Greetings from Purdue EEE!

As the 17th century English poet John Donne wrote, "No man is an island." This has never been truer than it is today. We are faced with enormous environmental challenges as a society, and only through collaborations, alliances, and person-to-person connections can we hope to thrive in the years ahead. This call to action requires each of us to look beyond traditional boundaries and forge relationships with others to address the wicked problems of sustainability.

Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE) is working hard to establish and nurture connections with others. In the classroom we emphasize the need for each student to build their professional network, which will serve them well throughout their careers. Students have learned a great deal from this year’s seminar speakers. Our senior design clients have been very generous with their time and talent as we work together to produce the world’s greatest engineers. Many alumni are graciously giving EEE students advice as part of a Mentoring Circles program. We welcome additional partners to work with us on educating tomorrow’s environmental leaders.

EEE collaborations include the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network where companies learn to make their operations smart and sustainable. We work with government agencies, companies, and NGOs to address water-public health issues. Our NSF Sustainable Electronics project is partnered with universities and companies to educate leaders in aligning supply chains with circular economy principles. The team reducing the impact of cure-in-place-piping includes government and university partners. The Critical Materials Institute engages national laboratories and companies to de-risk the supply of critical materials. The NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center collaborates with manufacturers and the energy sector to improve industrial energy efficiency. Contact us if you want to collaborate on a research initiative!

Many Purdue alumni and friends have aided us with financial support so that we are able to offer scholarships and fellowships to deserving students. We are grateful for the contributions we have received to recognize leading faculty and maintain our state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories. A generous company gift is allowing EEE to cultivate new industry connections that will enable us to offer on-line education related to industrial sustainability. We welcome alumni, friends, and forward-looking companies to work with us to ensure that we continue to bring the best and brightest to Purdue.

EEE is working with over 200 organizations to deliver world-class education programs, conduct research to address environmental challenges, provide facilities consonant with a great university, and support the dreams of needy students. Next month EEE will help host the Life Cycle Engineering Conference that will bring researchers from around the world to Purdue to present ideas on how to achieve environmental sustainability. A summer workshop in Indianapolis focused on environmentally motivated value creation is happening. We welcome the interactions noted above and are deeply appreciative of all our friends, alumni, and partners. Together we are accomplishing great things that will ensure a brighter future for all of us.

As EEE continues to pursue interactions with others, I have one final request…  Stay in touch with us!!  Let us hear from you.  Hail Purdue!

John W. Sutherland, Ph.D.
Professor and Fehsenfeld Family Head