Celebrating 150 Years of Purdue Engineering

First buildings included the Boiler and Gas House, the Military Hall and Gymnasium, Ladies Hall, Purdue Hall, and the Pharmacy Building - all completed by 1874. None remain today.

While Purdue was founded in 1869 after John Purdue, a local businessman, made a generous donation of land and money, it took five years to locate, build and open the university in the fall of 1874. Classes commenced with 39 students and six instructors.

Under President White’s leadership, engineering and agriculture were the focus of the university in compliance with the Morrill Act. During White’s tenure as president, he launched Purdue’s first four-year program, the School of Mechanical Engineering.

The same year he established the School of Mechanical Engineering, Goss also started construction of Purdue's first mechanical engineering lab in what was then the Pharmacy Building, or "Building No. 2." Research was conducted in this first lab by five undergraduate students on mechanical bench work. Goss went on to become the first dean of the Purdue Schools of Engineering.

The school formed with 29 students headed by one professor. The Purdue Road Show was launched in 1915 as part of the school.

School formed with concentration in power generation and distribution. Purdue moved quickly to establish a leading role in the study of electricity, and by the end of the decade a new building devoted to the study of electricity was completed. The Electrical Engineering Laboratory contained rooms for batteries, dynamos, a magnetism room, laboratories, and electrical testing rooms. George T. Ashley, class of 1891, would be the first to receive a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in Electrical Engineering. (That degree designation continued until 1896.)

The 85,000-pound test locomotive Schenectady, the original “Boilermaker Special,” arrived at Purdue to be used in the world’s first locomotive testing lab.

Lewis was Purdue’s first African American engineering graduate. His senior thesis was titled "Highway Road Construction." From 1894 to 1906, he held the position of mechanical drawing instructor at Armstrong & Slater Memorial Trade School at Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virginia. Later, he would start a successful career as a real estate broker in Pittsburgh.

Before Michael Phelps, athlete Ray Ewry (BSME 1894, MSME 1897) held the record for 100 years as the U.S. Olympian with the most individual gold medals (8). Today, Purdue’s Ray Ewry Sports Engineering Center bears his name.

Reginald Fessenden succeeded in sending the first wireless transmission of the human voice-radio as we know it today. He would later be known as the father of radio broadcasting. In 1892 Fessenden was appointed as a professor for the newly formed Electrical Engineering Department at Purdue and became the third head of Purdue ECE.

In 1927, Orestes Hampton Caldwell (BSEE 1908) was appointed to the newly established Federal Radio Commission, where he garnered a reputation as the most technologically proficient commissioner.

Frederick Martin (ME 1908) became an Army pilot after World War 1. In 1924, he organized, planned, and led an exhibition of four planes flying around the world. This historic world mission was a success, but Martin went missing for 10 days and was unable to complete the flight. Later, Martin served as a major general and was placed in charge of U.S. Army Air Forces in Hawaii. He and his Navy counterpart Patrick Bellinger correctly predicted Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack but were ignored.

School formed under the direction of Percy N. Evans, chair of the department from 1900 to 1925, who said, “We’ve got to build a big building. Chemistry is going to grow!”

Elmer “Ollie” Oliphant (ME 1914) earned nine varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball and track, becoming Purdue’s first athlete to do so. He was Purdue’s first All-American, honored in both football and basketball. In 1912, Oliphant scored five touchdowns and 43 points in one Boilermaker Football game, a school record. After Purdue, Oliphant attended the U.S. Military Academy, where he earned another engineering undergraduate degree and continued to excel in sports. His contributions to sports landed him on the All-Time All-American team and earned him inductions into the National Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame.

Winthrop Stone was Purdue University’s first vice president and fifth president. He appointed the university’s first dean of women, Carolyn E. Schoemaker, in 1913. The schools of agriculture and engineering grew rapidly during his tenure. On May 30, 1917, Stone emphasized the importance of military service, particularly for Purdue, in stating, “No other university has a higher responsibility to the nation than Purdue. Purdue, and others of like kind, was conceived and born in a spirt of service to the nation…”

Purdue rebuilt its armory as the original Purdue Armory of 1874 burned in 1916. Nearly 170,000 square feet, the Armory building served as the headquarters of Purdue’s military department. During the war, engineering faculty helped train 1,634 auto mechanics, 1,278 truck-masters, 750 radio operators, and 201 concrete workers.

