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Alumni Leader & Volunteer Conference 2024
Alumni Leader & Volunteer Conference 2024

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS—JOIN US AT THIS FREE EVENT!

Come back home to Purdue’s flagship campus as we celebrate you and all our volunteers at the 2024 Alumni Leader and Volunteer Conference. Anyone interested in volunteering with Purdue is welcome to attend!

Thursday, August 22–Friday, August 23
Purdue West Lafayette Campus

At this free event, we will empower, inspire, and celebrate our volunteers while also fostering a culture of excellence within the foundation. Tailored for alumni leaders and volunteers across all levels of experience, the conference is designed to provide you with valuable insights, helpful resources, and networking opportunities.

  • Thursday, August 22: 5–9 p.m.
  • Friday, August 23: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

We will provide more information here as it becomes available, so please check back often!

A spirit of volunteerism is at the very heart of our mission at the Purdue for Life Foundation, and this annual conference is essential to our success. We cherish the opportunity to celebrate our outstanding alumni volunteers and the impact they make for alumni, students, and friends everywhere.

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A spirit of volunteerism is at the very heart of our mission at the Purdue for Life Foundation, and this annual conference is essential to our success. We cherish the opportunity to celebrate our outstanding alumni volunteers and the impact they make for alumni, students, and friends everywhere.

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Please click below for resources and videos from the 2023 conference.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS—JOIN US AT THIS FREE EVENT!

You are invited to the university’s flagship campus as we celebrate
our alumni volunteers at the 2023 Alumni Leader and Volunteer Conference.
Anyone interested in volunteering with Purdue is welcome to attend this free event!

Thursday, April 13–Friday, April 14
Purdue Memorial Union
East and West Faculty Lounges

Discover New Ways to Give Back

During the conference, you’ll discover new ways to give back and learn about the impact volunteers make for our alumni, students, and friends. Features include:

  • Insightful speakers
  • Informative breakout sessions
  • Meaningful engagement
  • Opportunities to explore Purdue’s evolving campus
  • Complimentary meals and refreshments
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Special this year

All attendees will have the opportunity to take part in a complimentary, personalized CliftonStrengths assessment! In late March, you will receive a separate email containing details and instructions about next steps. Then, during the conference, our own CliftonStrengths expert will guide you through the assessment and offer insights into how you can harness the power of your natural gifts.

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Lesley Wiete Headshot

Keynote

Lesley Wiete (HHS’98)

Chief of Police // Purdue University Police Department

Wiete is a 23-year veteran of the Purdue University Police Department, who started her career as a patrol officer in 1999 and was appointed chief in 2022. She has been responsible for leadership of the patrol division—the largest division in the department—and managing home football games. Wiete holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Purdue and a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. She recently graduated from the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, an intensive leadership program for experienced law enforcement officers. 

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Contact Us!

Courtney Cassady

Senior Director, Outreach and Volunteerism

Purdue for Life Foundation

cmcassady@purdueforlife.org

Patsy J. Mellott

BS College of Health and Human Sciences, 1969
Fishers, IN

Patsy earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition in business from Purdue in 1969, in addition to an MBA in food marketing from Michigan State University in 1970. She retired from Kraft Foods in 2006 after 36 years in corporate food marketing and marketing communications management.

A community volunteer, Patsy serves on the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana Advisory Board and the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council, in addition to the President’s Council Advisory Board. She is a former member of the Health and Human Sciences Alumni Board. Patsy held several offices from 2006 through 2013, including president and treasurer. She serves her community’s Discover Indianapolis Club in Fishers, holding several leadership roles for over 10 years.

Patsy has received several honors, including the Purdue University Nutrition Science Department Hall of Fame recipient in 2009 and the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. She also received the college’s Gold and Black Award in 2016, an honor reserved for donors who have moved the college forward by committing exceptional financial resources.

In addition to endowing two scholarships, the Patsy J. Mellott Scholarship and Patsy J. Mellott HHS Scholarship, she established the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award in the College of Health and Human Sciences in 2013. In 2015, she endowed the Patsy J. Mellott Women’s Tennis Coach Performance Award. She is a lead donor in the Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award and the Purdue Women’s Network Virginia C. Meredith Scholarship for the College of Health and Human Sciences.