WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Swimmers Kathryn Ackerman and Luke Fortner – multi-year Academic All-Big Ten honorees that are both in line to earn multiple degrees from the University – have been selected as Purdue Athletics' recipients of the annual Big Ten postgraduate scholarships for the 2024-25 school year.
They will each receive a $7,500 scholarship for their continuing education. They plan to remain in West Lafayette to continue their studies.
Fortner was a four-year letterwinner for the Boilermakers, excelling in the breaststroke and graduating with a 3.84 cumulative grade-point average as an aeronautical and astronautical engineering major. He’s now moving now to a graduate program with a Ph.D. track in aeronautic and astronautical engineering, working specifically in the Space Information Dynamics group led by Dr. Carolin Frueh.
Ackerman joined Purdue in the fall of 2024 as a graduate transfer from the University of Michigan, utilizing a fifth-year eligibility extension to train alongside her sister Grace (a freshman in 2024-25). Kathryn earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan in biomedical engineering and already has a master’s in the same field of study from Purdue. She had a 3.68 GPA at Michigan and 3.79 GPA during her first year in West Lafayette.
As part of a dual-master’s program and having completed the biomedical engineering portion, Ackerman will be enrolled in the master’s of business administration (MBA) half of her studies at Purdue during the 2025-26 school year.
Both Boilermakers earned Academic All-Big Ten honors every year they were eligible to be recognized. They’re also multi-year Big Ten Distinguished Scholars. Fortner was a two-time Academic All-District honoree for the Boilermakers. He closed out his swimming career with career-best times in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke at the 2025 Big Ten Championships, moving up Purdue’s all-time leaderboards in both events.
Ackerman was a five-time CSCAA Scholar All-American. She eclipsed the Boilermakers’ team record in the 400 individual medley at the 2024 Purdue Invitational, taking down a record that had stood since 2016. At Michigan, she was a four-year NCAA Championships qualifier in the 400 IM and helped the Wolverines win gold (2021) and bronze (2022) medals in the 800 freestyle relay at the Big Ten Championships.
Since the Big Ten introduced the two postgraduate scholarships awarded to every institution at the end of the 2012-13 school year, swimmers have been frequently selected as the Boilermakers’ recipients. Thirteen of the 26 overall recipients have been swimmers and the aquatic center has produced at least one recipient in eight of the first 13 years. A pair of swimmers were selected for the fifth time.
Each Big Ten institution developed its own on-campus selection process when awarding the scholarships. Student-athletes must have maintained at least a 3.2 GPA, demonstrated leadership qualities, served as an excellent role model and intended to continue their academic work at a graduate degree program.
The scholarship will be used to pay expenses of the student's postgraduate education to include such related activities as research and teaching, as well as other expenses such as tuition, fees, room and board, required course-related supplies and books.
Around the Big Ten, 16 different sports were represented on this year’s list of the league's postgraduate scholarship recipients. A conference-high five recipients were from swimming & diving programs.
BIG TEN POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
2025 – Kathryn Ackerman (Swimming), Luke Fortner (Swimming)
2024 – Michaela Herwig (Swimming), Evie Sierra (Swimming)
2023 – Blake Ratliff (Swimming), Emma Tate (Cross Country and Track & Field)
2022 – Jackson Smeltz (Baseball), Emma Terwilliger (Volleyball)
2021 – Léony Boudreau (Basketball), Gabi Gomez Treig (Swimming)
2020 – Susan Hubbard (Cross Country and Track & Field), Dylan Lydy (Wrestling)
2019 – Alex Clarke (Swimming), Ben Thornton (Wrestling)
2018 – Hanna House (Swimming), Chris Bals (Swimming)
2017 – Christa Szalach (Soccer), Jon McKeeman (Basketball)
2016 – Hayden Hamby (Basketball), Andrew Hoselton (Wrestling)
2015 – Carly Marshall (Swimming), Manuel Gutierrez (Swimming)
2014 – Cody Davis (Football), Kyle Mosier (Wrestling)
2013 – Lauren Gustafson (Swimming), Alec LaMothe (Swimming)
Ackerman, Fortner Selected as Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
Ben Turner
Ackerman, Fortner Selected as Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
Swimmers are continuing their studies at Purdue during the 2025-26 school year