William E. Boeing Distinguished Lecture

For decades, Purdue University and The Boeing Company have enjoyed a fruitful relationship leading to the realization of research laboratories, faculty initiatives and well-prepared employees for The Boeing Company. Specifically, the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics has benefited from resources such as the Boeing Wind Tunnel, Ludwig Tube, and the McDonnell Douglas Composite Materials Laboratory.

To express our gratitude to The Boeing Company for its generosity over the years and to honor the memory of its founder, Purdue University has established the William E. Boeing Distinguished Lecture Series, which is administered through the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The first annual lecture was Sept. 30, 1999. The lecture series features an internationally known speaker from the aerospace or air transportation industry.

With the installation of the Boeing Mach 6 wind tunnel and the Boeing and Intel Design/Build/Test Laboratory, Boeing continues to help our aeronautical students receive practical "hands-on" experience. 

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The 2025 William E. Boeing Distinguished Lecture

Featuring Sebastien Vigneron, CEO of Wisk Aero

Save the Date — 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2025

Title: Autonomy Air Mobility

Abstract: Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is poised to transform aviation, promising safe, sustainable, and accessible air travel for everyday commuters. Wisk Aero, a Boeing subsidiary, is taking a self-flying first approach, developing the first autonomous eVTOL air taxi in the U.S. CEO Sebastien Vigneron will share Wisk's vision, highlighting its leadership in developing and certifying autonomous technology, and how this approach will pave the way for a safe and scalable future. He'll also provide an update on Wisk’s Gen 6 aircraft development and the path to commercialization.