Chicago Club Reception

Tuesday, August 4

Thank you, John, for that introduction…What an honor it is for me to be serving as the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering.

And good evening, everyone. It is great to be with so many Purdue people here in Chicago.

I’ve now served on the Purdue faculty for more than 45 years. During those years, I’ve watched this college, this university, continually reinvent itself while remaining true to the founding values that define Purdue. I spent the first 40 years of my career focusing on what a dean once told me was the best job on campus – professor. The last six years have been especially interesting – having served now as dean of engineering three times and in other university leadership roles. And I believe that this may be the most significant time, not only for me, but for the college and for the university, in my time at Purdue.

Today, some people are questioning the value of a college education, but I think that large, land-grant universities like Purdue – especially Purdue – are amazing places and that comes from my experience as a student with all of his degrees from land-grant universities, and as a long-time faculty member at Purdue who has taught many

Some of you know me from my first two times as Dean, for those that don’t, let me just say that as someone who has three degrees from land grant universities (the last one from Purdue), I am a great believer in the value of a land grant university education – I’ve seen what it could do for a kid like me who grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota, and in more than 45 years as a professor at Purdue, I’ve seen the impact it has had on generations of Purdue students. What a privilege it has been for me to have a career as a Purdue professor.

Now, I feel privileged to serve as Dean during what I believe may be the most important period in my time at Purdue. These are interesting times, challenging times, some are calling it an existential time for universities.

Higher education is facing a set of challenges coming from several different directions.

  • The business model is under pressure.
  • Families are asking hard questions about affordability — and about the value of a college degree.
  • Artificial intelligence is changing the practice of engineering and changing how we teach and how students learn.
  • Students have more and more options (online degrees and certificates, industry certificates, AI tutors, etc.
  • The federal research system that has fueled American innovation for generations is changing in very significant ways.
  • Universities have more competition for research (national labs, industry labs, international research organizations, etc.)
  • And our country is competing globally in technologies that will shape our economy, our security, and our future.

But, Purdue is better positioned than most universities, thanks to the vision, hard work, and support of the Purdue family. We are now the nation’s leading example of affordable excellence at scale. Some important recent milestones accomplished are:

  • For 14 years, base tuition has been frozen.
  • Over the past 15 years, enrollment has grown 95%.
  • Purdue now graduates more BS, MS, and PhD engineers annually than any other university in the country.
  • The average time to graduate with a BS in engineering is now less than 4 years.
  • 70% of Purdue undergraduates complete their degrees with no debt (the national average is less than 50%).
  • Purdue Engineering ranks number 1 in market demand – no other university receives more applications for a BS in engineering than Purdue. In the face of a declining pool of high school graduates, applications to Purdue continue to grow.

All this has been accomplished while increasing the level of excellence:

  • Purdue’s USNW graduate (research) rankings are now No. 4 close on the heels of MIT, Stanford and Berkeley—while graduating more students that than MIT, Stanford, and Berkeley combined.
  • US News and World Report (USNWR) ranks Purdue online MS programs No. 1 in all five ranked engineering specialties (EE, ME, IE, CE, and Eng. Management)
  • Purdue Engineering research is leading the way in addressing the nation’s critical technology challenges in five specific areas: 1) semiconductors, 2) energy, 3) defense and security, 4) a unified approach to animal, plant, human and environmental health, and, of course for Purdue - 5) space.
  • This research takes place in some of the nation’s finest academic research facilities: Zucrow Labs (1948), Herrick Labs (1958), Bowen Lab for Large Scale Civil Engineering Research (2004), Birck Nanotechnology Center (2005), and most recently, the Manufacturing and Materials Research Lab (MMRL), which is just a few years old.
  • And we have exceptional faculty and alumni. More than 70 of whom are currently members of the National Academy of Engineering.
  • The rising stature of Purdue Engineering is reflected in the fact that our leaders are increasingly being called to Washington to serve in leadership roles in science and technology, including former Dean Arvind Raman who is now serving as director of NIST.

There are so many great things happening at Purdue that I could go on for the rest of the evening! Let me just tell you about one of them – not surprisingly for Purdue, it’s about space.

Toward the middle of next year, five Boilermakers will travel aboard a Virgin Galactic spacecraft on the world’s first all-Boilermaker suborbital spaceflight.

  1. Prof. Steven Collicott (AAE)
  2. Abigail (Abby) Mizzi (graduate student in AAE)
  3. Jason Williamson (CE and a member of Virgin Galactic’s astronaut program)
  4. Beth Moses (AAE and veteran commercial astronaut)
  5. Florence Stahura (Purdue Science alumna)

One member of that historic crew is here with us tonight: graduate student Abby Mizzi.

Abby earned her BS in AAE from Purdue and is now pursuing her Masters degree. She will become the first Purdue student to conduct research in suborbital space. Abby, would you like to say a few words about Purdue 1, your research, and why all this matters?

Thank you Abby. I encourage you to chat with Abby if you get a chance and learn more. Tickets on a Virgin Galactic flight are expensive – we’ve been fortunate to have the help of some generous alumni. Purdue 1 is a powerful example of what philanthropy makes possible.

There is much to be proud of, but we cannot be complacent. Our future success will depend on the choices we make now. Over the next two years, I see three areas that will be especially important.

The first is Purdue University in Indianapolis.

  • Significant because it supports our mission
  • Significant because it gives us a more urban presence
  • Significant because it allows us to rethink undergraduate education
  • Important to note that it is NOT a regional campus

The second priority is artificial intelligence.

  • Charged by the Trustees to ensure “AI working competency”
  • AI will not only change the practice of engineering, it will also affect the way students learn.
  • We don’t know where this is going – no one does – but Purdue Engineering must be a leader in the AI transformation of engineering and education.

The third priority is excellence.

  • Excellence is essential.
  • The best students want to go to the best universities. Top faculty want to be where the best students are. When our faculty stars receive offers from other universities, they will think twice before leaving the best engineering program in the country
  • Companies want to partner with top universities because that’s where the best students and faculty are.
  • Excellence positions Purdue to help the nation address is most important challenges. That will require focus – we can’t be the best in the world at everything. We’re now in the process of identifying our pinnacles of excellence in research and education – and this set of pinnacles will engage all of our 12 schools of engineering.

When we succeed, we will indeed be the nation’s most consequential college of Engineering –  the nation’s leading example of affordable, second-to-none excellence at scale.

It won’t be easy, but that’s the kind of challenge worth working hard on. That’s why I’m excited (at my age, while I’m on a phased retired plan) to step back into this position. I couldn’t be more excited about the next few years ahead.

None of what we do in Engineering would be possible without you. Addressing today’s challenges, seizing new opportunities, will require the support of all of the Purdue family. The experience, leadership, and support of our alumni and friends are more critical than ever to our future. Some of our alumni are already getting actively involved in the advisory board of these pinnacles of excellence. After 14 years of frozen base tuition and cuts in state support 6 of the last 10 years, philanthropic support can make the difference. Your support opens doors for students, helps us recruit and retain outstanding faculty, and gives researchers the ability to pursue high-risk, high-impact ideas. That’s why Purdue has launched the Victories & Heroes campaign, which I invite you to support.

Together we will preserve Purdue’s historic strengths, adapt to new realities, and write the next chapter in the proud history of Purdue Engineering.

Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for your commitment to Purdue. And thank you for helping us take our next giant leaps.