Fond Farewell to Professor Farris

Thomas N. Farris joined the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1986 as an assistant professor after receiving his M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University in theoretical and applied mechanics. After 23 years of service to Purdue University, including eleven as head of the school, Farris has been named Dean of the School of Engineering at Rutgers University.

As head of aeronautics and astronautics since 1998, he presided over growth that more than doubled undergraduate and graduate student enrollment. The school last year awarded more undergraduate degrees to women than any of its peer aerospace programs and, under Farris’ leadership, has increased the number of women on its faculty from one to five. The faculty of the program also increased from 21 to 30 professors including one NAE member. In the last five years alone, AAE’s external research expenditures have nearly doubled.

Thomas N. Farris has made contributions to the fields of tribology, manufacturing processes, and fatigue and fracture, as well as being a leader in engineering education. Farris’ research and professional contributions have been recognized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and several professional engineering societies. He was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2009.  He served as co-principal investigator for an NSF Engineering Research Center in collaborative manufacturing in the 1990s. He later led a research team as part of an Air Force-sponsored metal fatigue project and was the only academic team leader among researchers from leading industrial and engineering firms.

His academic achievements include advising 22 engineers who completed doctoral degrees in engineering and receiving AAE’s W.A. Gustafson Award, an outstanding undergraduate teacher award in 2008. During his time as head, two new disciplines were initiated at the graduate level and the Boeing Distinguished Lectureship was established. He increased fundraising for the school from $1 million to $3 million annually and established the Outstanding Aerospace Engineer alumni recognition program. School alumni and friends provided the bulk of the school’s fundraising for the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, dedicated in October of 2007 and named after the astronaut and Purdue alumnus who was the first person to walk on the moon.

Professor Farris has positioned the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics well as evidenced by Aviation Week's workforce study in which Purdue tops the list of preferred institutions from which the aerospace and defense industry recruits. The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics faculty and staff wish Professor Farris all the best in his new position at Rutgers University. We will miss him here.

Professor Farris with James Gregory at Dec. 2002 AAE Senior Send-off

Gerald Lo stands with Prof. Farris at the 2003 AAE Graduation Reception

Professor Farris talks with 1999 OAE Guy Gardner and 2003 OAE, DEA John Hudson at the 2005 Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Awards Reception

Professor Farris talks with Prof. C.T. Sun (who has been with our department since 1968) at the 2005 OAE Reception

Professor Farris with L-R Professor Filmer, Professor Emeritus Gus Gustafson and Profsesor Emeritus Larry Cargnino accepting the Arthur G. Hansen Recognition Award (2006) honoring the great relationship that AAE has with its retirees

Dan Dumbacher of NASA with Professor Farris

Professor Farris with AAE grad Breanne Wooten at the 2007 AAE Graduation Reception

Shyama Kumari and Farris.  Kumari was advised by Farris for both her Ph.D. and her M.S.

Prof. Farris' first day in "the best office on campus"

2007 OAE Honoree Steven C. Drury with Professors Lyrintzis and Farris

Professor Farris greeting Faculty Emeriti and friends at the unveiling of the Neil Armstrong Statue in October of 2007

Professor Farris with (clockwise) Faculty Emeriti Gus Gustafson, George Palmer, and Larry Cargnino at the Neil Armstrong Statue Dedication

Professor Farris with the 2008 class of OAE Honorees

Professor Farris with Michael H. Campbell receiving his Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award as well as being named a 2009 Distinguished Engineering Alumnus

Professor Farris congratulates graduate student Joseph Gangestad who was the most recent winner of AAE's Research Symposium Series (2008)