Principal Investigators

Mr. Kristofer Chang Alexander focuses on intercultural development for students and faculty. His training is in both apparel design and intercultural research. He has contributed to the study design and music analysis. His experience growing up in rural Indiana developed the idea of the study along with the investigators. For this study, he wanted to find ways to help other Asian/American teens in rural areas (he is from South Dakota) His work has won numerous Awards at Purdue, including the Class of 1922 (for innovative teaching) and Purdue’s Vision Award for his contribution to intinterculturaldevelopment, research, and teaching). 

Mr. Taketani is the former coordinator of the Asian and Asian American Research and Cultural Center at Purdue University. He has a background in music analysis and is currently a graduate student at Indiana University’s School of Education. With his educational expertise in higher education and student development, Taketanipossesses the skills necessary to connect with students. Recently, he received the 2024 Jefferson Award in recognition of his commitment to serving the Greater Lafayette community.

Mr. Putra is a Mental Health Therapist at the Sacred Bridge Foundation, a non-profit cultural organization based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The foundation is dedicated to fostering the relationship between humans and nature by utilizing culture as a means of communication. Its goal is to facilitate dialogue and promote mutual understanding, respect, and friendship among individuals, communities, societies, and nations. Additionally, Mr. Putra is a Ph.D. candidate in Counseling Psychology at Purdue University.

Fan Zhang is a critically acclaimed sound designer and composer for theatre, dance, film, commercial radio, and installation. Her designs are described as "smart" and "has and otherworldly quality" by New York Times and Vulture. She is the recipient of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards (Cannibal Galaxy) and Connecticut Critics CIrcleAward (Seven Guitars).

She has designed at most of the nation's leading regional theaters including productions at: Shakespeare Theatre Company, Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Milwaukee Rep, Capital Rep, Artists Repertory Theatre, Long Wharf, Pittsburgh City Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Studio Theatre D.C., Two River Theater, Westport Country Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Yale Rep, Huntington Theatre and Old Globe. She holds an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama. 

 A native to the Chicago area and currently based in West Lafayette, Indiana, Kathleen Hickey’s work has been seen throughout Chicago (Links Hall, Hamlin Park, South Shore Cultural Center, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Fasseas Whitebox Theatre), Milwaukee (Mitchell Hall, Kenilworth Studios), New York (Gibney Dance), Minneapolis (Bryant Lake Bowl), New Jersey (The Grounds for Sculpture), San Francisco (PushFest at the ODC Theater), Berkeley (Shawl Anderson), Detroit, (The Detroit Institute for the Arts), the Indianapolis region (Wabash College, Anderson University, Purdue University, Indy Convergence), as well as Shanghai (Step Up Dance Theater) and Hangzhou (Mofang Theatre) China. She has performed in works and processes by director Rebecca Holderness at the New York Drama League, in New York City, choreographer Brandi Coleman at Mitchell Hall in Milwaukee, WI, director Joel Ebarb at the Prague Quadrennial (Kampa Museum grounds and around the city), in Prague in the Czech Republic, choreographer Molly Shanahan at DoveTail Studios in Chicago, IL, and choreographer Renee Murray at the KOI Creative Space in White Plains, NY & at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI. Hickey holds a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University and an M.F.A. in Dance and Performing Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and is currently teaching in the Dance Program at Purdue University's Rueff School of Design, Art, & Performance.