From the Dean

Greetings from Purdue and welcome to the latest edition of Impact Online.

In this edition we continue to see how the work of Purdue Engineering faculty, students, and alumni is influencing innovative change that will improve the lives of those near and far.

Still going at full speed when his peers might be slowing down, alumnus Norm Weldon is an exceptional example of how Purdue Engineering is "Always" with us. After earning multiple degrees from Purdue, he entered the medical device industry at the age of 45 and became an entrepreneur at 54. He continues to share his lessons for success with current students in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, named in his family's honor.

Advancements in medical-imaging technologies are happening thanks to model-based iterative reconstruction research by a multi-university team that also includes partners from industry and government labs. This work, led by Charlie Bouman, the Michael and Katherine Birck Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and professor of biomedical engineering, epitomizes how innovation grounded in deep research can have an impact in life-changing applications.

Panagiota Karava, assistant professor of civil engineering and sole recipient of the prestigious 2013 New Investigator Award from the America Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), is researching ways to create greener, zero-net energy buildings. Pre-cooling buildings using smarter forecasts, "breathable" shells capable of adjusting to weather changes, and harnessing the power of the sun are just a few examples of where this important "Change the World" research is headed.

Sit back and read how the "need for speed" led two of our extraordinary Purdue engineering undergraduates to transfer lessons learned in the classroom into action, creating a new generation of electric go-karts that are smoking the competition.

And finally, follow the five-year plans for Engineering's dramatic growth, including the videos of this spring's distinguished seminar series, Provocative Conversations on the Future of Higher Education.

Sincerely,

Leah H. Jamieson
The John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering