HKS’ Ana Pinto-Alexander Named Old Master by Purdue University
Ana Pinto-Alexander, a Principal and Global Sector Director, Interiors at HKS, has been named an Old Master by Purdue University. The designation is the highest honor the Purdue student body can bestow on alumni.
Pinto-Alexander graduated from Purdue University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in interior design and received the Purdue Distinguished Alumni award in 2014.
“Purdue University is a wonderful and prestigious institution that provided the tools for me to succeed,” said Pinto-Alexander. “My commitment and perseverance to improve the interior environment and the human experience has contributed to my career success. That passion was born at Purdue.”
Each year, 10 of the university’s most accomplished alumni are invited to become Old Masters, a unique tradition that began in 1950.
According to Purdue, nominees for the Old Master recognition must have attained outstanding accomplishments in their personal and professional life. From a pool of more than 300 nominees, the Central Committee, a group of 12 Purdue students and three faculty members, deemed Pinto-Alexander an exceptional person who has made significant contributions in her field. In 2015, she was named one of the 25 most influential people in health care by Healthcare Design.
The Old Masters’ program strives to “inspire leadership and ignite passion” within the Purdue student body, the school said. It also provides a platform for each Old Master to share stories about their personal and professional achievements.
“I hope to inspire a new generation of students to follow their passion,” said Pinto-Alexander, who joined HKS in 2011 and eventually became the firm’s first appointed female principal shareholder. “I will encourage them to take the time to find the significance in their lives, which I believe leads to fulfilling their dreams and aspirations. It gives me the warmest of feelings to know that I am inspiring younger generations.”
I hope to inspire a new generation of students to follow their passion.
This year’s Old Masters recognition events begin on November 6 and conclude on November 8. During that time, Pinto-Alexander and the other new honorees will participate in various activities including classroom engagements, campus-wide panel discussions, and social activities with students and other members of the Purdue community.
“Through the Old Master’s program, we honor those who have given of themselves and achieved success,” Purdue University’s website says. “Ideas and inspirations continue to resonate in the hearts and minds of the students long after the Old Masters have become a part of Purdue’s history.”
