I would like to say how enjoyable it has been to have Dawn (Staub) Gulik rejoin the Animal Science department.  When I arrived in 2007, Dawn taught me the ins and outs of Form 1s, 12s, 17s, 25s, etc…..which can be quite overwhelming to a new employee. She spent time teaching me the department structure, and she went out of her way to check in with me each morning and throughout the day to see if I needed anything.  If I had any question, no matter how small or how many times I asked it Dawn showed me the way. Unfortunately, Dawn’s husband, York Staub, died unexpectedly in October 2007, and Dawn eventually left the department. Over the years, I have missed her generosity and upbeat nature. When her position opened up in April of this year, Dr. Sutton, who had maintained contacted with Dawn,  invited her to apply.  Dawn has been inspiring to me these past few months in sharing her story of the devastation of losing a spouse, and finding new love…Dawn was recently remarried.  She continues to be the same ‘Dawn’ as she was back in 2007 – helpful to not only me, but the folks that she supports and the students she meets as the first point of contact for prospective ANSC students. --Marion Welsh, Department of Animal Sciences

I would like to share Norman Best’s story with you. Norman is a junior in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture majoring in Horticulture Landscape and Design (LHD). This major is known to serve students who are interested in pursuing careers in the landscaping industry which do not require post-graduate degrees. During a research study which was part of HORT301 (Plant Physiology), Norman became so excited about scientific research that he decided to make a 180-degree turn in his career goals and aspire to a post graduate degree and continue to go to grad school. Thanks to the support through travel grants from the Office of Academic Programs and the HLA department, Norman was able to experience a career and live changing event. He represented Purdue undergraduates and his research team at the 52nd Maize Genetics Conference in Riva del Garda, Italy in the Spring of 2010 with a stunning poster presentation about their research project, which actually resulted in offers for grad student scholarships from different universities and job interview offers at seed companies. Results of Norman’s research project will be published in a scientific journal. --Burkhard Schulz, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture