(Area Code 765)

Purdue Main Switchboard: 494-4600

Philip E. Nelson
Faculty Representative

Dr. Philip E. Nelson, head of the Department of Food Science at Purdue, is in his 17th year as one of the Boilermakers’ athletic faculty representatives.

Nelson earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Purdue in 1956 and 1967. He has a broad experience in the field of food processing, with a speciality in aseptic processing. He holds a number of U.S. patents and has written numerous publications in this area. In 1984, he became head of the newly formed Department of Food Science.

Nelson has received many awards and honors, including the Institute of Food Technologists’ Industrial Achievement Award, the IFT’s Nicholas Appert Award, and most recently the USDA Award for Personal and Professional Excellence. He received the Special Boilermaker Award in 1996.

Christie L. Sahley
Faculty Representative

Dr. Christie L. Sahley is in her second year as a faculty representative for the Purdue athletic department. She is a tenured professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and has been at Purdue since 1991.

Sahley received a bachelor of science degree from Lake Erie College in 1971, then earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Kentucky. She landed her first assistant professorship in the department of psychology at Yale University from 1982 to 1986, then joined Yale’s department of biology from 1986 to 1989. From 1989 to 1991, Sahley served as a visiting scholar at Purdue. In 1991 she became an associate research scientist and has since remained in West Lafayette. In addition to her teaching at Yale and Purdue, Sahley has served as an instructor at a number of biological labs in the United States, including Bell Labs (New Jersey) and Cold Spring Harbor Lab (New York). She is the co-director of the neurobiology and development department of the Leech Course Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, Mass.

Sahley has earned numerous awards in her professional career, including the Stephen W. Kuffler Award and the Whitehall Foundation Research Award.

Glenn Tompkins
Senior Associate Athletics Director

Glenn Tompkins is in his 13th year as the chief financial officer for Purdue athletics. He is responsible for the fiscal management of all areas of the athletic department and supervises the staff responsible for the operation of the Athletic Ticket Office, equipment room and maintenance and upkeep of facilities.

Tompkins has worked at Purdue for a total of 31 years, including five as business administrator for the University Development Office and 10 1/2 as business administrator for the Agricultural Experiment Station.

Tompkins originally came to Purdue to fill an internship in the Bursar’s Office in 1969 while completing work on his bachelor’s degree from Ball State. Tompkins also attended Illinois-Chicago Circle.

Roger Blalock
Associate Athletics Director

Roger Blalock was promoted to associate athletics director in July of 1999 after spending five years as assistant athletics director. He oversees 14 sports programs. Previously, his responsibilities included the oversight of rules education and compliance with NCAA and Big Ten Conference regulations, as well as academic services.

Before joining the athletic department, Blalock served as a member of the Purdue Office of Admissions staff for 13 years, leaving there as an associate director.

Blalock was an assistant basketball coach at Eastern Michigan from 1979 to 1981. He was an assistant coach at Purdue from 1974 to 1979. In addition to coaching, he worked with NCAA rules compliance and interpretation. Blalock served as a financial aid counselor at Purdue from 1971 to 1974, and before that worked in sales and marketing for the Dow Chemical Company from 1969 to 1971.

A native of Chicago, Blalock received his B.S. degree in physical education in 1969 and his A.A. degree from Burlington College (Iowa) in 1966. Blalock was a member of the Purdue basketball team in 1967 and 1968.

Nancy Cross
Associate Athletics Director/
Senior Woman Administrator

Nancy Cross was promoted to associate athletics director in July of 1999. The 22-year veteran of the Purdue athletic department oversees all of the marketing activities, promotions, and development planning and implementation, which includes the 9,000-member John Purdue Club. She also serves as the department’s senior woman administrator and oversees the men’s and women’s golf programs.

Cross has held several positions in the department, including head field hockey coach, assistant women’s basketball coach, promotions coordinator, assistant director of the John Purdue Club and director of the John Purdue Club.

A native of Walpole, Mass., Cross joined the Purdue staff in 1977 as assistant field hockey and assistant women’s basketball coach. At the same time she worked on her master’s degree in physical education. Cross completed her degree in 1978, then returned to her alma mater, Ashland (Ohio) College, from which she graduated in 1977, to guide the basketball and tennis teams.

She returned to Purdue in 1979 to take over as field hockey coach and assistant women’s basketball coach. Cross held the latter position through the 1983-84 season. Her coaching record in field hockey was 66-60-16 in seven years. Cross was honored as the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in 1987. She served as sport commissioner for field hockey for the 1987 Pan American Games and on the WGC local organizing committee in 1991.

Ed Howat
Assistant Athletics Director

Ed Howat was named assistant athletics director for student services in June of 2000. He spent the previous two years as compliance advisor for the department.

Before coming to Purdue, Howat spent 10 years at East Tennessee State. The first four years were as assistant men’s basketball coach, while his last role was as assistant athletics director for compliance and academic services.

