As a young engineer fresh out of Purdue and working in industry, it didn’t take William (Bill) Uhrig long to recognize the importance of financial considerations alongside engineering decisions. So, he left his job at Lockheed Martin, and within the course of two years, earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and joined Three Cities Research, Inc. (TCR), a private equity firm in New York City that he now owns. The firm has converted dozens of struggling companies into profitable, growing industry leaders, resulting in regional job growth and economic development.

Uhrig is practically a household name in Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AAE). He established a $2 million endowment to name the school’s headship, which allows greater flexibility to respond to urgent needs created by the school’s growth spurt. His generosity helped start the AAE Teaching Fellows program that formalized how AAE identifies, trains and supports PhD students to become instructors. His support of the Elmer Bruhn Professorship, the first “Rising Star” professorship in AAE, has enabled the school to recruit and retain outstanding junior faculty. In addition, Uhrig’s $1.25 million lead gift established the Purdue UAS Research and Test (PURT) facility, the largest indoor facility in the world for flying unmanned aerial vehicles.

His philanthropy also has been felt at the College of Engineering level with his kick-off gift of $5 million to initiate Project Bridge, the goal of which is to attract and retain underrepresented minority students, award scholarships, and prepare students for success on and beyond the Purdue campus.

He was recently named as a Distinguished Engineering Alumni recipient for 2023.