Our Team

Emily Richwine

Assistant Director, Creative Services

With Lois Lane as her muse since childhood, Emily Richwine completed her degree at Purdue in Communication with a concentration in Journalism. Although she can’t mark the Daily Planet down on her resumé, she brings experience from an array of publications and brands like Lafayette’s own Journal & Courier, Minority Business Entrepreneur magazine, Matilda Jane and Vera Bradley. Ever an optimist, her skills in copywriting, creative concepting, video storytelling and campaign planning inspire her team to connect the dots between strategy and emotive storytelling. In her free time, she enjoys teaching and practicing yoga, spending time with her family and traveling.

Olivia Sarault

Assistant Director, Design

As a designer, Olivia is detail-oriented to a T. As a leader, she is passionate about mentoring new designers and watching them grow in their careers. In addition to leading a team of multimedia designers and photographers, she also oversees creative direction for all print and digital projects. 

A proud boy mom with two sons, she spends a lot of her time near the water. She and her husband volunteered to run the north division of the Indiana Bass Federation Youth Program. 

She’s a Purdue graduate with a degree in visual communication design.  

Tammy Weaver-Stoike

Assistant Director, Marketing Operations

As a farm kid, Tammy didn’t enjoy the opportunity to experience her undergrad years at Purdue like most students because she often had to head home on weekends to help on the farm. 

How much of a farm girl was she? She was crowned Indiana Angus Queen in 1981. But her bachelor’s degree in agricultural communication prepared her for a career in marketing and communication, starting in the department as a writer in 1999. 

Tammy enjoys bringing order to chaos, which dovetails into her role leading the team that manages operations and ensures creative projects are delivered on time and on budget. 

David Allen

Workfront Program Manager

The man behind the marketing machine, David provides resources and support for the team’s work management system. His keen organization skills help streamline processes and increase efficiencies across the division. 

Driven by a strong desire to learn new skills, David’s career has morphed several times since he joined Purdue’s staff 30 years ago. 

He spends evenings creating artwork (he holds a bachelor’s in fine art and design and a master’s in fine art and animation, both from Purdue). Several of his pieces were selected for the 2005 International Digital Art Awards traveling exhibition. Additionally, he has shown work in several exhibitions within the U.S. 

Thad Boone

Multimedia Producer

With a keen eye for cinematography and a passion for storytelling, Thad’s visual artistry elevates every project he touches. 

He flexed his leadership skills as founding father of the Alpha Psi chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Butler University and also edited two short films while in college. 

A thrill-seeker, he’s gone skydiving and been on an African safari. At one point, he could use a salmon ladder (think “American Ninja Warrior”) but now prefers to relax in front of the big screen, catching the latest movie releases, or spend a weekend afternoon idly browsing through a used bookstore. 

Paige Brown

Marketing Copywriter

A dedicated and eager scholar, Paige is an eternal student who loves to learn. In addition to mapping out her next move in academia (she’s planning on grad school at Purdue) she’s also teaching herself to play the ukulele. 

She’s a hybrid creative who studied communications and graphic design, which enables her to cohesively approach a project when shaping its copy. 

On a typical weekend morning, Paige is kicking back with a book, Diet Coke in hand. Her personal reading tastes skew toward horror and true crime, so she’s always up for swapping chilling tales.

David Ching

Senior Content Writer

After attending a journalism workshop at summer camp, David started a school paper in fourth grade. At the time, he covered school skits and kickball games but he eventually fulfilled his dream as a professional sportswriter covering college sports for ESPN. Now, he leverages his storytelling skills to share compelling narratives from across campus. 

Some have tried to convert him — and he did earn an MBA from Purdue University Global — but he remains a staunch Auburn fan. As a kid, he fantasized about playing centerfield for the Atlanta Braves and he still follows their season.

Emily Disinger

Graphic Designer

Emily started out as an intern at Purdue Marketing and Communications while she earned her bachelor’s in visual communication design and minored in dance and philosophy. As a student, she was active in the Purdue Contemporary Dance Company and Purdue Grand Prix. 