Howat graduated from Purdue with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1988 before going to East Tennessee, where he earned a master’s degree in education in 1990. Most recently, he received his doctorate in education from East Tennessee in May of 1999. He was also a student manager on the Purdue men’s basketball team from 1984 to 1988 (head manager his last two years), when the squad won three Big Ten Conference championships.

Ed and his wife, Kim, have a son, Tyler. A second child is due in October of 2001.

Jay Cooperider
Communications Director

Jay Cooperider was named director of communications for Purdue intercollegiate athletics in June of 2000. He serves as spokesman for the department in addition to directing the athletic public relations and communications office.

The athletic public relations and communications office is responsible for press releases, press conferences, videotaping practices and games, media guides and yearbooks, and media relations for the 18 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports, as well as the official Purdue sports page on the World Wide Web. In addition, the office coordinates game-day activities such as coverage on the JumboTron and message boards and on-field presentations and ceremonies. The staff also coordinates community service appearances for coaches and athletes, speakers bureau and banquets. The office also provides support for and coordination with mascots, cheerleaders and Purdue Bands.

Previously, Cooperider was managing editor of Purdue Perspective, the quarterly magazine mailed to more than 350,000 alumni, parents of undergraduate students, faculty and staff, and friends of the University. He also was editor of Inside Purdue, the newspaper published for faculty and staff on the West Lafayette, Calumet, Fort Wayne and North Central campuses.

Cooperider came to Purdue in 1988 after nearly four years working at the Lafayette Journal and Courier as a reporter, projects editor and city editor. Initially, he was a science writer for the Agricultural Communication Service and University News Service, then assistant director in the Office of Publications before helping create the Office of University Periodicals in 1993. He is a 1984 graduate of the University of Cincinnati.

Jay and his wife, Karen, have two children, Megan and Zane.

Chris Ribnek
Academic Support Services Director

Chris Ribnek is in her second year as academic support services director for the Purdue athletic department. She is the academic advisor for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, and monitors the academic eligibility lists for all student-athletes.

Ribnek came across campus to the athletic department from the School of Liberal Arts, where she served as director of counseling from 1995 to 2000. She served as an academic advisor in Liberal Arts from 1990 to 1995, and filled the role of interim co-director of academic counseling for the school from January to June of 1995.

Ribnek earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Indiana in 1977 and a master’s degree in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky in 1978. She played varsity field hockey for the Hoosiers and served as team captain her senior year.

Chris is married to Russ. She has two sons, Tim and Andy, and two stepdaughters, Kerri and Kristen.

Tanya Foster
Academic Support Services Advisor

Tanya Foster is in her 17th year of working with Purdue student-athletes in the role of academic advisor.

Prior to her current position, she served as a residence hall counselor at Purdue and was a field specialist for the Associated Migrant Opportunity Services in Kokomo, Ind. Foster also worked as a counselor for the School of Humanities, Social Science and Education.

A native of Hinsdale, Ill., Foster earned two bachelor’s degrees from Purdue in 1979, her master’s in counseling and personnel services from Purdue in 1981 and her Ph.D. from Purdue in 1997.

Tanya and her husband, Kevin, have two daughters, Kendra and Kiley Rose.

Carol Stevenson
Academic Support Services Advisor

Carol Stevenson is in her 10th year on the academic support services staff as an advisor. She works with softball and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.

Previously, Stevenson was the Purdue head women’s cross country and track and field coach from 1989 to 1993.

Prior to coming to Purdue, Stevenson coached at Indiana from 1980 to 1989. The Hoosiers won the 1988 Big Ten Conference Outdoor Track and Field championship and finished second five times. Four times her teams ranked in the NCAA final top 10.

A native of Lakewood, Ohio, Stevenson is a graduate of Bowling Green State with a degree in physical education. She completed her graduate work in counseling and guidance at Indiana.

Carol and her husband, Jim, have three children: Karen, Jim and Tracy.

Meg Walbaum
Academic Support Services Advisor

Meg Walbaum is in her second year working with the golf, tennis and wrestling teams in the role of academic advisor.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Walbaum earned bachelor’s (professional writing) and master’s (English education) degrees from Purdue in 1994 and 1997. She earned her teacher certification in 1997, as well. Upon graduating, Walbaum served as a teacher at Banneker High School and Barrington High School in Washington, D.C. She served as freshman class advisor, mock trial team advisor and school improvement team member at Barrington.

Walbaum returned to Purdue in 1999 as a graduate assistant in the athletic academic services department before being promoted to her current position a year later.

Meg is married to David, assistant director of the John Purdue Club.

Julie Hutchins
Compliance Coordinator

Julie Hutchins is in her second year as compliance coordinator for the Purdue football team. She provides support on all compliance with NCAA and Big Ten Conference regulations and monitors all recruiting documentation for the team.

