Dennis M. Beagen Keynote Speaker

We are proud to welcome Brenda Alten as our keynote speaker for the 41st Undergraduate Symposium. Alten graduated with honors from EMU in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. During her time at the University, she was a four-time national champion in Forensics winning for informative speaking in 1985. She won the same category again, as well as the title for persuasive speaking and the pentathlon award for top speaker overall in 1988. She is also a two-time Undergraduate Symposium presenter under the faculty mentorship of Professor Tracy Anderson.

Upon earning her master’s degree in communications from Miami University of Ohio in 1989, Alten began working with The J.M. Smucker Company and has served in a wide variety of roles over her 30+ year career. While early roles offered amazing experiences in recruiting, sales and marketing, Alten’s passion has always been in communications, and she considers herself incredibly fortunate to have had so many different opportunities to learn and grow in her

profession while staying with the same company. In her career, Alten has served as company spokesperson; led acquisition and divestiture communication efforts; managed public relations, corporate sponsorships and the consumer call center; and helped establish the company’s innovation center, consumer recipe test kitchen and Culinary College program.

More recently, she was responsible for providing communications support to the company’s executive leadership team – including the President and Chief Executive Officer – and developing compelling communications to support strategy and Human Resources initiatives.

Currently, Alten is laser-focused on serving the unique needs of Smucker employees as Director of Human Resources Communications. She partners closely with company leaders to advise and manage communication strategy, planning and execution, to ensure employees have the right information at the right time to make the best benefits choices, feel inspired and engaged, develop in their careers and thrive.

Alten is Director Emeritus of the EMU Foundation Board of Trustees, having served in roles of Vice Chairperson and Chairperson of the Trusteeship Committee. In 2006, Alten was inducted into the Forensics Hall of Fame and has been a loyal supporter of EMU Forensics as they continue to pursue their championship goals. In 2015, EMU and the EMU Alumni Association honored her with the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Alten notes that participating in the Undergraduate Symposium was a highlight of her college career. She will share her admiration for the Symposium with participants, faculty and supporters during her keynote speech and discuss how her experiences at Eastern – including as part of the Symposium – have made an indelible impact on her professional success. Her engagement instills the value of undergraduate research opportunities at EMU.

17 Ace, Adrian 26 Aills, Molly 4 Akhlaq, Iqra 32 Alfaro-Cruz, Wendy 4 Allendorfer, Bradley 33 Anderson, Natalia 24 Andrews, Randy 27 Ansorge, Susanna 11 Bailey, Garrett 68 Baker, Kasey 5 Banach, Ashley 47 Barnaclo, Olivia 53 Barr, Jaimie 19 Barreto, Isabel 59 Bell, Elaina 29 Bergren, Morgan 33 Besler, Jennifer 34 Block, Ryan 30 Bogoski, Collin 77 Braate, Elly 11 Bricker, Kaitlyn 18 Briscoe, Tre’vian 5 Brown, Autumn 12 Brydie, Ayanda 73 Buckner, Rachel 64 Burks, Erica 77 Buschur, Jenneken 12 Butkevich, Nickolas 50 Butkevich, Nickolas 27 Cabansag, Ronia-Isabel 13 Callaghan, Jessica 1 Carlsen, Beatrice 64 Catallo, Chloe 54 Chacon, Armando 34 Chambers, Cody 73 Chandler, Olivia 6 Chaudry, Morgan 78 Cheng, Carmen 54 Childs, Jada 13 Chitwood, Chase 35 Chrysler, Dylan 78 Clark, Taylor 79 Clingan, Esther 1 Daher, Ani 18 Deiter, Gwenyth 75 DeLisle, David 65 Distelrath, Madison 35 Dodge-Doak, Susan 14 Dunning, Payton 59 Dye, Haley 36 Ebeling, JuliAnna 65 Fedel, Anna 17 Ferguson, Sydney 30 Ferrell Jr, Kenneth 29 Foster, Karlee 25 Frownfelter, Kyle 17 Gaither, Myah 56 Ganesan, Shanthi Vasavi 70 Garcez, John 25 Garska, Nicholas 19 Genthner, Kaite 63 Glover, Alexander 79 Glover, William 6 Goodman, Colin

