2010 CFS Alumni Award Recipients
Distinguished Alumni
This award honors alumni age 35 or over who have advanced significantly in their careers and have demonstrated long-term leadership within their respective professions.
Outstanding Young Professional
This award recognizes CFS alumni age 35 or younger who have demonstrated outstanding career development, support of the profession, and involvement in professional organizations, CFS alumni activities, and/or the community.
Community Service
This award recognizes alumni for demonstrated leadership ability in their communities, either by developing or making significant contributions to private or public programs that enhance the quality of life for families and communities.
Friend of Purdue
This award honors those who have made significant contributions to the enhancement of CFS through personal or professional influence, service, or financial support.
John Haime, BS '85
President
LearningLinks Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario
"Hard work and passion have allowed me to progress in my career and reach others, and my Purdue education has been valuable in those pursuits as well."
In 1997, John Haime created LearningLinks Inc., a firm providing innovative training programs that integrate golf and corporate learning. The programs have been delivered around the globe for top organizations such as Cisco Systems, Nortel, Bell Canada, General Electric, and Capital One.
In addition to being the president of LearningLinks Inc., Haime has been published in some of the world’s leading business and leadership publications. He is also the author of You Are a Contender: Building Emotional Muscle to Perform Better and Achieve More in Business, Sports and Life, his first book, which was released in December 2009.
From 1985 to 1991, Haime competed on international golf tours in Canada, Australia, Asia, South Africa, and the United States. Before turning professional he was one of Canada’s top amateur and junior golfers. After a successful career in professional golf, he began a career in international business with a leading Canadian trade policy consulting firm, where he specialized in international trade strategy, negotiation, and dispute resolution.
Haime is also president and founder of the Serge Giroux Golf Dream Foundation, which grants golf dreams to children with life-threatening illnesses. Over the past 10 years, the foundation has been successful in fulfilling the dreams of many Canadian children and their families.
Mary Ann Lienhart Cross, BS ’75, MS ’82
Extension Educator
Purdue University, Consumer and Family Sciences
LaPorte, Indiana
"My education at Purdue has led to a wonderful career that has allowed me to provide educational programs that improve the quality of participants’ lives."
For more than 34 years, Mary Ann Lienhart Cross has had a successful career with the Purdue University Extension Service. Since 1977 she has been the Consumer and Family Sciences extension educator. In her role, she provides information and educational programs to better the lives of Elkhart County community members.
With the advent of high unemployment, she quickly organized a coalition toward helping residents who were either unemployed or underemployed. She began offering educational sessions such as "When Your Income Drops" and "Get Checking," which focus on financial resources.
Currently, Cross is serving as president-elect of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. She has received many awards, including the Indiana Extension Educators Association Continued Excellence Award, the Purdue Consumer and Family Sciences Hidden Diamond Award, and the Indiana Extension Educators Association CFS Team Award.
Cross has also been a 4-H Goat Club leader more than twenty years and has volunteered for a variety of causes within the community.
Joelle Arondoski Michaeloff, BS ’02
Vice President of Design
Defy Performance Apparel
Portland, Oregon
"At Purdue, I learned invaluable life and analytical skills that taught me how to think and problem solve."
Joelle Arondoski Michaeloff began her career as a designer working for Galyan’s, a big-box athletic retailer. She later received the opportunity to develop a body wear collection for Royce Too Inc. in New York. With no plans to move out of New York, she was recruited to work for Lucy Activewear in Portland, Oregon. After a few years with Lucy, she began designing for Defy Performance Apparel, where she is now the vice president of design.
In her current position, she is involved in every aspect of producing a product. In addition, she works to design apparel that meets the comfort and performance needs of athletes. Her designs help create products that arguably lead the industry in innovation.
This year, she was recognized by Purdue as one of the "40 under 40" Outstanding Young Professionals. She was featured in the Purdue Alumnus magazine, Yoga Journal, and Body & Soul magazine as well.
When she is not busy with her career, she is involved with Dress for Success and Power of the Purse, two community service organizations.
Debbie Lidd Guild, BS ’00
Clinical Dietitian
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Iowa City, Iowa
"My experience at Purdue gave me the knowledge and background to pursue a career as a clinical dietitian and become a Certified Diabetes Educator."