Before coming to Purdue, Hutchins was assistant athletic director and senior women’s administrator at Charleston Southern. Her responsibilities included coordinating compliance programs, monitoring financial aid for student-athletes and establishing a gender equity plan for athletics.

Hutchins graduated from Tennessee Tech in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She earned a master’s in sports management from East Tennessee State.

Denny Miller
Director of Sports Medicine

Denny Miller was named director of sports medicine for the Purdue athletic training program in July of 2000 after a 24-year stint as head athletic trainer. Before that, he served four years as an assistant athletic trainer. Miller also is director of the Physical Therapy Department of the Purdue Student Health Center.

A certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Miller joined the Purdue ranks in 1973 following completion of his postgraduate physical therapy curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania, which followed tours as assistant athletic trainer at West Point (while on active duty) and Syracuse.

In June of 1996 Miller completed four years as president of the 20,000-member National Athletic Trainers Association. He also is a former president of the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association. He currently is chair of an NATA task force to develop and recommend standards for health care for intercollegiate athletes. Miller was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in June of 2001.

A native of Hawarden, Iowa, Miller earned his B.A. degree in physical education from Iowa State in 1968 and later received an M.S. degree in physical education from Syracuse in 1972.

Denny and his wife, Linda, have two daughters, Nicole and Natalie.

Mike Krauss
Senior Team Physician

Dr. Mike Krauss is in his ninth year as physician for all teams in the athletic department. He also serves as director of the Sports Medicine Clinic at the Purdue Student Health Center, is an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Leisure Studies, and is medical director for the Purdue athletic training curriculum.

Krauss also is active as an assistant clinical professor of medicine with the Indiana University School of Medicine, Lafayette Regional campus, the Purdue committee on the use of human research subjects and the medical advisory board for the A.H. Ismail Fitness Center.

A native of Indianapolis, Krauss earned a B.A. in zoology from DePauw, where he played varsity basketball. He is board certified in internal medicine and completed a two-year fellowship at the Methodist Sports Medicine Center in Indianapolis. He is an active member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

Mike and his wife, Shawn, have two children, Rachel and Alex.

K. Donald Shelbourne
Orthopedic Team Physician

Dr. K. Donald Shelbourne is in his 20th year as an orthopedic team physician for Purdue.

Shelbourne is in private practice as an orthopedic surgeon at the Methodist Sports Medicine Center in Indianapolis. He and a team of subspecialty surgeons treat orthopedic injuries for Purdue athletes and students. Shelbourne presently is an orthopedic consultant for athletes and students at Purdue, Wabash College and high schools in central Indiana.

Previously, Shelbourne was team physician for the Indianapolis Colts for 15 years.

A native of Gary, Ind., Shelbourne graduated with a B.S. degree in chemistry from Wabash in 1972 and from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1976. He finished his orthopedic surgery residency at Indiana in 1981 and did a postgraduate sports medicine fellowship at Wisconsin in 1982.

Shelbourne has published more than 100 journal articles, and he received the Hughston Award for the most outstanding article published in the American Journal of Sportsmedicine in 1999. Since beginning his practice in 1982 with Dr. Thomas A. Brady, he has focused on the research and treatment of athlete knee injuries.

Don and his wife, Carol, have three children: Erin, John and Brian. John is a junior long snapper on the Purdue football team.

Randy Cohen
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Randy Cohen is in his ninth year as assistant athletic trainer. He also teaches in the athletic training curriculum.

Cohen works closely with the football team and treats all sports while also working as a staff physical therapist at the Purdue Student Health Center. He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association scholarship committee.

He received a degree in athletic training from Purdue in 1991 and a degree in physical therapy from Illinois-Chicago in 1993. He received the Cramer NATA undergraduate scholarship in 1990.

Terry DeZeeuw
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Terry DeZeeuw is in his fourth year as an assistant athletic trainer. He works primarily with the football, swimming and diving and wrestling teams. In addition to his hands-on duties with the student-athletes in those sports, DeZeeuw serves as a clinical instructor for Purdue’s undergraduate athletic training program.

A native of Hawarden, Iowa, DeZeeuw received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science with an emphasis in athletic training from Iowa in 1996. He earned a master’s in allied medical professions with an emphasis in health care management from Ohio State in 1998. His wife’s name is Elaine.

Larry Leverenz
Director of Athletic
Training Education/
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Larry Leverenz is in his 11th year as assistant athletic trainer and his ninth working with the men’s basketball team.

In addition to his duties with the student-athletes, Leverenz holds the academic rank of clinical associate professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Leisure Studies, and serves as director of athletic training education. He is active professionally as a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association Education Council and is the current president of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, which accredits programs in 17 allied health professions.

Leverenz previously worked as assistant athletic trainer at Iowa. Before that, he was the athletic training curriculum director and assistant athletic trainer at Western Illinois for seven years, biology teacher and athletic trainer at Macomb (Ill.) High School for five years and assistant athletic trainer at the U.S. Air Force Academy for three years.