She learned about the graphic design career path as a high school freshman and instinctively knew that was what she was meant to do. Now she executes creative work that perpetuates the University brand and advances the Purdue story.

Her idea of a relaxing weekend is spending time with her family and pets at their country home.

Caitlyn Freville

Associate Graphic Designer

As a Boiler Ambassador design team member, Caitlyn began working with the Purdue brand as an undergrad majoring in visual communication design. Her collaborative skills and tendency to serve as a group harmonizer enable Caitlyn to artfully encompass a variety of perspectives without losing sight of the end goal.  

She’s performed in choirs and musicals since she was young — her favorite role was playing Ariel in a production of “The Little Mermaid” — and was a member of the Purduettes. 

An advocate for mental health awareness, Caitlyn fundraises for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s campus walk. 

Jon Garcia

Senior Multimedia Producer

As a teenager, Jon found his dad’s old 35-mm film camera and quickly developed a love of photography. He has been telling visual stories ever since. Once he was old enough to drive, Jon started his own business as a wedding photographer. He continued to shoot still images as a student photographer at Indiana State University, where he majored in English and minored in communications and creative writing. ISU hired Jon as a staff photographer after graduation, and his role quickly evolved to include videography. Now he’s a pro at both, and he puts those multimedia skills to use while telling the stories of Purdue. When he’s not shooting and editing videos, Jon loves playing video games. He even has a podcast where he talks gaming, technology and sometimes movies. And he still shoots the occasional wedding, using his creative eye to capture images the participants might otherwise miss while he documents their big day.

Cheryl Glotzbach

Senior Graphic Designer

A passion for art and drawing led Cheryl to major in visual communication design at Purdue. As senior graphic designer, she collaborates with the creative team to strategically solve marketing challenges and elevate the Purdue brand through print, digital marketing and social media. 

Her approach of examining every project through creative and logical lenses allows her to analyze how the target audience might interpret the message. 

Cheryl engages her creativity off the clock, too, taking arts and crafts classes and completing her own artistic projects at home. She’s also a fitness enthusiast who loves Zumba and other forms of dancing. 

Lima Gray

Project Manager

Armed with her Agile Project Management certification, Lima’s detailed approach to managing workflow keeps projects on task, in brand and within budget. Lima is a Purdue graduate who majored in communication with a concentration in advertising. 

Her knowledge and expertise create an environment in which the team can deliver high-impact projects while engaging in professional growth.     

Lima’s sharp-witted observations keep everyone on their toes. She’s a “Shark Week” aficionado, a hot tea connoisseur and a Clue enthusiast.   

She loves immersing herself in a book  and also cultivates a garden where she plants the birth-month flower for everyone in her family. 

Rain Gu

Senior Digital Project Manager

Endlessly adaptable, Rain’s go-with-the-flow personality is well-suited to managing a variety of tasks and scopes of responsibility across different teams and project requirements. She is a gatekeeper, keeping communication channels open and encouraging interaction between all members of the digital marketing group.

Rain’s strong work ethic enables the delivery of high-volume and high-visibility projects. She also develops production schedules for creative and technical projects and collaborates with the technical teams to navigate around any roadblocks.  

She enjoys drawing, mostly with colored pencil, and writing in Chinese. An early riser, she relishes the half-hour in the morning before the rest of the household awakens. 

Sabrina Hamblin

Marketing Production Associate

Sabrina is the glue that holds the department together. There’s hardly a project that she doesn’t touch. From setting up job folders to issuing invoices to closing out projects, she’s a supportive force throughout the project cycle. 

With decades of print experience, Sabrina still gets excited to hold a final printed piece in her hands. 

Admired for her supreme crafting skills, family and friends often draft Sabrina to help with event planning for weddings and baby showers. 

She and her husband have become permanent campers, spending most summer weekends at Broadview Acres Campground and have built a community with their fellow campers. 

Emily Jesulaitis

Senior Project Manager

As the master of tasks for her team’s projects, Emily helps transform ideas and concepts into final deliverables. Encouraging, organized and patient, her efficiency aids her proficient management of timelines, budgets and resources. 

