2023 Education Distinguished Alumni honored

The Purdue University College of Education honored four distinguished alumni and recognized an alumnus benefactor during its 2023 Education Appreciation and Alumni Awards ceremony on Friday (Nov. 10) – including, for the first time at the same event, husband and wife awardees.

(l to r) Alumni Jeni Arndt, Kay Tesmer Hayes, Interim Dean Phillip VanFossen, Jason Ware, and Sharita Ware;
DEAA display in the Purdue Memorial Union (Photos/Purdue for Life Foundation)

The College presents Distinguished Education Alumni Awards (DEAA) to recognize notable professional achievements of college alumni. The honorees are selected by the college leadership and are recognized biennially.

As well as four Distinguished Education Alumni, the College recognized generous benefactor alumnus Phillip C. Wankat (BS ’66 ChemE, MS ’82 Counseling Psychology), the Clifton L. Lovell Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering and professor emeritus of Engineering Education. On behalf of Purdue University, Phillip J. VanFossen, interim dean of the College, presented Wankat with one of Purdue’s greatest honors, the President’s Council Distinguished Pinnacle Award.

Besides supporting the College of Education, Wankat has donated to Purdue for the (Education) Counseling Psychology Program, the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, the School of Engineering Education, the Minority Engineering Program, WBAA radio, Convocations, over $105,000 in travel endowments to more than 325 education and chemical engineering graduate students, and more.

(l) Purdue University Distinguished Pinnacle Award; (r) Phillip Wankat making remarks (Photos/Purdue for Life Foundation)

Jordan Fulk, a senior in elementary education, gave remarks after dinner, mentioning one of her mentors, Sharita Ware, who was present as a DEAA recipient.

VanFossen introduced the four 2023 Distinguished Education Alumni recipients: a Colorado mayor, a retired Maryland public elementary schoolteacher/administrator, and a Purdue Honors college professor married to a fellow awardee, an engineering education middle school teacher.

These Education alumni were honored for 2023:

Jeni Arndt is mayor of Fort Collins, CO. She earned an MA (’94) in Special Education and a PhD (’05) in Literacy and Language, both from Purdue University.

“You think about the land-grant mission and you think about public education and it being a great equalizer of opportunity, so those are the ideas and idealsthat I bring with me to the work I do.I want to thank Purdue and President Lincoln and all the great traditions of this University – I’m honored.”

Kay Tesmer Hayes is an administrator and elementary teacher in Carroll County, MD, public schools. She earned her BA (’72) in Elementary Education from Purdue.

“When I chose Purdue it was always with the intent to be an elementary school teacher. Each child has value, has unique gifts and talents to share, deserves the opportunity to grow socially, emotionally and academically, and feels the excitement and joy of learning.”

Jason A. Ware is a clinical associate professor in Purdue’s John Martinson Honors College. He earned all three of his degrees from Purdue – BS (’02) Technology, MS (’11), and PhD (’15) both in Curriculum Studies. He is married to fellow awardee Sharita A. Ware.

“I certainly want to thank my family, my wife and my children. They are the center of my life. I’m thankful for my journey in the College of Education, I’m thankful to my family, and I’m thankful to all those who had an amazing impact on my life. If I am distinguished, it’s because of those who poured in to me.”

Jason and Sharita Ware with their three children

Sharita A. Ware is an engineering and technology education teacher in the Tippecanoe County School Corporation, and 2022 Indiana Teacher of the Year. She earned both a BASc in Industrial Engineering Technology (’93) and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction (’13) from Purdue. She is married to fellow awardee Jason A. Ware.

“I think about what my students would enjoy, how it will progress my students further down the line, and I come in and do that every day. I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to reach those students who were hard to reach.”

Family, friends, and colleagues joined together in applauding these Distinguished Education Alumni.

“Each of you embodies the characteristics and the values we at Purdue hold true,” VanFossen said. “Congratulations!”

Past honorees: www.education.purdue.edu/alumni/distinguished-alumni/

Sources: Phillip J. VanFossen; Erin Perdue, ELPerdue@purdueforlife.org