A native of Fithian, Ill., Leverenz received a B.S. in physical education and biology from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, an M.S. in physical education from Western Illinois and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Iowa. He is married to Linda.

Wes Robinson
Assistant Athletic Director

Wes Robinson is in his second year as an assistant athletic trainer. His primary responsibilities include working with the baseball and football teams, in addition to instructing in the undergraduate athletic training curriculum. He also serves as an assistant director of physical therapy at the Purdue Student Health Center.

Robinson received his bachelor’s degree in physical education-exercise physiology from Morehead State in 1995. He earned a master’s in physical therapy from Kentucky in 1998. While in Lexington, Robinson worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer, working closely with the football team. Prior to coming to Purdue, Robinson was a physical therapist and athletic trainer at St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine Center in Edgewood, Ky.

A native of Fort Thomas, Ky., Robinson is a licensed physical therapist and certified athletic trainer. His wife’s name is Katy.Stacy Romoser

Assistant Athletic Trainer

Stacy Romoser is in her second year as an assistant athletic trainer. She primarily works with women’s basketball and men’s and women’s track. She also teaches athletic training classes and is a staff physical therapist at the Purdue Student Health Center.

Romoser earned a B.S. in athletic training at Indiana State, graduating summa cum laude in 1998. She received her master’s in physical therapy from the Washington University School of Medicine in 2000. While a student, Romoser gained practical experience at various clinics and hospitals, including Methodist Sports Medicine in Indianapolis, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Tennessee and University of Chicago Hospital.

Romoser is a certified athletic trainer and a licensed physical therapist. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the National Athletic Trainers Association.

Craig Voll
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Craig Voll is in his third year as an assistant athletic trainer. His primary responsibilities include working with the men’s and women’s track and field teams, football and women’s tennis. In addition to his athletic training duties, Voll is a staff physical therapist at the Purdue University Student Health Center, as well as an instructor in the undergraduate athletic training curriculum.

Prior to working at Purdue, Voll spent three years as an intern athletic trainer with the Cleveland Browns and one year as an intern athletic trainer with the Baltimore Ravens. He also was a graduate assistant athletic trainer for two years at Eastern Michigan.

A native of Euclid, Ohio, Voll earned his B.S. degree in sports medicine/athletic training from Eastern Michigan in 1993. He received

his master’s in exercise physiology from Eastern Michigan in 1996. Voll earned a second bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Ohio State in 1998. He is married to Corry.

Kristy Walker
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Kristy Walker is in her fourth year as an assistant athletic trainer. Her primary responsibilities include working with the volleyball and softball teams.

Walker began her athletic training career as an undergraduate at the University of California-Irvine, where she was a student athletic trainer for four years and worked with the men’s volleyball, women’s soccer and water polo teams. In 1996, she became a graduate assistant in athletic training at Oregon, where she worked and studied for two years before coming to Purdue.

Walker graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from UC-Irvine in 1995. She earned her master’s in sports medicine with a dual emphasis in exercise physiology and anatomy from Oregon in 1998.

Greg Lehman
Strength and Conditioning Coordinator

Greg Lehman is in his 19th year as strength and conditioning coordinator. He works primarily with men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball while assisting with all Olympic sports.

The 1980 Purdue graduate in education played three seasons as a football lineman before he was medically disqualified from playing during the 1979 season. He earned his master’s in exercise physiology/biomechanics from Purdue in 1983.

Lehman is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He was the NSCA state director from 1985 to 1987.

A native of Lima, Ohio, Lehman was a state all-star football player at Bath High School.

Ron Thomson
Assistant Strength and
Conditioning Coordinator

Ron Thomson is in his third year as assistant strength and conditioning coach. He is assigned the Mollenkopf Athletic Center weight room, where he works with the baseball, football, and track and field teams.

Prior to coming to Purdue, Thomson was head strength and conditioning coach and assistant football and track and field coach at Auburn (Ala.) High School. He previously had stints as head strength and conditioning coach at Boise State, Marshall, Northern Colorado and Southern Methodist. He also coached football at Northern Colorado.

Among Thomson’s career highlights: being named the 1997 National Strength and Conditioning Association National High School Strength Coach of the Year and serving on the United States weightlifting staff for the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta.

A native of Long Beach, Calif., Thomson earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and a master’s in athletic and physical education administration from Northern Colorado. He has club level certification from the United States Weight Lifting Federation and has earned certification as a strength and conditioning specialist from NSCA. He is a member of both organizations.

Ron and his wife, Joanne, have a son, Jon Anthony.

Tasha Weddle
Assistant Strength and
Conditioning Coordinator

Tasha Weddle is in her second year as assistant strength and conditioning coach. She works primarily with women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming, and women’s tennis.

