On the day she graduated from IUP, studio art major Leslie Miller Purser was awarded her Army commission as a second lieutenant and was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate. Today, Major General Purser is retired from the US Army after 37 years of service. Her last assignment was as principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. In that post, she oversaw Army manpower, training readiness, mobilization, recruitment, marketing, and diversity issues. Among her decorations are two Distinguished Service Medals, four Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Iraqi Campaign Medal. Born in Bellefonte and raised in Towanda, she has held command and staff positions in the US, Europe, and Iraq. She now lives in Dandridge, Tennessee, with her husband, Joseph, also a retired Army officer. They have two children, Jennifer and Justin, both of whom are Army captains.