HAMMOND | Twenty-one Purdue University Calumet graduates will receive Purdue Alumni Association-Calumet's 2008 Outstanding Alumni Awards during Alumni Leaders Day today.

The recognition and networking event begins at 4:30 p.m. at The Calumet Conference Center at the far south end of campus. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. For information, call (219) 989-2308.

Honorees were selected by faculty from each Purdue Calumet academic department.

Local honorees, their place of residence, job title, employer and the Purdue Calumet academic department recognizing them are as follows:

School of Education

Susan Wirtz (Crown Point) kindergarten schoolteacher and School Improvement Team leader, Oak Hill Elementary School (Lowell)

Peggy Buffington (Valparaiso) superintendent, School City of Hobart (Hobart); Department of Teacher Preparation Award

School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Deno Yiankes (Valparaiso) president and CEO, Investments & Development, White Lodging Services (Merrillville); Department of Behavioral Sciences Award

Eunice Madison (Hammond), continuing lecturer, Department of English and Philosophy, Purdue University Calumet (Hammond); Department of English and Philosophy Award

Luisa Gonzalez-Hannon (Valparaiso), director of guidance, Boone Grove High School (Valparaiso); Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures Award

Cynthia Ogorek (Calumet City,) owner, public historian (Calumet City) and author; Department of History and Political Science Award

School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science

David Radovich (Schererville) dentist (Munster); Department of Biological Sciences Award

Mary Costa (Valparaiso) quality assurance engineer, Arcelor Mittal (East Chicago); Department of Chemistry and Physics Award

Gerald Herr (Crown Point) vice president business development, Nordic Energy Services LLC (Willowbrook, Ill.); Department of Electrical Engineering Award

Diana Underwood-Gregg (Crown Point) associate professor of mathematics education and director of Center for Mathematics Teaching and Learning, Purdue University Calumet (Hammond); Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics Award

Kelly Dallas (Merrillville) project manager corporate engineering, Arcelor Mittal (East Chicago); Department of Mechanical Engineering Award

School of Management

Stacy Januszewski (Schererville), senior vice president and chief risk officer, Peoples Bank-Corporate Center (Munster); Department of Accounting Award

Jeff Biesczat (Griffith), senior manager commercial finance, William Wrigley Jr. Company (Chicago); Department of Finance and Economics Award

Michael Puaca (Crown Point), director global infrastructure, Brunswick Corporation (Lake Forest, Ill.); Department of Information Systems Award

Jesus Cervera (Hammond), vice president of community affairs, Citizens Financial Services FSB (Munster); MBA Award

School of Technology

· Michael Bergin (Lansing) president/owner, CMM Group (Lansing); Department of Construction Science and Organizational Leadership Award

· Edward Shultz (St. John), vice president of engineering and construction/regional consulting engineer, Sisters of St. Francis Health Services' Northern Indiana Region; Department of Engineering Technology Award