Weddle began her career as an undergraduate at Evansville, where she held an internship on the strength and conditioning staff. She then served as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Tennessee. Prior to coming to Purdue, Weddle served as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Kent State.

Weddle received her bachelor’s degree from Evansville in 1996 in physical education. She is completing a master’s degree from Tennessee in human performance and sport studies with a sports administration concentration.

Greg Christopher
John Purdue Club Director

Greg Christopher was named director of the John Purdue Club in July of 1999 after a one-year stint as assistant director.

Prior to joining the John Purdue Club staff, Christopher served as executive director of the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s largest journalism organization, from 1994 to 1998. Before that appointment, he was SPJ’s director of marketing and development from 1991 to 1994. He also has held positions at WWWV-FM, a Charlottesville, Va., radio station, and with NBC in New York.

A graduate of Miami (Ohio), Christopher earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communication in 1988 and his master’s of business administration in 1991. The West Lafayette native held a part-time marketing position in the athletic department during 1990.

Greg and his wife, Tina, have three children: Zachary, Megan and Allison.

Leroy Keyes
John Purdue Club Assistant Director

Leroy Keyes was named an assistant director of the John Purdue Club in July of 2000.

Previously, Keyes served as administrative assistant for the football team (1997-99) and as running backs coach in 1995 and 1996.

Keyes was voted Purdue’s All-Time Greatest Football Player in 1987 in connection with the Boilermakers’ football centennial anniversary. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and was an inaugural inductee into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994. Keyes was a halfback and defensive back from 1966 to 1968. He was a two-time consensus All-American, the 1967 Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player and runner-up in the 1968 Heisman Trophy balloting. Keyes’ 2,090 career rushing yards rank seventh in school history.

A native of Newport News, Va., Keyes was a first round NFL draft choice in 1969 and played five years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. He subsequently was a desegregation specialist for the Philadelphia school district for 16 years.

Keyes earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue in 1969. His wife’s name is Monica, and he is the father of four children: Jackie, Raymond, Courtland and Colin.

Lori Frost
John Purdue Club
Assistant Director

David Walbaum
John Purdue Club
Assistant Director

David Walbaum is in his third year as assistant director of the John Purdue Club. His primary areas of responsibility include communications, special projects and John Purdue Club travel.

Prior to returning to West Lafayette, Walbaum served as the athletic marketing director at Brown University in Providence, R.I., for two years. In that role, he directed Brown’s corporate partnership program and managed all marketing and promotions efforts for the Bears’ 36 Division I sports.

Walbaum also worked in Washington, D.C., for one year as a fund-raiser for a national conservation organization.

A native of West Lafayette, Walbaum graduated from Purdue in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He earned a second Purdue diploma in 1996 with a master’s degree, again in English, while also serving as a graduate assistant for the John Purdue Club.

David is married to Megan, an academic support services advisor at Purdue.

Bob Bernard
Marketing Director

Former Purdue baseball player Bob Bernard is in his sixth year as marketing director. He is the chief executive officer of Strategic Marketing Affiliates and works to develop marketing initiatives that increase the financial base of the athletic department. Purdue and SMA began a marketing partnership in November of 1994.

Previously, Bernard worked with Midmark Corporation in Lisle, Ill., for 11 years. He was Midmark’s Midwest Regional Manager for four years, earning the Manager of the Year Award in 1993. His responsibilities included managing seven sales representatives in 15 states and Canada, developing and presenting marketing programs to healthcare distributors, presenting seminars on selling techniques, and negotiating and administering contracts with large hospitals. Bernard was Midmark’s Territory Sales Representative from 1984 to 1989, earning the National Sales Representative of the Year Award in 1988.

Bernard was an outfielder with the Purdue baseball team in 1982 and 1983. The 1982 squad set a school mark for most victories with a 36-23 win-loss record. The native of Minster, Ohio, was active in various campus groups and earned a B.S. degree from Purdue’s Krannert School of Management in December of 1983. He also had additional education in sales management from Michigan and Vanderbilt.

Bob and his wife, Jeanne, have three children: Brad, Nicole and Jessica.

Dean Fredette
Director of Group Sales/
Assistant Marketing Director

Dean Fredette is in his second year as director of group sales and assistant marketing director at Purdue. He also serves as general manager of sales for premium seating in the to-be-renovated Ross-Ade Stadium.

A native of Dover, N.H., Fredette earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Purdue in 1995 and 1998. Prior to coming to the athletic department, he taught in the Twin Lakes School Corporation in Monticello, Ind., for three years.

Fredette was a member of the Purdue swimming and diving team from 1990 to 1995. During his career, he set several school records, including the 100 and 200 fly and 500 freestyle, and also was a member of the record-setting 200 and 400 medley relay teams. He was voted team captain during his junior and senior seasons. He was the recipient of the Red Mackey Award in 1995. In 1995-96, Fredette was the team’s graduate assistant coach.

Dean is married to Jean, a Purdue swimmer from 1992 to 1996.

Joel Rasmus
Director of Promotions & Advertising
Purdue University/Dept. of Intercollegiate Athletics
1790 Mackey Arena, Room 60
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1790

765/494-3146 (Direct)
765/496-1846 (fax)

Sara Fetzer
Assistant Promotions Director

Sara Fetzer is in her first year as assistant director of athletic promotions. She is responsible for developing promotions for Purdue’s Olympic sports, as well as soliciting advertising and promotional items. She also directs the promotions managers internship program.

Fetzer graduated from Purdue in 2000 with a degree in communication. While an undergraduate, Fetzer worked in the athletic department as a promotions manager intern. She also was a coordinator and team leader for Boiler Gold Rush, an orientation program for incoming freshman students.

A native of Nashotah, Wis., Fetzer currently is pursuing her MBA in marketing, having completed most of her studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.

Tom Schott
Sports Information Director

Tom Schott was named Purdue’s ninth sports information director in June of 2000. He started in the Athletic Public Relations and Communications Office as a graduate intern in July of 1990 and subsequently was promoted to assistant sports information director (1991-95) and associate sports information director (1995-2000).

Schott is in his fourth year as the primary contact for football. Previously, he worked with cross country, track and field, and wrestling (1990-91); volleyball (1991-97); and women’s basketball (1991-99). He was honored as one of the nation’s top five women’s basketball sports information directors by the Women’s Basketball Journal in March of 1999. He is chair of the Big Ten Conference sports information directors for the 2000-01 school year.

Schott graduated cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan in 1990 with a B.A. in journalism. He was the assistant sports information director at Ohio Wesleyan for four years and also wrote for the Delaware (Ohio) Gazette. Schott interned with the St. Louis Cardinals during the summers of 1988 and 1989 and was a sportswriter for the Suburban Newspapers of St. Louis during the summer of 1987. He got his start in sports journalism at the age of 12 when he co-founded his own magazine called The Redbird Chirps.

A native of St. Louis, Schott is a member of CoSIDA and has won numerous publication and writing awards. His 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1997-98 women’s basketball game programs were judged Best in the Nation, while his 2000 Outback Bowl media guide placed Sixth in the Nation. An avid Major League Baseball fan, Schott co-authored The Giants Encyclopedia, a history of the New York and San Francisco Giants franchise, published in December of 1999. He also is a contributing writer for the St. Louis Cardinals’ Gameday Magazine.

Tom is married to former Purdue women’s basketball player Jane Calhoun (1988-92). The couple has a son, August.

Kathleen Offer
Associate Sports Information Director

Kathleen Offer is in her third year as associate sports information director at Purdue. She was promoted to a full-time position in July of 1998 after serving the previous two years as a sports information assistant. Her duties include serving as the primary contact for women’s basketball and men’s and women’s tennis. She is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America and has won several publication awards.

A native of Royal Oak, Mich., Offer graduated from Yale in 1996 with a degree in American Studies. She worked in the Yale Office of Sports Publicity for four years and also served as a contributing writer for the Yale Daily News, the oldest college daily newspaper, and the Yale Herald.

In addition, Offer was a four-year letterwinner for the women’s basketball team and served as team captain her senior year. A point guard, she finished her career as the Ivy League’s career assists leader, as well as Yale’s career steals leader.

Offer coaches AAU basketball in her spare time.

Elliot Bloom
Assistant Sports
Information Director

Purdue alumnus Elliot Bloom was named an assistant sports information director in July of 2001. He is the primary contact for the men’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf teams and assists with the football squad. Bloom returned to Purdue after serving as an assistant sports information director at Duke in 2000-01. He worked with the baseball and volleyball teams, edited the football program and served as assistant contact for men’s basketball, which won the 2001 national championship.

Prior to his stint at Duke, Bloom served as a graduate assistant at Kansas in 1999-2000.

A native of Greenfield, Ind., Bloom graduated from Purdue in 1999 with a degree in communication. He worked in the sports information office for four years and was a practice player for the 1999 national championship women’s basketball team.

Bloom is a member of CoSIDA.

DaVida Smith
Assistant Sports
Information Director

DaVida Smith is in her second year as assistant sports information director at Purdue. She was promoted to a full-time position in March of 2000 after serving as a sports information assistant for six months. Her duties include serving as the primary contact for men’s and women’s track and field and volleyball.

Smith graduated from Southern University in 1998 with a B.S. degree in psychology and a minor in mass communications. While at Southern she worked in the sports information office for two years, primarily covering men’s and women’s basketball. She also served as a contributing writer for the Southern University Digest.

A native of Plaquemine, La., Smith is a member of CoSIDA and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Jim Vruggink
Director of Special Projects

Jim Vruggink was named director of special projects in June of 2001. He previously served as media and public relations director (2000-01), public relations director (1986-2000) and sports information director (1982-86).

