Button Menu

Our Community Stories

  • About
  • Our Community Stories
Moeez Islam Malik
Initiative and Empathy

Moeez Islam Malik

“I never knew that I would be a leader,” admits Moeez Islam Malik ’27. Yet just a few years into his…

Meet Moeez Islam Malik
Sharon Crary
Global Impact

Sharon Crary

Professor Sharon Crary has studied the devastating effects of the Ebola virus for 15 years. Since the…

Meet Sharon Crary
Sheraya Smith
An Appetite for Adventure

Sheraya Smith

Growing up near Crawfordsville, Ind., Sheraya Smith ’20 had always been familiar with DePauw University…

Meet Sheraya Smith
John Berry
Innovative Artistry

John Berry

Success and accomplishment flow from the challenging work done in the classroom and studio at DePauw…

Meet John Berry
Ben Schroeder
Getting Exposure

Ben Schroeder

Ben Schroeder came to DePauw on the recommendation of a family member who graduated in the 1980s. Having…

Meet Ben Schroeder
Marielle Gearding
Endless Curiosity

Marielle Gearding

Theatre. Neuroscience. Creative writing. True crime. Dance. Marielle Gearding ’27 has no shortage of…

Meet Marielle Gearding
 Troy Tien Nguyen
Giving Back

Troy Tien Nguyen

For domestic students, going to college is a new and exciting thing. But for international students,…

Meet Troy Tien Nguyen
Leslie James
Empowering Students

Leslie James

Since I recognize that each student brings a unique dimension to the collective, it is problematic to…

Meet Leslie James
Scott Wilkerson
Applied learning. Real solutions.

Scott Wilkerson

Out of graduate school, I worked for 3.5 years gaining invaluable experience with Exxon Production Research…

Meet Scott Wilkerson
John Marshall
In the Swim of Things

John Marshall

When I started my college search, I wasn’t 100 percent settled on a path. I had enjoyed economics in…

Meet John Marshall
 Elisa Villanueva Beard
Business Executive

Elisa Villanueva Beard

Elisa has been an integral part of Teach for America for 25 years. It all started in 1998 as a TFA Phoenix…

Meet Elisa Villanueva Beard
 Sarah Rowley
Fostering Personal Connections

Sarah Rowley

What excites me about teaching? Everything! The magic that happens in the classroom is completely dependent…

Meet Sarah Rowley
Hanna Coffel
A Life-Changing Invitation

Hanna Coffel

When DePauw’s softball coach invited Hanna Coffel ’26 to campus as a high school sophomore, it was the…

Meet Hanna Coffel
Deepa Prakash
Embracing Unpredictable Moments

Deepa Prakash

What excites me about teaching is the opportunity to discuss and learn about the pressing issues that…

Meet Deepa Prakash
Brace Mullett
Never Say No

Brace Mullett

Brace Mullett ’26 didn’t have a master plan to come to DePauw, double major in biochemistry and religious…

Meet Brace Mullett
Marwa Aarab
Enriching a Global Perspective

Marwa Aarab

As an international student keen on medicine and research, I chose DePauw University after careful examination…

Meet Marwa Aarab
Andrea Sununu
The Difference is in the Details

Andrea Sununu

For over 30 years I’ve taught literature at DePauw and welcomed the chance to serve not only as teacher…

Meet Andrea Sununu
Bella Zollner
Hope Is the Solution

Bella Zollner

Bella Zollner ’27 isn’t the type to sit on the sidelines. She prefers to be in the heart of the action…

Meet Bella Zollner
Shea Nickell
Passion to serve

Shea Nickell

Shea Nickell ’81 considers the greatest payday of his career to have been one that didn’t involve a check…

Meet Shea Nickell
Tommy Manning
Curiosity and Conservation

Tommy Manning

“My whole life I've been into environmentalism and sustainability,” says Tommy Manning ’26. Although…

Meet Tommy Manning
Naima Shifa
Building Connections

Naima Shifa

The biggest part of my teaching is building connections with my students and creating a community in…

Meet Naima Shifa
Nushla Pradhan
Experiencing it All

Nushla Pradhan

I was interested in natural sciences and social sciences, and I wanted a good blend of different classes…

Meet Nushla Pradhan
Jordan Sjol
The Perfect Place for Filmmaking

Jordan Sjol

Jordan Sjol may be relatively new to the DePauw University faculty, but as assistant professor of film…

Meet Jordan Sjol
Erik Wielenberg
Freedom to Explore

Erik Wielenberg

Since 1999, Erik Wielenberg has been a fixture of the philosophy department at DePauw University. Not…

Meet Erik Wielenberg
 Phyllis Ferrell
Global Strategist

Phyllis Ferrell

DePauw pride has remained an important part of Phyllis Ferrell's life, even after graduation in 1994…

Meet Phyllis Ferrell
Bree Mahoney-Sutherland
An Affinity for Black and Gold

Bree Mahoney-Sutherland

I come from a long line of black and gold. With our lineage coming directly from an original board of…

Meet Bree Mahoney-Sutherland
Gerard Pannekoek
The Unifying Power of Art

Gerard Pannekoek

“Art is a great place to start a conversation,” says Gerard Pannekoek ’11. “It’s a place to build trust…

Meet Gerard Pannekoek
Matigan Williams
The Power of Networking

Matigan Williams

This summer I am interning with a U.S. senator in Washington, D.C. This internship is a tremendous opportunity…

Meet Matigan Williams
Andrew Brown
Promoting Peace Through Music

Andrew Brown

I chose DePauw because it is the kind of place where students can explore fields of studies that are…

Meet Andrew Brown
Mahmoud Abouelkheir
Embracing Community

Mahmoud Abouelkheir

I felt hesitant about coming to DePauw because of its location in a rural part of Indiana. Growing up…

Meet Mahmoud Abouelkheir