1,500 men lived together in Purdue’s SATC barracks. In the fall of 1918, 300 men at Purdue contracted flu, ending in death for eleven of them. During the Great War, 67 Purdue men died in uniform, with at least 37 of those deaths attributable to the flu. About 45,000 American soldiers died of influenza and related pneumonia by the end of 1918.

A. A. Potter was named dean of Purdue Engineering in 1920 and served in said role for 33 years. He added four new engineering schools and increased professional engineering course offerings. From 1945 to 1946, Potter served as Purdue’s acting president and director of the Purdue Research Foundation. Potter was known as “The Dean of Deans” due to his significant influence on the direction of engineering education in the United States during the 20th century. He served as a consultant to other schools of engineering, industry, and the government. Potter authored books and scientific papers and was the recipient of honorary doctorates from 10 universities.

Donovan R. Berlin (MSME ’21, HDR ’53) designed the P36 and P40 fighter planes -- two of the most widely used aircraft in World War II.

In 1923, the foundation for the development of a curriculum in in the field of Metallurgy at Purdue University was created by Professor John Leighton Bray, the second faculty member and second Head of the School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue. The School of Chemical Engineering was renamed the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering in September 1938. By 1940, the School was housed in the newly constructed Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering building (CMET), located across the Purdue mall from the School of Mechanical Engineering building. Following several subsequent name changes, the school is now known as the School of Materials Engineering.

Zucrow received the first doctorate granted by Purdue. Zucrow Labs is named in honor of the world-renowned researcher who conducted rocket-engine studies in the ’40s and ’50s at Purdue’s Jet Propulsion Center.

Ralph Johnson, one of the nation’s earliest graduates in aeronautical engineering, would later go on to develop safe landing procedures for pilots amidst blackout conditions during WWII and patent several designs that contributed towards air safety.

Edward M. Purcell (BSEE ’33) obtained master's and PhD degrees in physics from Harvard University. In 1946, while conducting research at Harvard with two colleagues, Purcell made a groundbreaking discovery: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This finding laid the foundation for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), one of the most important medical advancements of the 20th century. For this contribution to science, Purcell and a colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1952.

Lillian Moller Gilbreth was an industrial engineer and efficiency expert who became Purdue’s first female engineering professor when she joined the faculty in 1935. Interested in helping to address the demands of the growing female student population, President Elliott hired two women with international reputations in 1935: Amelia Earhart and Lillian Gilbreth. Gilbreth, a pioneer in motion study, was a highly respected leader in the traditionally male professions of engineering and industry. Her research focused on combining psychology and engineering to improve efficiency in the workplace and home, pioneering the field now known as ergonomics. Gilbreth’s family life with her husband and their 12 children is the subject of the autobiographical novels “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Belles on Their Toes,” which were written by two of their children and describe how the Gilbreths applied their efficiency studies in their home. Gilbreth was the first woman inducted into the National Academy of Engineering.

Welch completed three years of training in mechanical engineering at Purdue before joining the Army Air Corps in 1939. He became a World War II ace. In December of 1941, Welch was at Pearl Harbor and is well known as one of the few United States Army Air Corps fighter pilots able to get airborne and engage Japanese forces. Welch is credited with shooting down more Japanese planes than anyone else and as the second man to break the sound barrier. Part of the movie Pearl Harbor is based on his story.

Frank Thomas Jr. (BSME ’41) also played a role in developing a grill for flame-broiling and founded the Burger Chef fast-food franchise, which at its peak operated more than 1,000 locations.

Throughout campus, Purdue engaged in research and trained men and women for the war effort. Purdue’s first firing range was an abandoned gravel pit and walnut grove west of Purdue Airport. Later, a range was created beneath the west side stands at Ross-Ade Stadium, with another range located behind the Mechanical Engineering Building and others enclosed beside the men’s tennis courts. Purdue was the first university in the nation presented with the Ordinance Distinguished Service Award by the U.S. Army.

Dean Potter decided by mid-1941 that aeronautical engineering should play a key role in Purdue’s growing war training effort. Under his leadership, the School of Mechanical Engineering changed its name and began the university’s first, four-year BS curriculum in aeronautical engineering. During the war, aeronautical engineering worked in conjunction with the armed forces and war industry to create specific training programs: the Air Corps Cadet Aeronautical Engineering Program, the Curtiss-Wright Cadette Programs to train young women for technical positions normally held by men at the airplane corporation, and the Navy V-12 Program.

In 1944, Frederick C. Branch, came to Purdue to study civil engineering as part of the Navy V-12 program. The only African American in a class of 250 students, Branch excelled in his studies. On November 10, 1945, he became the first African American commissioned to an office in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served during World War II and the Korean War. In November 1995, the U.S. Senate honored Branch “on the 50th anniversary of his becoming the first African American commissioned officer” in the Marines.

Hovde, a chemical engineer, became president of Purdue in January 1946. Prior to Purdue, he served as chief of Rocket Ordinance Research of the National Defense Committee. Researchers under Hovde worked on triggering mechanics for the atomic bomb. During Hovde’s 25-year tenure as university president, Purdue emerged as a top research institution and established the schools of industrial engineering, materials engineering, technology and veterinary medicine. Richard Nixon honored Hovde at his retirement dinner in 1971 for helping “make the war shorter and victory sooner.”

John M. Atalla (MSME ’47, PhD ME ’49) was one of the inventors of the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

Gerald A. “Jerry” Leonards (MSChE ’48, PhD ME ’52) was the only "non-European" invited by the Italian government to sit on an official commission tasked with investigating methods to stabilize the iconic structure.

Gus was in the first group of astronauts in 1959 and was the second American in space in 1961. He was a command pilot for Gemini 3, the first two-person space flight. The Civil Engineering Building was renamed Virgil I. Grissom Hall in his honor.

The formation of the Industrial Engineering Department came after a long history of the discipline being taught at the university, including some courses taught by Lillian Gilbreth, the first lady of engineering. However, it was under the supervision of faculty members who had not obtained their PhD. Some of these original faculty members took leaves of absence, at great personal sacrifice, to secure their doctorates from other universities. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked its online graduate program at #1 and undergraduate program at #2 in the U.S.

With George A. Hawkins serving as dean, Purdue developed the first Freshman Engineering program of its kind in the country. It provided a plan of study that stimulated interest in engineering careers and enabled freshmen to continue their courses as upperclassmen at such a level as to provide the profession with the best prepared young engineers to be found anywhere.

Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Considered the flagship of the College of Engineering, the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering is dedicated to the pioneering astronaut.

Cernan was the second American to walk in space during the 1966 Gemini 9 mission. He piloted the lunar module of the Apollo 10 mission, the dress rehearsal of the moon landing in which the lunar module would descend to within 8 nautical miles of the moon in 1969. Cernan made history in 1972, when, as commander of Apollo 17, he became the last man on the moon. An acquaintance of Neil Armstrong while a student at Purdue, the first and last men to walk on the moon would later become long-time friends.

Between 1958 and 2006, the NESEP program brought 900 U.S. Navy men and women to Purdue University to earn a four-year engineering degree. Many of the program’s graduates went on to serve their country and subsequently lead U.S. industry to the forefront in the fields of electronics and computing. Program graduate Michael Christian became a Navy pilot. Another notable program graduate, Michael McCully, received bachelor's and master's degrees in metallurgical engineering at Purdue. McCulley became an astronaut and CEO of the United Space Alliance.

Michael J. Birck (BSEE ’60) was a global leader in producing voice and data networking products. His legacy lives on at Purdue through the Birck Nanotechnology Center and the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.

The emergence of the Nuclear Engineering School at Purdue occurred in 1960. It was one of the earliest nuclear engineering programs established in the U.S. Many within the initial program had participated in the Manhattan Project, along with other Purdue programs. The program soon had its own experimental reactor in 1962, PUR-1 - the first and only nuclear reactor operating in Indiana. In 2019, the reactor and facility was upgraded as the first entirely digital nuclear reactor instrumentation and control system in the nation.

As founder and CEO of Bowen Engineering Company, his legacy lives on at Purdue through the Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research as well as scholarships awarded to students.   

Peter K. Lambertus (BSEE ’67) founded Charles River Development, a highly successful financial services company. Lambertus Hall in Purdue’s Gateway Complex, which opened in 2022, is named after him.

Shriver became a Shuttle Astronaut and commanded flight 31, which deployed the Hubble Telescope.

Established in 1969, the Purdue Women in Engineering (WiE) Program was the first of its kind in the nation and has been a model for such programs at other universities. Since then, the enrollment of women in the College of Engineering has increased from less than one percent to the current 26 percent. Women now receive 20 percent of the undergraduate engineering degrees granted, up from less than one percent in the early 1970s.

Ross became Shuttle Astronaut and came to hold the record for the most spacewalk time.

Bala S. Manian earned a PhD in engineering optics in 1971. He pursued a remarkable entrepreneurial journey in Silicon Valley, where he founded several groundbreaking medical technology companies, including ReaMetrix, Digital Optics Corporation, and Quantum Dot Corporation. One notable achievement was founding Digital Optics, which developed the first three-color laser film reader/writer system. Additionally, in 1983, he co-created a pioneering technology called Industrial Light and Magic, which played a crucial role in the production of numerous blockbuster movies, such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Return of the Jedi. Manian's innovative contributions to the film industry were recognized with an Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences technical award for special effects advances in 1999.

The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics formed and affirmed the significant role astronauts had played in the school since 1957 and continue to have world-wide. Each year the school holds Purdue Space Day where former astronauts interact with the community to share their experiences and the future of space exploration.

Mark N. Brown (BSAAE ’73) joined the U.S. Air Force after graduation, earning his pilot wings a year later. Over the next six years, Brown flew T-33 and F-106 aircraft, obtained a master's degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and completed the Air Command and Staff College. He moved to NASA’s Johnson Space Center to work on Space Shuttle contingency procedures in 1980 and became an astronaut in 1985. In the latter role, Brown orbited the Earth 161 times and logged more than 10 days in space, spanning two missions: Columbia (STS-28) in 1989 and Discovery (STS-48) in 1991. Brown, a retired Air Force colonel, received numerous honors during his career, including the Air Force Command Pilot designation and NASA Space Flight Medal.

While at Purdue, Frederick S. “Fred” Cooper III (BSEE ’74) was a three-year starter for the Boilermakers football team and a defensive captain his senior season. In 1971, while an engineering student, Cooper, with Edward Barnette, approached the dean of Engineering with the idea of creating the Society of Black Engineers (SBE), which evolved into the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in 1975. Cooper served as president of Purdue’s SBE chapter from 1972 to 1974. After graduating from Purdue, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions and played as a defensive back for two seasons. Cooper then joined the Bell System, where he spent 25 years in positions in engineering, product marketing, project management, manufacturing planning, technical sales support, international market development and product management. Today, the NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations in the world, with more than 31,000 members worldwide.

Thomas J. Engibous (BSEE ’75, MSEE ’76, HDR ’97) began his career as a design engineer in the Texas Instruments semiconductor group. Over two decades, he steadily rose through the ranks, being appointed president and CEO in 1996 and chairman of the board in 1998. Under his leadership, Texas Instruments underwent a strategic transformation from a diversified conglomerate to a focused semiconductor company with a strong global presence.

Krach co-founded Ariba, Inc., a leader in business-to-business electronic commerce services and software. In 2017 as CEO of DocuSign, Krach went on a listening trip to explore whether his company should enter the China market. What he experienced there was eye-opening. From that the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue was founded to ensure that technology advanced freedom, not authoritarianism.

Stacey Burr (BSIE ’84, MSIE ’91) led the commercialization of e-textiles, creating the first wearable sensor garments for fitness and health. She co-invented 76 patented materials and process technology innovations in wearable electronics. 