In his new position, Vruggink handles a variety of tasks, including administration of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, speakers bureau, banquets and the JumboTron in Ross-Ade Stadium.

Prior to joining the Purdue staff, Vruggink served as sports information director at Northwestern for four years and as assistant sports information director at Michigan for four years.

Vruggink served as president of the College Sports Information Directors of America in 1996-97 and completed a seven-year stint on the Board of Directors in June of 2000.

The Hudsonville, Mich., native is a graduate of Central Michigan, where he earned an A.B. degree in journalism in 1970.

Jim and his wife, Marion, have two daughters, Jaime and Kim.

Peter Fadde
Video Coordinator

Peter Fadde joined the athletic department in 1990 as video coordinator. His responsibilities include videotaping and producing coaching and highlight tapes for Purdue sports.

A native of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Fadde received his bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from Wyoming in 1979 and his master’s in instructional research and development from Purdue in 1990. In between degrees, Fadde worked as a radio station announcer in Laramie and Casper, Wyo.; Pittsburgh; and Lafayette, Ind., while also doing freelance video work in Indianapolis.

Fadde was honored as the 1999-2000 Big Ten Conference co-Video Coordinator of the Year by the Collegiate Sports Video Association.

Peter and his wife, Patricia Sullivan, have two children, Jae and Elizabeth.

Jason Barker
Assistant Video Coordinator

Jason Barker joined the athletic department in 2000 as an assistant video coordinator. His responsibilities include videotaping and producing coaching and highlight tapes for all sports.

A native of Little Rock, Ark., Barker received his bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast in 1998 from Arkansas. He earned a master’s in sports administration from Mississippi State in 2000.

While pursuing his master’s, Barker worked as a graduate assistant for sports video at Mississippi State. His responsibilities included coordinating student video crews and creating and editing motivational and weekly highlight tapes for the football team.

George Ade
Ticket Manager

George Ade is in his 15th year as Purdue’s ticket manager.

A Munster, Ind., native and Hammond High School graduate, Ade joined the ticket office in 1984 after having performed roles in teaching, administration and supervision at Purdue since 1967.

Ade was the athletic department’s computer coordinator for one year before being promoted to assistant ticket manager.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in German from Purdue in 1967 and his master’s degree in German language and literature from Purdue in 1969. He has completed most of the work on a doctorate in comparative literature.

George and his wife, Katy, have two children, Allison and Alex.

Cindy Bailey
Assistant Ticket Manager

Cindy Bailey is in her 12th year as Purdue’s assistant ticket manager, a position she moved into in early 1990 after three years as the department’s systems analyst.

Bailey, a native of Linden, Ind., and a 1974 graduate of North Montgomery High School, has worked at Purdue since 1974 and in the athletic department since 1975. She began as a secretary in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and then joined the ticket office as a seller.

Bailey has undergone extensive training in the Paciolan Computer System, an on-line ticketing program Purdue uses. She is married to Craig.

Fay Flood
Assistant Business Manager

Fay Flood is in her 18th year as a member of the athletic department staff. Previously, she served a 15-year stint at the Purdue accounting services department.

Flood is a 1969 graduate of Benton Central High School in Oxford, Ind. She has experience in the areas of accounts payable, accounts receivable, secretarial duties, fund and budgetary accounting.

Her responsibilities as assistant business manager include supervising the department’s revolving fund, recruiting budget, payroll, supplies, revenues and expenses.

Colleen Garrity
Assistant Business Manager

Colleen Garrity is in her 10th year as assistant business manager at Purdue. Her current responsibilities include financial reporting, budget management and postseason travel.

A native of Lafayette, Ind., Garrity graduated valedictorian from Central Catholic High School in 1978. She received her bachelor's degree in accounting from Ball State in 1982.

Prior to joining the athletic department staff, Garrity worked for two years as project administrator in OCGBA and for eight years with Pain Enterprises as their controller and internal accountant.

Colleen and her husband, Brian, have two children, Courtney and Travis.

Barb Kapp
Computing and Network
Service Consultant

Barb Kapp is in her eighth year with the Purdue athletic department. Her responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department computing environment. She also is responsible for the three-year computing master plan, which includes hardware, software, programming services, local area networking and off-campus network connectivity needs.

Prior to joining the athletics staff, Kapp worked 13 years as an account analyst for Inland Steel Company in East Chicago, Ind.

A native of Hammond, Ind., Kapp received her bachelor’s degree in industrial management with minors in accounting and finance from Purdue in 1979.

Barb and her husband, Greg, have two children, Matthew and Chris.

Scott Starkey
Computer Support
Technical Specialist

Scott Starkey joined the athletic department in November of 1998. He is responsible for all aspects of computer installation and maintenance in the department.

A native of Hillsboro, Ind., Starkey has degrees from Purdue in both creative writing and computer technology. As an undergraduate, he was one of the cartoonists for the Purdue Exponent student newspaper.