Emily earned a bachelor’s in financial counseling and planning from Purdue. She facilitates communications between contributors and stakeholders. 

No one questions whether Emily will follow through with what she says she’s going to do. She’s motivated by checking things off the list.

Handy with power tools, Emily always has a home DIY project in the works. She relishes time spent with family (preferably outside) and enjoys travel, cooking and reading. 

Matt Kerkhoff

Digital Media Producer

Matt’s experience producing content for Purdue goes back to his student days as a film studies and telecommunications major. He worked for the campus television station, Boiler TV, when it first launched in the late 1990s. As a senior, he created BTV’s first student-produced show. 

Now, he shoots and edits videos that share the stories of Purdue’s students, faculty and alumni. 

A huge movie buff, he’s always up for chatting about plotlines, character development and iconic scripts. At work, Matt is quiet and reserved, which is why people are often surprised to learn he’s performed improv comedy for 20 years.  

Ava Kuhn

Content Writer

Curiosity drives almost all aspects of Ava Kuhn’s life. With a double major in art history and journalism from Indiana University, she loves falling down research rabbit holes. Her drive to learn new things and connect with people drew her to her role as a content writer at Purdue Marketing and Communications.
 
Growing up, Ava found a model for hard work in her parents, who own a small business. From their tireless example, Ava discovered that she wanted to find a career that she could put her whole heart into. Now able to marry her love for research and creative communication, Ava shares Boilermaker stories that inspire and uplift people from all walks of life.
 
When she’s not busy learning all there is to know about her newest research fixation, Ava is most likely to be found exploring nature with a book in her hand or a podcast in her ears.

Rebecca McElhoe

Senior Photographer

Rebecca interned with the photo team while earning her Bachelor of Arts in photography from Purdue. Her internship experience confirmed her passion for the medium and launched her photo career. She became a full-time team member after graduation. 

An ardent collaborator, Rebecca enjoys conceptualizing shoots with other team members to deliver evocative images. 

In addition to the portraiture and event photography she captures for the University, she’s also a fine art photographer. Her other creative pursuits include painting and crocheting scarves and blankets. 

Always endeavoring to advance her skills, Rebecca looks for ways to challenge herself and experiment behind the lens. 

Joel Meredith

Marketing Copywriter

Ever see a French major and a banjo player in the same room together? Joel is both. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in French at Purdue, his love of language led to a career in writing — at least until the banjo gigs pan out. 

His keen observation skills empower him to acknowledge others’ contributions — especially when it comes to recognizing teammates who work in the background. His iterative approach to the creative process results in engrossing, strategic copy that propels the Purdue brand. 

Happiest when puttering in his garden, this nature lover is passionate about protecting the planet and fosters recycling.

Maura Oprisko

Content Writer

As a writer who consistently works to be a more effective ally to marginalized groups, Maura is passionate about creating inclusive messaging that resonates with a diverse audience. 

The positivity she brings to her work and talent for writing in a conversational tone make her an indispensable resource for campus departments desiring to tell their unique stories with authenticity. 

By age 5, Maura knew she wanted to be a storyteller. A mom to three kids, she’s probably the proudest mom on the planet — when they’re not rolling their eyes or cracking bathroom jokes.

Maura also loves spending time outside and watching the wildlife.

Christi Perry

Senior Marketing Production Manager

With natural problem-solving abilities and unbridled optimism, Christi’s positive attitude and forward thinking propels projects from ideation through execution. 

Growing up, Christi dreamt of becoming an astronaut or an Avon lady. She likes to explore new places and managed aerospace programs for the likes of Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter and Boeing. Christi has decades of experience in sales and marketing and desire to connect with people. 

A childhood spent on the family farm stoked her lifelong passion for agricultural and historical preservation. As a board member of the Indiana Barn Foundation, Christi works to preserve Indiana’s heritage barns. 

