$2.5 million grant awarded to the Purdue Military Research Institute
A $2.5 million grant to the Purdue Military Research Institute (PMRI) from the Jaquish & Kenninger Foundation advances Purdue University President Mung Chiang’s goal for Purdue to become the best national defense and security university in the nation.
Arvind Raman, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering states that, “PMRI is a key program helping achieve that goal by training next generation military officers — military leaders who are skilled in research, advanced technologies and business. We are incredibly grateful to the Jaquish & Kenninger Foundation for supporting PMRI, increasing its efforts, expanding its scope and amplifying its impact.”
PMRI partners with the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force and Space Force to provide merit-based fellowships that cover all costs for a graduate degree. PMRI also conducts a summer intern program for undergraduates from U.S. military service academies, Purdue ROTC, and select student veterans from other colleges and universities. PMRI further strengthens the U.S. military through innovative solutions to complex national security challenges.
“Through the Purdue Military Research Institute, active-duty U.S. military officers earn PhD and MS degrees in technology fields, engineering, mathematics and entrepreneurship,” PMRI Director Eric Dietz said. “We welcome more active-duty military officers to campus than any other public university in the world. We are thankful for the people who invest in PMRI to help expand the technical expertise of future military officers.”
With the grant funds, PMRI will hire a managing director and a marketing and communications specialist. The grant will also support new initiatives to expand PMRI’s reach, including a longitudinal study of PMRI’s impact on national security, opportunities for PMRI students to engage with Purdue’s Daniels School of Business, and a digital network for interaction among PMRI students, alumni and partners.
The Jaquish & Kenninger Foundation was co-founded by Steve Kenninger and Gail Jaquish in 1997. Kenninger graduated from Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering in 1974 and received its 2003 Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Award. The Foundation also funded a Purdue mechanical engineering endowed chair, currently held by Luciano Castillo, the Kenninger Professor of Renewable Energy and Power Systems.
Kenninger said, “Our Foundation enthusiastically supports Purdue’s land-grant mission to pioneer scientific research and to strengthen national defense. Our Foundation applauds how PMRI offers active-duty military officers accessible and affordable graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
“The Mission of the Jaquish & Kenninger Foundation is to support non-profit organizations whose efforts strengthen Americans’ personal and economic freedoms,” Jaquish said. “This grant to the Purdue Military Research Institute builds upon our Foundation’s history of charitable grants to the U.S. military service academies and other military-related organizations. Maintaining U.S. military excellence is essential to securing Americans’ individual liberties enshrined in our U.S. Constitution.”
As the university wraps up Purdue Day of Giving and marches toward its Victories & Heroes campaign, PMRI is seeking additional donors to help secure the nation’s future. For more information, visit the PMRI website.