculty and staff for their dedicated years of service.

See More Founders Day 2024 Photos


Congratulations to Our Award Winners!

Outstanding Academic Administrative Leadership Award (Tenured/Tenure Track)

Professor Shuhui Yang poses with her Founders Day 2024 award.

Shuhui (Grace) Yang
Professor of Computer Science

Outstanding Administrative Leadership Award (Staff)

Karen Sullivan holds her Founders Day 2024 award.

Karen Sullivan
Director, Building Services

Outstanding Clerical and Service Staff Award

Mary Rose Sicinski with her Founders Day 2024 award

Mary Rose Sicinski
Graduate Program Coordinator, College of Technology

Joan Buss
Administrative Assistant, Construction Science and Organizational Leadership

Dianna Vaughn
Print and Mail Services Coordinator

 Outstanding Management and Administrative Professional

Sal Cordova holds his Founders Day 2024 award

Salvador (Sal) Cordova
Assistant Director for Programming and Administration

Noemi Elizalde holds her Founders Day 2024 award

Noemi Elizalde
Graduation and Records Manager

Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award

Julia Rogers
Assistant Professor, College of Nursing

Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award

Hubert Izienicki
Associate Professor of Sociology

Outstanding Faculty Engagement Award

Jodi Allen
Assistant Professor of Nursing

Outstanding Undergraduate Student Service Award

Dikshant Sharma

Outstanding Graduate Student Service Award

McKenzie Dinga holds her Founders Day 2024 award.

McKenzie Dinga

Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamer Award

Gisele Casanova holds her Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamer Award recognitions at Founders Day 2024.

Gisele Casanova
Associate Professor of Psychology

Read About the Award

Purdue for Life Foundation’s Special Boilermaker Award

Shontrai Irving holds a Purdue for Life Foundation Special Boilermaker Award recognition at Founders Day 2024.

Shontrai Irving
Clinical Associate Professor of Business Law

Purdue University Focus Award

Kwangsoo Park holds recognition for his Purdue University Focus Award at Founders Day 2024.

Kwangsoo Park
Associate Dean and Director of the White Lodging School of Hospitality and Tourism Management


2024 PNW Founders Day “Years of Service” Honorees

Full NameYears of Service
Tomas Sanchez40
David Detmer35
Robert Hoffmann35
Nasser Houshangi35
Mark Mabrito35
Pat Obi35
Arthur Stueber35
Randall Thomas35
Mohammad Zahraee35
Roger Kraft30
Barbara Mania-Farnell30
Colette Morrow30
Cynthia Perez30
Barbara Phillips30
Colleen Robison30
Chenn Zhou30
Raida Abuizam25
Joy Colwell25
Naomi Gomez25
Margaret Greer25
Niaz Latif25
Gillian Leonard25
Will Lewis25
Jasmine Marquez25
Mary Martinez25
Kimberly Mortimer25
Janice Novosel25
Sandra Steele25
Donna Whitten25
William Baginski20
Diane Brown20
Annette Coates20
Greg Collins20
Michael Connolly20
Jessica Dean20
Joan Dorman20
Eloise Gonzalez20
Maja Marjanovic20
William Miller20
Christina Nevill20
Scott Parsons20
Rick Rickerson20
Nicolae Tarfulea20
Glynn Bricker15
Laurie Brookhart15
Natalie Connors15
James Hysell15
Michael Lynn15
Rachel Meyers15
Claudia Mich15
Kristin Potthoff15
Marla Funk15
Amber Schuler15
Rachel Smith15
Beth Vottero15
Maria Watson15
Shuhui Yang15
Sue Bremer10
Erica Burnett-Montgomery10
Cindy Christ10
Joseph Coates10
Tiffany Collins10
Corinne Djuric10
David Ellis10
Martha Espitia-Ruiz10
Kris Falzone10
Lindsay Gielda10
Kelsey Giesler10
Amy Hackstedt10
Todd Hill10
Samantha Horn10
Shontrai Irving10
Bir Kafle10
Hansung Kim10
Cheryl Lutgen10
Alan Mccafferty10
James Nagy10
John Nava10
Protsman Okamoto10
Jessica Orr10
Sharon Smith10
Trisha Smith10
Michelle Spaulding10
George Stefanek10
Vance Thompson10
Cindy Torres10
Ceren Turedi10
Kelly Vaughan10
Julie Wiejak10
Seyedsoroosh Azizi5
Rose Benoit5
Heather Benson5
Ronit Bhardwaj5
Eric Bovard5
Iona Brinson5
Daniel Bruhn5
Elizabeth Bunton5
Katelyn Caragher5
Janel Cornejo5
Willie Donald5
Farai Gombedza5
Lawrence Hamer5
Brittany Hudson5
Lee Johnson5
Patrick Keegan5
Rachel Krcmarich5
Lisa Lankow5
Hoon Lee5
Courtney Locke5
Jorge Lopez5
Subbarao Majety5
James Mandeville5
Shawn Marks5
Mark Montella5
Rex Mudge5
Trevor Nagy5
Candice Nicksic5
Catharine Olsen5
Matthew Praxmarer5
Maria Rios5
Brooke Rogan5
James Seidler5
Deanne Shimala5
Danielle Starks5
Ericka Taylor-Joseph5
Nicholas Walla5
Christian Westring5
Susan Zajakowski5