Immanuel Patrick

Like many high school students, Immanuel Patrick wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do after graduation. To figure this out, with his mother’s support, Patrick flew to Germany for an intensive year-long internship before applying to Purdue. “I was working with people with autism, which is a communication disorder, and I was not completely fluent in the language I was working in,” says Patrick. “The language difference made it difficult to communicate even with coworkers. You think you understand everything and then you realize that you don’t.” 

Patrick’s experience in Germany was part of what ultimately drew him to Purdue. He explains, “Choosing Purdue was me looking for diversity, and seeking opportunities to meet new people and connect, and fulfilling financial needs that other universities weren’t willing to meet after spending a year in Germany post-graduation.” Now, in his second year at Purdue majoring in Linguistics and German, Patrick has found volunteer opportunities with the Outing Club and an internship with the Lafayette Adult Resource Academy. Patrick says that for him, “Success is not measured by the amount of money I make, but the number of people I’m able to help.” He hopes that his degree from Purdue will enable him to work and help people in another country again.

Ronnie Wilbur

Professor Ronnie Wilbur, recognized as a pioneer for her interdisciplinary work in linguistics and speech, language and hearing sciences, is the recipient of the 2015 Purdue University Research and Scholarship Distinction Award.

The award honors Wilbur, who holds joint appointments in Linguistics and the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, for her work on the linguistic structure of American Sign Language, its perception and production by native deaf signers, and its application to deaf education.

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