At the beginning of the fall semester, I asked the freshmen in orientation how many wanted to study abroad while at Purdue — for every 10 students, eight or nine raised their hands. I would love to see every student in our college have that opportunity.

Last year, 155 students studied abroad, and we continue to develop new programs and build upon existing ones to increase participation. All departments now offer study abroad tours led by CFS faculty, which provide an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about their chosen field within a global context.

A generous gift from John and Emma Tse of West Lafayette will now make it possible for even more students to have an international experience. The John and Emma Tse Fund for Global Scholars will provide study abroad scholarships in the amounts of $1,000 to $3,000 — covering a significant portion of the fees and expenses. This especially will help those students who couldn’t participate in study abroad before due to cost.

The application process for our first round of scholarships (for 2009 programs) is currently under way. Scholarship recipients will be known as Tse Scholars, and they will serve as ambassadors for our study abroad program, helping to promote the experience to other students.

I am gratified John and Emma Tse share our vision of educating students to become global scholars and citizens. Their gift is not only another example of their generosity but also a long-term commitment to helping our college achieve the University’s strategic goals of meeting global challenges.

Hail Purdue!
Dennis Savaiano
Dean

Alumni and friends are invited to travel with CFS study abroad groups throughout the next year. These international experiences provide a wonderful opportunity for alumni to learn alongside current CFS students. Trips are offered in March, May, June, and December to such destinations as France, Portugal, China, Argentina/Chile, Korea/Japan, and Dubai/Oman. Read more.

The Military Family Research Institute is partnering with 124 libraries in communities around the state to launch Our Heroes’ Tree, a program designed to honor veterans and their families. Community members create ornaments to hang on the tree to honor and recognize the contributions of current and former service members. The trees will be on display in participating libraries through November. MFRI is hosting an event on November 7 at the Indiana State Library to commemorate the partnership. Read more.

Alumni are invited to participate in the online 2008 CFS Alumni Survey. The college is looking for input from alumni on careers, learning outcomes, and alumni events. Data gleaned from the survey will help with student recruitment and also assist with accreditation efforts. Take the survey.

Susan Smith joined CFS Development and Alumni Relations in October as director of development. Previously, she spent 30 years with Family Services Inc. in Lafayette as president and CEO. She also has served as an adjunct professor for Concordia University's Healthcare Administration program in Indianapolis. Read more.

After nearly a year in development, the college launched its new Web site on November 5. The redesigned site is modeled after Purdue’s Web site, which launched earlier this year. Feedback from current and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members via focus groups, surveys, and usability testing, helped shape the site’s design, content, and navigation. Visit the new site.

Child Development and Family Studies

• Olga Carbonell, PhD student, received the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship at the Second Annual Latino Scholar’s Forum. The scholarship recognizes the research that she conducted with her advisor, Germán Posada, associate professor. Their research investigates the quality of maternal care associated with marital adjustment and attachment security in Mexican-American families.

November 13: Darden Series (Jonathan McCabe)
November 15: Healthy Choices, Local Sources: The Role of Schools, Communities and Families Forum
November 17: Family Impact Seminar
November 17: Boiler Mixer at Indiana State Museum
December 21: Commencement

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