80 Gowell, Sarah 19 Graham, James 74 Gray, Joi 24 Grone, Samuel 25 Grone, Samuel 48 Guzdek, IV John 36 Hammerberg, Jordan 55 Hansen, Delaney 31 Harris, Joel 28 Hartmaier, Karin 37 Hasey, William 80 Heath, Hailee 19 Hicks, Stephani 76 Higman, Kevin 51 Holmes, Megan 71 Jaber, Jonathan 68 Janisse, Janelle 25 Johnson, Blake 81 Jones, Kyla 7 Kalva, Supraja 37 Kefallinos, Yanni 38 King, Alex 81 Kirchner, Margaret 82 Kleinhans, Madisyn 55 Kohl, Haley 69 Kopicko, Megan 7 Kosiba, Carrie 26 Krietemeyer, Emma 46 Krietemeyer, Emma 51 Kwek, Jessi 14 Lafferty, Clint 48 LaMay, Casie 8 Landor, Peter 31 Le, Kylah 82 Lemon, Nakia 66 Lepley, Jeffrey 74 Linder, Bethany 32 Linhares, Molly 75 Liske, Aaron 38 Lyon, OP Sister Mary Vianney 66 MacIver, Kameron 83 Madison, Rachel 8 Maki, Madeline 50 Martinez, Joanne 39 Milkovich, John 15 Miller, Isaak 28 Montone, Kimberly 83 Moses, Katherine 20 Muradian, Anthony 20 Nagel, Georgia 52 Newmyer, Anna 1 Norris, Brielle 70 Olechnowicz, Grace 71 Ortega, Carmen 39 Paquette, John 76 Paul, Brandon 76 Pelletier, Zachariah 56 Pena, Arturo 52 Perret, Garance 84 Price, Daisy 2 Purify, Kevin 84 Que, Eveline 69 Ramoie, Madison 21 Ramsey, Bianca 60 Ray, Colton 85 Reich, Afton 72 Reyes, Jennifer 2 Rinkel, Nicole 40 Rinkel, Nicole 21 Robinson, Olivia 85 Sargsyan, Vardan 29 Schallhorn, Claire 15 Schempf, Micaela 40 Scheske, Michael 6 Scheys, Caleb 22 Seals, Katrina 3 Shearer, Allison 60 Sheibels, Trent 41 Shepherd, Riley 86 Sherman, Mya 86 Shields, Kelsey 16 Silvia, Nadia

49 Sims, Rebecca 87 Sitkiewicz, Jillian 67 Skeens, Casey 22 Smith, Alexander 47 Smith, David 57 Smith, Ky’Wana 72 Soles, Ashley 87 Spieth, Peyton 41 St. Amand, Katherine 23 Stadnik, Valentyna 61 Staffeld, Jacklyn 42 Stuck, Olivia 42 Suchowesky, Kirk 88 Surur, Marie 53 Swartzinski, Jack 23 Taylor, Rhy’ss 13 Taylor, Sophia 78 Tedrow, Samadhi 88 Thomason, Austin 42 Thorne, Liza 49 Timmer, Sydney 43 Tingstad, Katie 25 Tracht, Emily 43 Turner, Nate 44 Turner, Nate 9 Vael, Lilly 55 Walters, Jenna 10 Wasserman, Beth 10 Watson, Mary 44 Webb, Krista 16 White, Katrina 3 Whitenburg, Macy 17 Williams, Asana 45 Williams, Ryan 57 Winslow, Danielle 45 Wisely, Joanne 67 Wynn, Brehonna 47 Yapp, Kyle 46 Yocum, Nathaniel 58 Zalt, Ahmad 63 Zalt, Ahmad 61 Zang, Emmylee 62 Zang, Emmylee 62 Zielinski, Reece

EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

A CELEBRATION OF STUDENT EXCELLENCE