College of Liberal Arts names 2006 distinguished alumni

Recipients are Stephen McKinley Henderson, Renu Khator, Bart Peterson and Joanne Pottlitzer.

Stephen McKinley Henderson, Buffalo, N.Y., has worked in regional theaters, on and off Broadway, and in television and film. Most recently, he was cast in "Dracula, The Musical" during the 2004-05 Broadway season. In 1992, he made his directorial debut in New York with a salute to the boxing champion Muhammad Ali in "Ali!." Currently, he is also a tenured faculty member at SUNY-Buffalo. He was named Artist of the Year by the Arts Council of Western New York in 1993. He came to Purdue in 1974 to join the Purdue Professional Summer Theatre. He received his master's degree in theater in 1977.

Renu Khator, originally from India, currently resides in Tampa, Fla., where she is the first female provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of South Florida. In this capacity, she is responsible for the academic policies, decisions and budgets of the university. Prior to that, she was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program. She is the author of four books and numerous journal articles specializing in water policy and the impact of globalization on the environment. She also enjoys writing poetry and fiction. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in political science in 1975 and 1985, respectively.

Bart Peterson, Indianapolis, has served as mayor of Indianapolis since 1999. His focus as mayor has been on education, economic development, neighborhood revitalization and government reform. He started his career as a lawyer in Indianapolis, focusing on business transactions and environmental law. He began working for Evan Bayh's campaign for secretary of state in 1986 and became Bayh's environmental adviser in his 1988 campaign. In 1993, he became Bayh's chief of staff. He assumed the role of president of the Precedent Companies Inc., a family-owned business, in 1995. He received his bachelor's degree in political science in 1983.

Joanne Pottlitzer, New York City, is a freelance playwright and theater producer and director. In 1966, she founded Theatre of Latin America Inc., an arts organization that seeks to enhance artistic exchanges between the United States and Latin America. She has lectured at more than 30 universities across the country, and her articles have appeared in publications, including "The New York Times," "American Theatre," "Review" and the "Theatre Journal." Her teaching credits include Yale University's School of Drama, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, City College of New York's Hunter and Brooklyn colleges, and Ohio University. She earned her bachelor's degree in theater with distinction in 1959.

Writer: Kiersti Kjonaas, (765) 494-2081, kkjonaas@purdue.edu

Source: Christine Sharp, alumni relations coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts, (765) 494-7884, ctsharp@sla.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page