Kristy Reese

Senior Project Manager

Top-notch organizational skills are essential in a project manager role, and no one is more organized than Kristy. She keeps projects on time and within budget while documenting metrics that can improve team efficiency.

Endlessly energetic, Kristy has always had trouble sitting still. Whether cleaning the house, doing yardwork, reading a book or going on a walk, she feels happiest when she has accomplished something. 

Losing both parents to cancer turned Kristy into an advocate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She’s participated in several events, such as Light The Night and Team In Training, raising more than $20,000 for the organization. 

Julie Sadler

Senior Graphic Designer

Creative and diligent with a keen eye for details, Julie has an uncanny ability to turn straw into (Purdue) gold when it comes to transforming a design. Proficient in both digital and print, she flexes her artistry across mediums and communication channels.  

She and her husband live on a golf course where they can be found battling to collect the most birdies every weeknight. A consummate designer, she dabbles in house decor and is a voracious viewer of HGTV. She even designed her own labels for uniform glass containers that hold household cleaners, spices, baking ingredients and other pantry items. 

Ted Schellenberger

Broadcast Media Senior Producer

Ted would say he’s a gaffer, grip and clamp aficionado. That’s just another way of describing his unfaltering energy and resolute dedication to doing whatever needs doing to get the job done. 

If there’s an important event happening on campus, Ted will be there to cover it. 

His childhood dream was to become a drummer in a rock band. Although that didn’t happen, he does play guitar and owns entirely too much music gear, including 15 guitars, 10 amps and more than 100 effects pedals.  

A vegan and animal lover, Ted’s cats are the absolute best.

Greg Simmons

Lead Graphic Designer

Known in the office as the “fixer,” Greg is the workhorse of the design team, willingly taking on yearly churn projects such as updating the campus map or formatting awards certificates. But don’t think that means he settles for the status quo. 

Results-driven by nature, Greg always pushes for the strongest design, writing and strategy, and he’s not afraid to ask tough questions to galvanize the team. 

Deeply entrenched in the local arts community — he volunteers at Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette and the Lafayette Ballet Company — Greg frequently attends art and music events. He’s also an avid tabletop gamer.

John Underwood

Photographer

Trained in the U.S. Navy School of Photography, John has held many creative leadership positions during his storied Purdue career. A keen observer with an artistic eye for composition, he enjoys how the creative process unfolds and aims to capture images that support the concept. 

John was part of the first Big Ten university photo team to transition entirely to digital. He continues to find innovative ways to support the University’s visual brand. 

When he’s not shooting, John likes to take rides on his Harley. He enjoys traveling and would love to drive the Italian countryside in a sports car one day.

Jonathan Hord

Senior Multimedia Producer

For Jonathan Hord, authenticity is paramount in his work and throughout his life. As a senior multimedia producer, he’s energized by the genuine enthusiasm he captures on video. According to Jonathan, passionate people give him even more of a reason to get their story right.
A natural creative, Jonathan is always looking for the next project or hobby he can delve into. In addition to his passion for video, he spends his free time painting miniatures and acting as dungeon master for a five-year-long Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

Mike Willis

Marketing Technology Process Manager

A desire for discovery and knowledge led to a minor in biology, but Mike turned to a newer path and in the mid-‘90s began his Purdue career as the news service’s web and technology manager. 

In his current role, he serves as a crucial link between marketing and IT, implementing new technologies to achieve marketing goals. His vast institutional knowledge casts him as the de facto archivist for the department. 

As a reasonably skilled photographer, Mike would love to hit the road and take up travel photography. He also attends pop culture conventions in costume. 

Yanhua Zong

Web Developer

A strong problem solver and team player, Yanhua builds out Purdue’s web presence, often creating the first impression for incoming students. She also creates brand templates and tools in content management systems to enable campus partners. 

Her coding prowess coupled with her affinity for impactful design — she earned a master’s degree in computer graphics technology from Purdue — spurs her to achieve results that balance both form and function.

Yanhua also enjoys reading, watching movies and playing with her kids. She also logs time in the kitchen whipping up meals for her family. But she has no taste for procrastination.