The professor-student dynamic often evolves into one of colleagues and friends. Carole Lembi (back left) has traveled thousands of miles to visit former students. Here she catches up with (clockwise from back center) colleague Judy Shearer; Sally Yost, BS ’95; Lee Ann Glomski, MS ’00; and Linda Nelson, PhD ’01, during a trip to Vicksburg, Miss., in 2005.

For many Purdue professors, their former grad students are an extended family.

Consider this: When professor Carole Lembi and her husband, Merrill Ross, retired professor of weed science, took a vacation to New Orleans in 2005 to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, they decided it just made sense to drive to Vicksburg, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., to reunite with Lembi’s former graduate students who lived in those areas.

Lembi, a professor in aquatic plant management, understates it this way: “I still maintain really close relationships with most of my former graduate students.”

Since 2005, she has traveled more than 5,000 miles to attend graduate student reunions. She has driven to Chicago, flown to San Antonio and the University of California-Davis, and made a trip to Nashville, Tenn.

She sees several of her graduates each year at the national Aquatic Plant Management Society meeting and other conferences.

They’re co-workers and friends

“I’m in contact with my former graduate students every week or two — sometimes more — if we are collaborating on a research project,” Lembi says. “We’re not only co-workers, but friends, too. I know their families and their relationships, so we talk about those things, too.”

Faculty members strive for long-term relationships because it is their passion to build the future of their industries, says Dale Whittaker, MS ’84, PhD ’87, associate dean of Purdue Agriculture.

“The faculty in the College of Agriculture have made it their life work to create the next generation of scientists and professors,” Whittaker says. “Their work is very satisfying to them, and it results in very close relationships with graduate students. Many times professors and students become more like family, and when students graduate and become successful, their professors are very proud.”

Part of what makes Lembi excited about her close relationships with former students is the opportunity to see their post-graduation successes.

But Lembi is not unique. Food science professor Kirby Hayes, BS ’96, MS ’98, PhD ’02, also makes it a point to keep in close contact with his former graduate students, and he helps his current students use graduates as a mentoring resource.

“The Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting offers a great opportunity for those former students working in the industry to interact with my current graduate students,” Hayes says. “We all get together and just talk about where we are in our lives and bring everyone up to speed with the exciting stuff we’re all doing.”

For Hayes, part of building those relationships means getting to know his students outside of the lab and letting them get to know him as well.

“I try to let students know right away that we work hard and we play hard here in my lab,” Hayes says. “It’s critical to balance what we’re doing work-wise with the things that we enjoy outside of our profession. I try to let them know that I have a life outside of this place, and I want them to feel like they have the time to do that, too.”