Four Purdue Agriculture student athletes were recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for achieving grade-point averages of 3.70 and better during the 2024-25 academic year.

Andrea Vacca, the Maha Fluid Power Faculty Chair and professor of agriculture and biological engineering and mechanical engineering, moved from Italy to Indiana to optimize fluid power systems for vehicles in agriculture, aerospace and construction. For his 25 years of innovation, teaching and training and seven years of leading the Maha Fluid Power Research Center, he was recently nominated by leading fluid power industry representatives and inducted into the Fluid Power Hall of Fame of the International Fluid Power Society.

Caitlin Proctor
Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering & Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering
Project: Designing stable biofilms for drinking water systems
Total Intended Award: $500,000
Start Date: Aug. 1, 2025
Estimated End Date: July 31, 2030

“Nearly 99% of the plastics produced today are made from petrochemicals derived from oil or gas, which often must be imported from outside the United States,” Sankaranarayanan said. “We want to take advantage of locally available materials, such as those commonly used throughout the state of Indiana.”

Six engineering majors were represented in the seventh cohort of Purdue Engineering Fellows, honored during a ceremony on Sept. 16 at Fowler Hall in West Lafayette.

Fellows were honored for their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, positive relationships with peers and contributions to the Purdue Engineering community.

Zhiyuan Chen is one of three Purdue University students that have been named by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) as 2025 Astronaut Scholars — one of the nation’s most prestigious merit-based scholarships for undergraduates in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

All the staff and professors have open-door policies so you don’t need to be hesitant to go in and ask for help.

- Harsh Pathak, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Michael Holland (BSME ’05, MS agricultural engineering ’07, PhD agricultural engineering ’12), James Bartlett (BS agricultural engineering ’08) and Greg Long (BS agricultural engineering ’07, MS agricultural engineering ’09) are the minds behind the hydraulics on the prototype John Deere E-Power battery electric tractor.

Twenty-one College of Engineering students are among 106 Purdue University student-athletes who earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades in the spring 2025 sports season.