A professor’s inspiring research has sparked an incredible gift to a Lyles School of Civil Engineering laboratory.

In October 2021, the Purdue University Board of Trustees ratified a $1.1 million gift made by Specification Products Inc. The gift goes to further the education and research efforts at the Sustainable Materials and Renewable Technology (SMART) Laboratory renamed the Joe and Lisa Shetterley Innovation Lab in recognition of the gift.

“After seeing the amazing work and research being done through our partnership, I felt like this was something I should do to further support it,” said Joe Shetterley, president and CEO of Specification Products. “The work being done at Purdue and in this lab is of great importance to people.”

Na “Luna” Lu, ACPA Professor of Civil Engineering, has been named the inaugural director of the lab.

“Dr. Lu is the key reason why I felt compelled to make this gift,” Shetterley said. “We partnered with Dr. Lu and her lab in 2019 for research on concrete and from there our relationship grew and I gained such a deep appreciation for what she does. Seeing her work and her passion for more than just academic research and making a lasting impact on society, I knew we had to continue working with her as much as possible.”

Megan Gumbel, executive vice president at Specification Products, said the relationship developed between the company and Purdue Civil Engineering has already proven to be of immeasurable benefit.

“What we witnessed with Dr. Lu was her passion for research and education, her incredible working relationship with her students, and how she navigates her professional relationships to make an impact on industry and society at large. All of these qualities were beyond impressive to us,” Gumbel said. “You can tell she genuinely cares about what she’s doing and the people she’s working with. From our very first encounter with her, we knew we had to make this a lasting partnership.”

Lu said she feels that she and her lab have also benefited tremendously and she “is very grateful for the partnership.”

“I’ve always felt like civil engineering’s true purpose is to work toward benefiting others and society,” Lu said. “Our work is meant to contribute to society and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together. I feel very fortunate to be where I am, and I greatly respect and appreciate what Joe and his company have done. This gift will result in a great benefit to research and education in civil materials engineering. As a result, it will make a profound impact in civil engineering and our society at large.”