Happy 120th Anniversary
Problem Solvers
We always tell our students that engineering is about solving problems. Well, friends, the year 2020 has tested our problem-solving abilities to the limit! Faculty, staff and students all are continually adapting to the “new normal.”
So, instead of shrinking from the effort, we are rising to meet the challenges. Indeed, the key word for 2020 in the School of Mechanical Engineering is “growth.” Look at these numbers:
- We just welcomed our largest undergraduate class ever: 1,493 students, up from 1,286 two years ago.
- We have more graduate students than ever: 747 enrolled this fall, an increase from 499 three years ago.
- This year, we have $38.1 million in research expenditures, compared with $25 million three years ago.
- We now have 90 tenured/tenure-track faculty to meet the challenges, including 6 who started this year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic!
Clearly, there is a demand for the education Purdue Mechanical Engineering provides, both on campus and online. Our online master’s program recently was ranked #1 in the country by U.S. News and World Report, and the effects of this offering have been dramatic: 26 percent of our graduate students are completing their degrees fully online, all around the world.
Beyond the numbers, the breadth of activity and collaboration in ME is truly unmatched. Our faculty conduct research in 19 locations on campus – from the high-performance buildings of the Herrick Labs to the world-changing propulsion research at the Zucrow Labs. We are tackling problems in agriculture, biomedicine, defense, energy, manufacturing, transportation, or so many other fields. Our relationships with our corporate partners continue to grow stronger – so much so that 97 percent of our undergraduates gain industry and/or research experience while they are here.
Managing growth, particularly during a pandemic, can be daunting, but we are up for the challenge! We are Boilermakers, in the business of moving the world forward. Even if we have to do it through new methods, nothing’s going to stop us.
Learn more about Purdue ME in “Purdue Engineering Podcasts.”
Eckhard A. Groll
William E. and Florence E. Perry Head and Reilly Professor
School of Mechanical Engineering
Medium articles:
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Netflix for disaster images - Shirley Dyke
Forbes: How experiential learning can prepare students for the age of automation - Neera Jain