The campus is coming to life with the warmer weather, and there’s an energy among the students that’s contagious. If you’re on campus, you can’t help but feel it! With graduation just one month away, our seniors are preparing to begin their careers — eager for new challenges and the opportunity to make an impact.

Each year, the students in our college continue to impress me with their scholarship, focus, and determination to succeed. This year, there are 733 CFS students who will be honored at the University Honors Convocation on April 13. This is among the highest number of CFS students ever to be recognized, and I believe that’s a testament to the ability of our students and the quality of our faculty.

Among those who will be honored are three seniors who achieved a 4.0 GPA. They are Laura Bokma and Jacqueline Mathews, both in Child Development and Family Studies, and Brooks Pritchett in Foods and Nutrition.

Our college is hosting a reception for students and their families following the convocation in conjunction with an Honors Colloquium Poster Session. Several seniors in the CFS Honors Program will display posters that describe their honors research projects. These students are Kerry Canarsky, Child Development and Family Studies; Angela Fast, Olivia Klose, Jenna Koehler, Stephanie Paver, and Amanda Sands, Foods and Nutrition; Ellen Mrzlack, Consumer Sciences and Retailing; and Silje Groensund, Hospitality and Tourism Management.

I would encourage you to come by and visit with these remarkable students. And please join me in congratulating all of our students on their accomplishments this year.

Hail Purdue!
Dennis Savaiano
Dean

The CFS Honors Convocation and Honors Colloquium Poster Session will be held 2:15–3:30 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 214. Visit the CFS Web site for more information.

Denise Buhrmester joined the college in March as director of external relations. In this newly created position, she will provide leadership and vision for the college’s external relations efforts, including marketing and communication strategies. She also is responsible for supervision of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. She comes to CFS after serving as director of membership and marketing at the Purdue Alumni Association. You can read more about Denise on the CFS Web site.

The National Military Familym Association has announced that Purdue Univesity will host Operation Purple, a summer camp for children of deployed or soon-to-be deployed military members. The free camp will be held June 1–7 for kids ages 10–15. The goal is to help military children learn coping skills to deal with deployment-related stress and to foster relationships with other children in similar circumstances. To learn more or to register, visit the MFRI Web site.

All CFS faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the annual CFS Diversity Celebration on Wednesday, April 23 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. This year’s event “Around the World in 90 Minutes: Getting in Touch with the Roots of Our People” will feature ethnic food, art, music, and many other cultural displays by faculty and students. Visit the CFS Web site for more information.

CFS faculty, Center for Families faculty partners, and students from across campus are eligible to take advantage of fellowships and internships offered by the center. Applications are due April 25. For information and an application, visit the Center for Families Web site.

The annual Home and Family Conference, sponsored by CFS Extension and the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association, will be held June 11–13 on the West Lafayette campus. Keynote speakers for the event are Ilona Nickels, a congressional scholar and public policy analyst, and Margaret Ringenberg, legendary aviator and author. Registration is required by June 2. To download a conference brochure and registration form, visit the CFS Extension Web site.

The CFS Alumni Board will honor outstanding alumni and students at its annual awards dinner on Friday, April 11. Seven alumni will receive awards for Distinguished Alumni, Community Service, and Friend of Purdue. In addition, the college’s five Outstanding Seniors will be honored, as well as eight seniors in the CFS Honors Program. Visit the CFS Web site to read about the 2008 Alumni Award winners and the 2008 Outstanding Seniors.

Child Development and Family Studies

• Melissa Franks, assistant professor, and Amber Seidel, graduate student, represented the department during a graduate education event held at the Indiana State House.
• Gail Melson, professor emerita, will begin serving in May as editor of the Developmental Processes journal, to be headquartered in the department.

Consumer Sciences and Retailing

• Sharon DeVaney, professor, was interviewed for a Home and Family Finance podcast on www.radioamerica.org. The topic was “Who Will Get Grandpa’s Farm? Communication about Farm Transfer.”

April 11: Felker Leadership Series
April 11: CFS Awards Dinner
April 12: CFS Alumni Board Meeting
April 12–13: Gala Week
April 12–13: Spring Fest
April 13: CFS Honors Reception & Poster Session
April 17: Senior Send-Off
April 18: Avanelle Kirksey Lecture
April 23: CFS “Celebrating Your Diversity” Fair
May 1: Foods and Nutrition May Conference
May 10: Commencement
May 18: HTM Reception at the NRA Show
June 11–13: Home and Family Conference

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