James D. “Jim” Gibbons (BSIE ’85) faced the challenge of losing his sight during his early years at Purdue, ultimately becoming completely blind. With the support of many on campus, Gibbons persevered and successfully completed his degree requirements. He became the first blind person to earn an MBA from Harvard University. Later Gibbons was named CEO of Goodwill Industries International Inc.

The new Materials and Electrical Engineering (MSEE) building is built to house the expanding Schools of Materials and Electrical Engineering.

Patricia K. “Patti” Poppe (BSIE ’89, MSIE ’91) began her career at General Motors, rising to director of operations at the Grand River Assembly Plant. In 2005, Poppe moved to DTE Energy as director of enterprise performance excellence. Six years later, she joined Consumers Energy Company as vice president for customer experience and excellence. By 2015, Poppe had been promoted to senior vice president, overseeing distribution operations, engineering and transmissions. In 2016, she was appointed president and chief executive officer – titles she held until late 2020 when she became CEO of Pacific Gas & Electric Company, where she remains. Poppe has the distinction of being the first woman to serve as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies.

Moses earned her Commercial Astronaut Wings from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Research in agricultural engineering evolved from its focus on the mechanization and automation of American agriculture -- recognized as one of the top 20 engineering achievements of the 20th century by the National Academy of Engineering. The department focuses on the discovery of solutions to critical public issues including safe and sustainable food supplies, environmental protection and energy supplies that are both reliable and renewable.

Jennifer Weerts Rumsey (BSME ’96, HDR ’24) began working as an intern for Cummins, Inc. as a Purdue undergraduate. Following in the footsteps of her father, a former Cummins engineer, Rumsey has achieved a series of career milestones at one of the world’s largest power companies. In 2015, Rumsey was appointed chief technical officer, marking the first time a woman held this position in the century-old company. In 2022, she made history again by becoming Cummins’ first female CEO. The following year, Rumsey was the first woman elevated to chair of this publicly traded company with 75,000 employees.

Audrey Powers (BSAAE ’99) started her career at NASA, where she worked on the International Space Station (ISS) Program, accumulating more than 2,000 hours in Mission Control. Powers later transitioned to Lockheed Martin, focusing on government satellite programs, while also pursuing a law degree at Santa Clara University. Powers joined Blue Origin in 2013 as vice president of Legal & Compliance. In June 2021, Powers became vice president of New Shepard Mission & Flight Operations at Blue Origin, overseeing flight operations, vehicle maintenance, and launch infrastructure. On Oct. 13, 2021, she accompanied 90-year-old William Shatner, known as Star Trek’s “Captain Kirk,” and two others aboard Mission NS-18 – an 11-minute trip to space. This made her the 27th Purdue graduate to enter outer space.

The School of Engineering Education was created in 2004, marking the first time any university in the country created an academic department dedicated to engineering education.

The Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE) was established by the College of Engineering on July 1, 2006. EEE is a unique program from other collegiate programs because it takes an interdisciplinary and synergistic approach to solving challenges at the interface of engineering and the environment. As of 2024, this program ranks 12th among undergraduate and graduate environmental engineering programs nationwide.

Sirisha Bandla (BSAAE ’11) began her career at L-3 Communications as an aerospace engineer, playing a key role in designing components for advanced aircraft. Later, she moved to the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, dedicating her efforts to advancing the prospects of commercial flight. In 2015, Bandla joined Virgin Galactic as vice president for government affairs, responsible for establishing Virgin Galactic’s and Virgin Orbit's presence within the Beltway. Bandla's commitment and contributions to the aerospace sector culminated in a historic event on June 11, 2021, when she flew on the Virgin Galactic Unity 22 test flight alongside Sir Richard Branson and four others. This milestone made her the second Indian-born woman to fly to space. Bandla's achievements garnered widespread recognition, and in 2022, she was honored as one of the BBC 100 Women.

The PMRI partners with the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force to provide graduate education to active-duty military officers at no cost. It focuses on collaboration with the military through world-class research, merit-based fellowships, summer internships, and a faculty exchange program. More active military officers have been granted graduate degrees from the PMRI than any other non-military school in the nation.

