The current theme for the Lyles School of Civil Engineering is "celebration." We are celebrating the 120th anniversary of Purdue's first female engineering graduate, Martha Dicks Stevens, who earned her civil engineering bachelor's degree in 1897. Throughout the year, we have celebrated her accomplishment by hosting prominent CE alumnae on campus for the Milestones Lecture series. We look forward to celebrating the 125th anniversary of David Robert Lewis' graduation in 2019. Lewis was Purdue's first African-American engineering grad. He received his BSCE in 1894. Stay tuned for our plans to mark this momentous occasion as 2019 approaches.

And prepare yourselves: 2019 will be another momentous year for celebrating. That may sound far away, but I don't want anyone to underestimate the significance of helping Civil Engineering — and all Boilermakers — celebrate Purdue's 150th Anniversary!

As we enter the final 18 months of Ever True: The Campaign for Purdue University, I ask you to ponder the role that Purdue, and more specifically, Civil Engineering, has had on your life. Were you a scholarship recipient? Did you receive assistance to travel to a conference or abroad? Was there a faculty member who took interest in your success? As the end of the campaign quickly approaches, please make a contribution. We need everyone's help to exceed our $60 million goal. Even more important is our goal of having every Purdue CE graduate and friend make a contribution, no matter the amount.

Those of us in the Civil Engineering Development office are here to assist you in creating meaningful opportunities for students and faculty — opportunities that will secure the legacy of our school.

Here's to the next 130 years of outstanding learning and discovery for Civil Engineering at Purdue! A huge "thank you" to everyone who has helped make the Lyles School a leading program educating the best and brightest civil engineering leaders of the future.

Hail Purdue!

Don Fry
dfry@prf.org

Chief Development Officer — Lyles School of Civil Engineering
University Development Office — Purdue Research Foundation
Delon and Elizabeth Hampton Hall of Civil Engineering