About the Purdue Global Academic Success Center Tutors

Cynthia Waddell

Cynthia Waddell has been with the Academic Success Center since 2012. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana and holds a PhD in Management with an accounting specialization. Cynthia has worked for the Business Center since its inception. Cynthia enjoys tutoring moments when students have a noticeable breakthrough in understanding. Prior to tutoring at the Business Center, Cynthia worked as a federal law enforcement officer for over twenty years.

Kathryn Huff (front left)

Kathryn Huff lives in Louisiana and holds a Ph.D. in Financial Economics, as well as teaching certification in Social Sciences. In addition to interacting with students, Kathryn plays Jazz piano in the French Quarter (New Orleans.) She also enjoys cooking and gardening, and she is a long time blogger. 

Kristen Swisher

Kristen Swisher has been with the Business Center since 2008 and has taught or tutored since 2006. She lives in Arizona and holds a Doctorate in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Accounting and Financial Management. Kristen enjoys personally interacting with students and helping them work through challenges. In her downtime, she enjoys cozy mysteries, the outdoors, and Hallmark movies.

Monica Hubler

Monica Hubler lives in New Jersey, and she has an MBA in accounting and a Master of Science degree in Forensic Accounting, as well as a DBA. She has been with the university since 2010 and has tutored for seven of those years. Monica enjoys helping students learn course concepts. She enjoys playing on her iPad. 

Bahram Rajabifar

Bahram Rajabifar lives in Indiana and is a candidate for a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Baham joined the Math Center team in early 2020, and he has tutored and taught since 2015. Bahram enjoys helping students become independent learners, as well as teaching and learning.

Brian Gillispie

Brian Gillispie has been with the Academic Success Center since 2009. He lives in Iowa and holds a Ph.D. in Applied Math. Brian enjoys explaining math concepts to students in a way that they can understand. Brian developed and sold a video game in 2019, and he also has written two editions of a mathematical modeling book.

Jack Refling

Jack Refling resides in South Carolina and has a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and a Ph.D., all in nuclear engineering. Jack has attended the University of Wisconsin, Purdue University, and the University of Virginia. Jack has been with the Math Center since 2010 and has tutored or taught since 1990. He enjoys seeing and hearing a student understand a concept for the first time. Jack is a co-owner of a patent.

Michele Paulsen

Michele Paulsen has been with the Math Center since 2019 and has taught or tutored since 2000. She lives in Wisconsin and has a Master of Science degree in Mathematics Education. Michele enjoys helping students solve problems. She also enjoys kayaking in Lake Michigan and playing the Native American flute. 

Mita Tomerlin

Paromita “Mita” Tomerlin lives in Florida and has a Master of Science degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science. She has been with the Academic Success Center since 2019 and has worked as an educator since 2007. Mita enjoys motivating students to learn by making the concepts easier for them to understand and therefore, helping them achieve their goals and dreams. She loves to play tennis, bake, and travel around the world. Mita was a finalist (top 100) in the 2010 Pillsbury Bake-Off contest, and she has a Boston Terrier named Oreo.

Jenni Rygh

Jenni Rygh has been with the Academic Success Center since 2012, and she resides in Hawaii. She has a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and a Master of Science degree in Microbiology and Immunology. Jenni has been a teacher or tutor since 2003. She loves building relationships with students and coworkers. She says it is a great feeling to know she is a part of helping her students and friends grow. Jeni has a cat named Meow Meow; her toddler doesn’t know the word “cat” yet, so everyone calls her Meow Meow. Jenni has lived in Japan, Norway, and  Mexico, but Hawaii is her favorite.

Lilliana Moreno

Lilliana Moreno lives in Virginia and has a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry and Forensics, a Master of Science degree in Forensic Sciences and Biology, and a Master of Arts degree in Biomedical Sciences and Anatomy. She has been with the Science Center since 2011.  Lilliana loves empowering students and giving them the knowledge and extra boost of confidence that they need to succeed. Lilliana is an all-natural bodybuilding competitor and enjoys every second of the body transformation process. Lilliana also enjoys an occasional Snickers candy bar when her trainers are not watching.

 Melissa Derby

Melissa Derby resides in Florida and has a Master of Science degree in Instructional DesignTechnologies and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry. She has been with the Science Center since 2008. Melissa’s favorite part of tutoring is the moment a student understands the topic, and they get that look of “Oh Wow.” Melissa is a fan of the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics. She also enjoys building Legos with her niece.