The expansion included five new test cells in addition to the two already in place and supports laser-based measurements in a building to be constructed adjacent to Zucrow’s high-pressure lab.

Nancy Ho, founder and president of Green Tech America Inc. and a research professor emerita in the School of Chemical Engineering, received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama on May 19.

Srinivasan Chandrasekar, professor of industrial engineering, who began his research with Cambridge physicist Munawar Chaudhri more than 20 years earlier, solved the mystery that dates back to the 17th century.

The Bechtel Innovation Center is a makerspace, where Purdue University students, staff and faculty can move their ideas and innovations to real-world products and impact.

This SRC-DARPA Center on AI tackles brain-inspired computing.

The Manufacturing Design Laboratory, a research space dedicated to the technology-driven future of manufacturing in Indiana and across the globe, is housed in Purdue’s Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center (CMSC), a part of the Indiana Manufacturing Institute (IMI).

Purdue University Reactor Number One was converted to digital technology. It supports public and private research partnerships at a first-of-its-kind, digitally operated nuclear reactor, licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Purdue University was awarded a $5.9 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop the first quiet Mach 8 wind tunnel in the world, further solidifying the state of Indiana’s major role in one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s top technological priorities - the development of hypersonics systems.

The Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement Microelectronics Workforce Development program (SCALE) is a $19.2 million multi-university, public-private-academic partnership used for workforce development across engineering universities across the nation.

The school was renamed the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering for the family of alumnus William B. Elmore (BSEE ’75, MSEE ’76).

The launch of 'Lab to Life' was the next step in creating one of the most connected innovation communities in the nation through the evolution from 5G to 6G.

In summer 2022, then-Dean of Purdue Engineering Mung Chiang announced the launch of the first comprehensive Semiconductor Degrees Program, welcomed the Skywater fab to campus, formed an R&D partnership with imec, established Purdue as a key collaborator with India Semiconductor Mission, and signed the U.S.-Japan semiconductor agreement at the G7 summit.

The new Gateway Complex brings two disciplines - the College of Engineering and Purdue Polytechnic Institute-- together in a common physical space.

Purdue University and the state of Indiana continue to make giant leaps in semiconductor research growth with a first-of-its-kind agreement with European-based imec, a cutting-edge European nano- and digital technology innovation company.

On June 14, 2023, Purdue University trustees and Indiana University trustees simultaneously approved the agreements that will effectively dissolve IUPUI on June 30, 2024, completing a process that started in August 2022. Purdue University in Indianapolis is Purdue’s first comprehensive urban campus.

The XMO PEI will tap Purdue’s domain excellence to build a community of faculty, students and industries at today’s intersection of physical, digital and sustainable manufacturing.

To fuel and impact the ongoing manufacturing renaissance and expand its reach across Indiana, Purdue University launched The Indiana Next-Generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center (IN-MaC) node at Purdue University in Indianapolis in a joint venture with Purdue’s Manufacturing and Materials Research Laboratories (MMRL).

A team led by Purdue professor of mechanical engineering Xiulin Ruan created the whitest paint on record – an invention that Time magazine honored as one of the Best Inventions of 2023.

Chiang became Purdue’s 13th president on Jan. 1, 2023. He is also the Roscoe H. George Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and served as the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering from July 2017 to June 2022.

A groundbreaking partnership to offer a new undergraduate certificate program, Innovation for Public Service. The key objective of the program is to increase the number of engineering graduates entering public service careers, contributing as technology leaders and practical problem solvers.

Interdisciplinary degree takes aim at artificial intelligence skills shortage in the workforce.

At the “Crossroads of America,” Purdue University engineers and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are working to make it possible for electric vehicles ranging from tractor-trailers to passenger cars to wirelessly charge while driving on highways.

In its ongoing drive to support near-shoring efforts of America’s semiconductor industry, Purdue University signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of the Dominican Republic to help the country propel its microchip and microelectronics industries.

The comprehensive urban campus will create an innovative, STEM-based collegiate experience by connecting future-ready Purdue students and faculty in Indianapolis to local businesses to accelerate Indiana’s STEM pipeline and tech ecosystem, fueling impact for central Indiana and the world.