DePauw Stories

Through the pandemic and much of her stint as executive on loan for the World Economic Forum, Phyllis Barkman Ferrell worked from her home office. The former Lilly executive sits at a small desk tucked next to kitchen cabinetry – with island space to spread out nearby. Among the small collection of items near the desk is a framed picture of her DePauw graduation, Ferrell on stage, shaking hands with then-president Robert Bottoms.

DePauw pride is always visible in and around the Ferrell household – Phyllis and husband Dave ’92 both have DePauw license plates and Phyllis recently upgraded hers to read “ATIGER.” School spirit and the “DePauw Never Quits” mindset are also part of the Ferrell makeup. Phyllis has been a lifelong learner, taking a sabbatical from Lilly to earn her MBA from Stanford University and, more recently, earning her doctoral degree in public health from Indiana University.

Through a long career at Lilly and beyond, Phyllis has remained connected to her alma mater. Early on, she was a member of her sorority’s house corporation and a frequent volunteer for mock interviews and résumé preparation with DePauw students. Through years of raising two children and advancing in her career, the connection evolved to take on other forms including financial support, endowing the Women in Economics and Business group, actively supporting the Management Fellows Program, and serving on the School of Business and Leadership steering committee.

The relationships from those early DePauw days are still evident if you talk to Ferrell for even a few minutes. She stays connected to her sorority sisters, many of whom also married in the DePauw family. And she stays connected to DePauw faculty friends. “Gary Lemon was one of my best friends, going back to my time as an undergrad. I’ve stayed in touch with so many – Sandy Smith, Mary (English) Dixon, Alan Hill, Jeff Gropp, just to name a few. And, more recently, President White and Dean John Clarke.”

What good fortune that she found DePauw on a loosely planned “side-trip” campus visit. “So much of it started here – the personal and professional,” says Ferrell. “The Pi Phi front porch was the setting of my pinning ceremony and marriage proposal.” She passes on lessons learned as a Rector scholar and management fellow, including life lessons learned along the way. “I learned so much at DePauw, curricular and extracurricular. I was the sorority treasurer, overseeing the operation, budget and staff of a 70-woman household. I always had a good interview story to share based on that experience alone! I love coming back to DePauw and sharing and learning.” What good fortune for DePauw.