Roxanne Miller

Roxanne Miller lives in San Antonio, Texas. She has a Ph.D. in Physiology and Developmental Biology. She is currently in medical school pursuing a DO degree. She began working in the Academic Success Center in May 2020 and has taught or tutored since 2012. She enjoys seeing students have those “ah-ha!” moments when she helps them understand a scientific concept. Roxanne rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle and likes to cook, rock climb, and garden. Roxanne is currently an officer in the US Navy Reserves. 

Ibidayo Awosola

Ibidayo Awosola lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, and he has a Master of Science in Computer and Information Technology degree. He has been with the Academic Success Center since 2019 and has taught or tutored since 2015. Ibidbayo enjoys making a difference in the lives of students. He has worked in five different countries and is the first person in his family to pursue a doctorate degree.

Imad Tabarani

Imad Tabarani lives in Kansas and has a Master’s degree. He has been with the Academic Success Center since 2008 and has taught or tutored since 2003. Imad enjoys helping students understand the concept of how to troubleshoot. Imad loves the outdoors. 

Jennifer Merritt 

Jennifer Merritt resides in Illinois and has a Ph.D. in Computing Technology in Education. She has been with the Academic Success Center since 2019, and she has taught or tutored since 2000. Jennifer’s favorite part of working with students is seeing the “lightbulb” click on when a student grasps a concept. Jennifer loves softball, and she coaches and umpires softball games in her spare time. 

Olivia Pollard

Olivia Pollard has a Ph.D. In Management and Information Systems. She has been with the Technology Center since May 2020. She has 16 years of experience in corporate training and higher education.  She loves horror movies, photography, and her Cricut machine. 

Satish Wadwekar 

Satish Wadwekar lives in Richmond, Virginia. He has a Master’s of Science degree in Leadership and Management. He has been with the Academic Success Center since 2019. He enjoys helping students and learning in the process. Satish loves working on cars and completing home repairs. 

Julie Freydlin

Bio not available.

Melinda Linscott

Melinda Linscott lives in Chicago, Illinois, and has a Doctorate of Philosophy in English and the Teaching of English and a Master of Arts in English Literature. Melinda has been with the Academic Success Center since April 2020 and is the Team Lead of the Learning for Success Center. She has been teaching since 2005 and an online educator since 2014. Melinda enjoys working one-on-one with students. She is a preacher’s kid who has lived in 5 states: Maine, Vermont, Michigan, Idaho, and Illinois. Melinda is excited to be buying her first home in Illinois with her husband. She loves flowers and looks forward to starting a garden. 

Nancy Feraldi

Nancy Feraldi lives in New Mexico and has a Master of Arts degree in Writing-Technical Track. She has been with the Academic Success Center since 2005 and has been an educator since 1998. She enjoys collaborating and sharing resources and brainstorming writing “tricks of the trade” with diverse students from all departments and levels throughout the university, including students who speak multiple languages.  Nancy is a mother of five and a grandmother of six. She hopes to someday publish her memoirs which include being a Chicago social worker, environmental, peace, and justice activist, and other interesting jobs before she earned her master’s degree later in life.

Robley Hood

Robley Hood lives in the southern United States. She has a Ph.D., and she has been with the Academic Success Center since 2009. She has worked in education since 1990. Robley’s favorite part of tutoring is hearing a student say that something she suggested worked. Robley is an avid walker and photographer.

Terry Fletcher

Terry Fletcher lives in Oregon and has a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Writing and a Master of Science degree in Legal Studies. She has been with the Academic Success Center since 2008 and has taught or tutored since 2000. Terry’s favorite part of tutoring is helping students explore their own thoughts. Terry plans to use her recently acquired Master’s degree in Legal Studies to support her passion for animal welfare in her state. She plans to lobby for better protection for pets.

Thomas Huston

Thomas Huston lives in Indiana and has a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. Thomas has been with the Academic Success Center since 2019 and has worked in education since 2000. Thomas’s favorite part of tutoring is watching students learn. Thomas is a vegan.

Travis Murphy

Travis Murphy lives in Indiana and has a Master of Arts in Writing and Publishing. Travis has worked in the Academic Success Center since April 2020. He has been a teacher or tutor since 2002. Travis enjoys connecting with students. He loves to travel and has recently taken up bird watching.

Libby Turows

Libby Turows lives in Michigan and has a Master of Arts in Writing and Publishing and Master of Arts in Psychology. She has tutored in the Writing Center since early 2021 and has taught or tutored for over ten years. She loves to empower students and give them confidence to go further in their writing. Libby loves baking. She also enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her pets: a dog, Raleigh, and a cat, Haven.