Debbie Lidd Guild is passionate about making sure individuals receive appropriate diabetes care and education. After an internship at Mayo Clinic, she began her career as a relief dietitian at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. In 2003, after covering for a colleague, she recognized her passion for diabetes education.
Now she is a Certified Diabetes Educator and clinical dietitian. In her current role, she serves as an individual diabetes educator, teaches ADA-accredited diabetes self-management courses, staffs an adult outpatient nutrition clinic, and teaches several classes for dietetic interns. Her impact on future dietitians was recognized when she was nominated for Intern Preceptor of the Year in 2008.
In addition, Guild gives many community presentations on managing diabetes. She has served on the Iowa Dietetic Association nominating committee and has been a member of the UIHC Diabetes Advisory Committee since 2003.
Her service does not stop at work. When she first moved to Iowa City, she became a big sister through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization.
Dianne Saubel Bittikofer, BS ’69
Retired Program Coordinator, North Carolina Regional Office
Society of St. Andrew
The Gleaning Network
State College, Pennsylvania
"Purdue provided me with a variety of tools to propel me into numerous challenging leadership positions in dietetics or nutrition related fields for over 40 years."
Dianne Saubel Bittikofer has been making a difference in peoples lives since 1973, when she served as president of the Durham, North Carolina Nutrition Council. Since then, she has been involved with local and national dietetic associations and committees, and has volunteered for numerous organizations.
For more than 10 years, she served the American Dietetic Association in multiple positions, including appeals committee chair, position and policy committee chair, resolutions committee chair, and House of Delegates Representative from North Carolina.
Bittikofer began her career as an administrative dietitian at Duke University Medical Center. In 2001, she became the program coordinator for the North Carolina Regional Office of the Society of St. Andrew and The Gleaning Network, and has since retired.
Currently, she is a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence, which prepares puppies for advanced training to help individuals with disabilities. For over a year, she has been directing meals at Huntingdon Soup Kitchen on a monthly basis. In addition, she served as the coordinator for "Potato Drop," an event held for North Carolina Hunger Awareness Day.
Marvin Smith
Senior Associate Director for Office Operations
Division of Financial Aid
Purdue University
Lafayette, Indiana
"Through a Purdue liberal arts education, I learned that nothing is black and white; everything is grey. That has helped me professionally as I try to make sense of conflicting rules, regulations, and priorities."
As he was pursing a graduate degree in counseling at Purdue, Marvin Smith found a research assistantship in the financial aid office, and now more than 20 years later he is the senior associate director there. He has held various financial aid positions at both Purdue and Ivy Tech and knows the business thoroughly.
Smith strives to make a difference in the lives of the students who come into his office. He works along with students and their parents to get as much aid as possible. In addition, he gives presentations to Purdue staff to help them understand the financial aid process in order to better assist families.
As a Lafayette native, Smith is very involved in the community. He was a graduate of Leadership Lafayette Class 15 and has served on the boards of several area organizations, including the Greater Lafayette Volunteer Bureau, East Tipp Summer Recreation Association, and East Tipp Middle School Booster Club. He has also coached all three of his sons in baseball and basketball and is an avid sports fan.
Dr. John Y. D. Tse and Mrs. Emma K. C. Tse
West Lafayette, Indiana
"Emma and I have always had a great admiration for the contributions of CFS faculty and staff and the accomplishments of CFS students and alumni."
After earning their bachelor’s degrees from St. John’s University in Shanghai, China, and graduate degrees from American universities, John and Emma Tse came to Purdue in 1957. John was a founder of the Krannert Graduate School of Management. In 1974, he created and developed the West Lafayette Hilton Inn, which Emma managed.
Advocates and financial supporters of International Programs at Purdue, the Tses established the John and Emma Tse Fund for Global Scholars in 2008. The funds are used to assist students who participate in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences study abroad program. They have made additional contributions to the College of Agriculture and continually give back to Purdue.
John earned his MBA from Stanford University and was the first Chinese student to earn a Doctor of Commercial Science degree from Harvard University in 1957. He was also a distinguished Krannert professor and retired in 1988. Emma got her master’s in nutritional science from Columbia University in 1953. She worked as a dietitian and then became the first female manager in the Hilton Inn chain in 1974.
In October 2009, Purdue University President’s Council presented John and Emma with the Pinnacle Award.