Mike Shandrick
Head Equipment Manager

Mike Shandrick is in his fourth year as Purdue’s head equipment manager.

Previously, Shandrick was employed for nine years as the director of athletic equipment at Ohio University. He also worked at Michigan State as a graduate assistant in the equipment room.

A native of Bethel Park, Pa., Shandrick earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration from Ohio in 1986. He then went on to complete his master’s degree at Michigan State in 1988 in health and physical education with a concentration in athletic administration.

Mike and his wife, Lori, have three children: twins Caiti and Corey, and Maggie.

Chris Conklin
Assistant Equipment Manager

Chris Conklin is in his fourth year as an assistant equipment manager. He works primarily with football.

Conklin earned three varsity letters as a Purdue football manager from 1994 to 1996. He received a head manager’s scholarship in 1997.

A native of Union City, Ind., Conklin received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Purdue in 1997.

Chris and his wife, Stacy, have a son, Owen.

Steve Simmerman
Facilities Operations Director

Steve Simmerman is in his seventh year as facilities operations director. He oversees all new construction, remodeling and maintenance of all athletic department buildings and grounds, as well as facility scheduling, rental and use.

Simmerman began work at Purdue in 1983 as assistant superintendent of Ross-Ade Stadium and subsequently was promoted to superintendent.

A native of Delphi, Ind., Simmerman graduated from Purdue with a B.S. degree in supervision/personnel administration in 1975 and an M.S. in industrial technology in 1992. After graduation, he worked for Lox Equipment Co., a pressure vessel manufacturer in Delphi, for seven years. He then spent one year as operations manager for an industrial fastener distributor in Lebanon, Ind.

Steve and his wife, Tracey, have two sons, Jared and Craig.

Butch Brose
Superintendent of
Indoor Sports Facilities

Butch Brose is in his seventh year as superintendent of indoor sports facilities for Purdue. Previously, he served as assistant superintendent of indoor facilities. He has worked at Purdue for 19 years.

A native of Anderson, Ind., Brose received his bachelor’s degree in supervision from Purdue.

Butch’s wife, Carolyn, is a secretary in the Purdue football office.

Bob Hallas
Superintendent of
Outdoor Sports Facilities

Bob Hallas is in his seventh year as superintendent of outdoor sports facilities. Before beginning his current position, he served as assistant superintendent for five years.

An outstanding baseball player, Hallas was a pitcher in the Oakland A’s organization for four years. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Purdue baseball team from 1979 to 1982 and is the Boilermakers’ career wins leader with 27.

A native of Chicago, Hallas is a 1985 graduate of Purdue with a degree in management.

Bob and his wife, Janet, have four sons: Matt, Mitchell, Marshall and Morgan.

Jeff Irwin
Assistant to the Facilities Operations Director/
Event Coordinator

Jeff Irwin is in his first year as assistant to the facilities operations director/event coordinator. He is responsible for all athletic facility scheduling and event coordination for events held in Purdue athletic department venues.

Irwin graduated from Purdue in 1995 with a B.A. in education. He earned an M.S. in education from Purdue in 1999. While an undergraduate, Irwin was a manager for the basketball team for four years and served as the head manager as a senior during the Boilermakers’ 1994-95 Big Ten championship season. Prior to returning to Purdue, Irwin has been a teacher and basketball coach, most recently at Carroll High School in Flora, Ind. Jeff’s wife’s name is Tanya.

Jim Scott
Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex
Superintendent

Jim Scott is in his seventh year as superintendent of the Kampen and Ackerman Hills golf courses on the Purdue campus.

In 1995, Scott joined the athletic department with the challenge of directing all facets of construction on the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. Since then he has brought about the completion of the 18-hole championship Kampen Course, formerly known as the North Course, as well as major planting and irrigation improvements to the 18-hole Ackerman Hills Course, formerly known as the South Course.

Prior to the reconstruction of Purdue’s courses, Scott helped build 18-hole courses at the Wellington Golf Club in Wellington, Fla., and the Juday Creek Golf Club in South Bend, Ind.

Scott graduated from Purdue’s School of Agriculture in 1987 with a degree in turfgrass science.

Jim and his wife, Chris, have three children: Samantha, Sydney and Brittney.

Doug Hill
Head Golf Professional

Doug Hill is in his fourth year as the head golf professional at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.

A native of Greencastle, Ind., Hill earned a B.A. in marketing with a concentration in professional golf management from Ferris State in 1996. Upon receiving his degree, he interned at several courses, including the Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell, Ga., and the Marriott Griffin Gate Golf Resort in Lexington, Ky. His final internship was at Purdue under former head coach Bob Prange.

After completing his internship, Hill accepted a position as assistant golf pro at Lafayette Country Club. He returned to Purdue in 1997 as assistant golf pro and assistant coach before being promoted to his current position in 1998.