ENE was formed by the "consolidation" of the former Department of Freshman Engineering (established in 1953) and the former Division of Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies (established in 1969).

The creation of the department, now school, was planned over several years and the proposal to the Board was based on an extensive report titled "Toward the Future: Engineering Education at Purdue, a Vision of Preeminence."  A paper written for the 2004 ASEE annual conference outlines the transformative vision. While some of the authors of this vision are still members of the ENE and wider Purdue communities, others have moved on. Regrettably the founding head of ENE, Kamyar Haghighi, a major force in getting the school established and achieving so much in a short time, passed away in 2010. We owe much of our success to his vision, drive and tenacity. 

ENE formally became a School (rather than a department) in February 2008, following the approval of the Graduate Program (PhD, MS and MS ENE degrees) in 2005 and the successful operation of this program for three years.

As we mark our tenth anniversary, please remember the pioneering efforts of all those who had the vision and who made ENE a reality. As we celebrate a decade of extraordinary achievement, it behoves each of us to build on the foundation laid down in 2004 and re-commit to help ENE reach its full potential over the next 10 or 20 years. This is a very special community that has so much more to contribute to the transformation of engineering education, nationally and globally.

David Radcliffe
Kamyar Haghighi Head, School of Engineering Education

10th Anniversary Open House

The atrium before the open house begins.

Our graduate student award winners with Dr. Ruth Streveler, chair of the graduate program.