The end of the school year is an opportunity to reflect upon and recognize the leadership, growth and achievements of students that have taken place during the previous year.

University Residences and Dining & Culinary annually recognize individuals who demonstrate a commitment to the Purdue community through their involvement in residence hall organizations, student employment, community service and learning at end-of-year banquets. Selected award-winners are highlighted below. 

Caleb Blanton, a student manager in Earhart Dining Court, was recognized with the William “Bill” Rumple Residential Dining Head Captain Award. The award was established in honor of William and Tim Rumple, both of whom provided outstanding service to University Residences Dining Services as former head waiters at Fowler Courts and Cary Quadrangle. The award is given to a student manager or coordinator in residential dining services who has achieved distinction in leadership. Blanton showcases a people-oriented approach to management and shows particular aptitude for mentoring new hires. He has introduced personalized systems that consider the strengths of student staff to put them in the best positions to succeed. He has also organized appreciation events that build staff cohesion and camaraderie.

Britney Mitchell was named the Sarah Johnson Outstanding Student Employee of the Year based on reliability, quality of work, teamwork and contributions to Dining & Culinary. The award recognizes the contributions of Sarah Johnson, former director of residential dining for University Residences, who dedicated 37 years of service to students at Purdue and the National Association for Colleges and University Food Services. Mitchell has held numerous roles with Dining & Culinary over the past several years, beginning as a student associate. One of her most significant endeavors was serving as the chair of the Jumpstart program, which helps new students acclimate to campus while working. She has also served as a brand ambassador

Harshita Pasupuleti, a resident assistant at North Hall in Indianapolis, received the William I. Bennett Courtier Achievement Scholarship, which was established to preserve the spirit of the Courtiers of Fowler Courts and to recognize William I. Bennett for his years of service. The scholarship is awarded to an individual who has excelled in academics, exemplified their hall spirit and contributed to their residence hall community. Pasupuleti helped organize a hall-wide event that drew over 300 attendees. She also represents students in Indianapolis on the Neighborhood Council, where she works to create events for students once a semester. One of her most successful endeavors is her unofficial “California and Internationals” corner, a gathering space where students from different backgrounds naturally gravitate to study, watch movies and support each other.

Lily Cruz, a student associate in Windsor Dining Court, received the Lanny C. Wilson Scholarship, awarded to a student in University Residences who has achieved distinction in leadership while also employed in a student staff position. Cruz contributes to both the dining court and On-The-GO! services in Windsor. She drew praise from her nominator for her exceptional work ethic, solutions-oriented approach to problems and ability to resolve issues while under pressure. The Lanny C. Wilson Scholarship was established to recognize the contributions of Lanny Wilson, former director of University Residences, for his years of service to Purdue students. 

Daniel Martin was named the UR Conductor of the Year, presented to a student employed in the Alumni & Guest Center who does an excellent job passing on the Boilermaker spirit. Conductors are students who help introduce parents, prospective students and guests to the University Residences community. Martin serves as the team lead for the data and technology committee. He has been instrumental in making multiple changes to surveys to properly assess tours, organizes yearly statistics for Alumni and Guest Center events and compiles reports on tour data. In addition, he is an exceptional tour coordinator who hosts VIP tours, mentors new staff and assists wherever needed.

Arnav Srivastava and Kai Tran were named the winners of the Student Life Outstanding New Student Employee Award, which is presented by the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life at the Student Life Honors Banquet. Srivastava serves as a tour conductor in the Alumni & Guest Center. He was the co-team lead for the data analysis and safety committee and led improvements to make data collection easier to process and analyze. Tran serves as a student cook in Wiley Dining Court. He is a first-generation student and is lauded for his positivity, work ethic, staying after shifts to support the leadership team, picking up extra shifts and helping wherever needed.

Genevieve Woodby was recognized as the Rakosnik RA of the Year, given to a student staff member who has positively impacted their residents, been an integral part of the residential community and actively supported the mission of Residential Life. Woodby has served as an RA for University Residences for three years, most recently in Hawkins Hall. In addition to serving as a leader in her residence hall, Woodby represented Environmental and Ecological Engineering as the College of Engineering Banner Bearer during commencement.

Spencer Gregar-Skillman was named the Rakosnik REA of the Year, which recognizes a residence education assistant (REA) who has positively impacted their residents, provided guidance and wisdom, and been an integral part of the University Residences community. Gregar-Skillman served as the REA in McCutcheon Hall. He received praise for better focusing the hall’s educational and administrative efforts to better support students and RA staff, who note their appreciation for his ability to motivate and empower the staff. He functioned as the primary RA supervisor for part of the year, juggling his responsibilities as a student while maintaining a consistent, high standard of leadership.

McCutcheon Hall was named the University Residence of the Year. McCutcheon has traditionally faced challenges in building community due to its distance from the main part of campus. Thanks in part to an outstanding RA and REA staff, McCutcheon made huge strides in entertainment and educational programming for residents. Staff also streamlined numerous processes to create an efficient and engaged community.

Brendan Grubbs was awarded the First Year Student Success Award, given to a first-year student who showed great potential for growth by being promoted or beginning the process of being promoted. Grubbs joined the Wiley Dining Court team during Jumpstart. He has already earned two promotions thanks to his strong work ethic, dedication to personal and team growth, and commitment to excellence. He has already signed up to serve as a mentor for the 2025 Jumpstart program.

Brandon Keever, Kay Ekleberry and Jimmy Phillips were named recipients of the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA) Employee of the Year Award. Students are nominated in the categories of innovation and technology, diversity and inclusion, community service, critical thinking and leadership.

Keever received recognition in the area of innovation and technology. He began working for Dining & Culinary as a student associate in 2022 and now serves as a student manager in Hillenbrand Dining Court, where he works closely with student cooks. He helped increase efficiency in the dining court by using Google Sheets to manage checklists. His inventive spirit shone through when he repurposed suction nozzles from discarded soda bag containers to create a new and novel method for cleaning beverage lines during deep cleans.

Ekleberry was honored in the area of diversity and inclusion. She serves as a student manager at 1bowl @ Meredith. Ekleberry embraces her identity as a Filipino American to create a space where all students feel welcome. Her dedication to diversity and inclusion is also evident through her commitment to continuous learning and advocacy, such as completing Safe Zone training to support LGBTQIA+ students. She also helped bring a student’s idea for a pesto bowl to fruition, which has proven to be a popular hit with students.

Phillips was recognized in the leadership area. Phillips juggles responsibilities as a resident assistant in Aspire Apartments and student manager in Windsor Dining Court. He serves as a leader and mentor to all members of the student staff, from associates to managers-in-training. He helped stabilize the leadership team by introducing a new student management group through virtual meetings during the fall semester. He also continuously works one-on-one with students at various stations to help them master tasks and achieve promotion more quickly.