The Success Express newsletter is created by the Brian Lamb School of Communication Online Success Coach team, designed to help graduate students develop success strategies as they complete online graduate programs in the Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University.
In This Issue:
Campus Drone Tour
Welcome to the Winter Semester! No matter where you are in the world, we’re excited to help you feel more connected to the Purdue community. Take a moment to enjoy this stunning drone video tour of Purdue University, offering a bird’s-eye view of our beautiful campus. From iconic landmarks to snapshots of vibrant student life, this aerial journey captures the spirit of innovation and excellence that defines Purdue. We’re proud to have you in our online graduate community. Boiler Up!
Academic Dishonesty
Distance students are held to the same academic rigor and standards as residential students and must abide by the same student code of conduct.
What is Academic Dishonesty?
- Purdue prohibits “dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty.”
- Additionally, the University Senate has stipulated that “the commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in itself dishonest”
Why does academic integrity matter?
- As a student, it is understood that learning is the most important goal, that we embrace ethical values and principles, and reject academic dishonesty in all of our learning endeavors.
- When not addressed, academic misconduct devalues the work of other individuals and hurts the reputation of the university and the value of a Purdue University degree.
- At Purdue, all members of the community are responsible for upholding and promoting academic integrity.
More information, including how to avoid academic dishonesty and what happens at Purdue if you are suspected of academic dishonesty, can be found here: Academic Integrity and You: Graduate Edition | Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities - Purdue University
Notes from your Academic Advisor
Summer registration is officially open! If you’re planning to enroll, now’s the time to get started. You’ll continue to receive weekly reminder emails until you’re registered, or until you let me know that you won’t be enrolling this summer. As always, feel free to reach out if you have questions or need support along the way. If you have any questions, check out the FAQ page in the Resource Center or reach out to Rob directly at rschiavo@purdue.edu.
Coach's Corner
Virtual Networking Night: Tuesday, February 10th at 6 pm ET
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Networking Night, a dynamic virtual event held through Zoom designed to help you connect with fellow online students. Whether you're looking to build professional relationships, share experiences, or simply meet new people, this is a fantastic opportunity to expand your network in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
- 📅 Date: Tuesday, February 10th
- 🕖Time: 6:00 PM ET
- 📍 REGISTER HERE!
This interactive session will give you the time and space to engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, and forge lasting connections with your peers in the Lamb School of Communication. We hope to see you there!
Student Spotlight: Cristina Capretta, APR
Cristina Capretta, APR, is making waves in the field of school communications as the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for the Berea City School District, located just outside Cleveland, Ohio. In recognition of her leadership and expertise, Cristina—who currently serves as President-Elect of the Ohio School Public Relations Association—has been invited to present at the Indiana School Public Relations Association Annual Conference alongside her superintendent. Her session will focus on applying the RPIE (Research, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation) process to reimagine the traditional State of the Schools address, transforming it into a dynamic and engaging School Showcase event.
Further highlighting her thought leadership, Cristina was also asked to contribute a perspective article on the role of artificial intelligence in school communications for the Winter Issue of SchoolCEO magazine, a national publication serving superintendents and district leaders, where she shared real-world insights from her professional experience.
This work demonstrates her commitment to strategic communication, community engagement, and elevating how school districts connect with their stakeholders. We are proud to feature Cristina and celebrate her continued professional achievements and leadership in the field of public relations.
Shine a spotlight on your achievements! Complete the Bravo Boilermakers form below to be featured in an upcoming newsletter.
Student Resource Partners
Upcoming Workshops
Citation Management with Zotero | February 4, 2026 | 1:30pm-2:30pm ET After doing your research, you can waste hours getting your citations into the proper format, in the correct order in your paper, and listed in your bibliography. Zotero is a free citation management program that can help you collect, organize, and share your research. This session is designed to help graduate students get started with Zotero. Attendees will learn how to set up Zotero, gather citations, and generate bibliographies.
Purdue OWL: Best AI Practices for Academic Writing | February 5, 2026 | 9:30am 10:30am ET Purdue OWL staff will describe the Best AI Practices for Scientific Writing workshop, students will have the opportunity to learn more about AI tools, academic integrity, and critical literacy, as well as prompt engineering and best practices for using AI in scholarly writing. Facilitators aim to invite conversation about how to evaluate content AI produces and how AI can be helpful (or not) in graduate writing.
AI Tools for Lit Reviews | February 27, 2026 | 9:30am-10:30am ET With the proliferation of AI tools, graduate students often ask themselves how these tools can be ethically used to bolster their research. ChatGPT has gained traction, but its utility is constrained by issues like outdated information, artificial hallucinations, and limited access to scholarly publications hidden behind a paywall. Fortunately, new AI tools have been developed that promote academic exploration and discovery, such as offering generative article summaries, citation chaining, and thematic literature mapping capabilities. This workshop will explore three AI tools—Perplexity, Research Rabbit, and Inciteful—designed to support the research and literature review process. This session will
Important Dates
- Spring Graduates Commencement Tasklist Opens | Friday, February 13, 2026
- Summer 2026 Registration Currently Open
- Spring Session II Courses | March 9, 2026 - May 3, 2026
- Spring Commencement | Friday, May 15, 2026
- Summer Semester Beings | Monday, May 11, 2026
BRAVO, BOILERMAKERS!
Being a Boilermaker comes from the great successes in your life, and for that we say Bravo! Many of you have received job promotions, added to your family (including pets!), presented at national conferences, or have celebrated personal achievements and we'd love to celebrate with you!
Contact us
Student Services
- Rob Schiavo| Academic Advisor | rschiavo@purdue.edu
- Tiffany Smith | Success Coach | tledonne@purdue.edu