News - Ray W. Herrick Laboratories - Purdue University

The College of Engineering recognized faculty, lecturers and other staff for outstanding dedication to teaching students in a Purdue Exponent ad on March 2.

Dr. Nusrat Jung, Assistant Professor in Purdue University’s Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering, has been elected Treasurer-Elect of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ), the world’s leading scientific society dedicated to indoor environmental quality research.

Congratulations to Dr. Dongjun Mah, LSCCE and Herrick Labs graduate, who will start as tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas in July 2026.

Roadside mowing is inherently dangerous, time-consuming and costly.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) spends approximately $18 million annually maintaining more than 40,000 acres of roadside vegetation. Contractors must often operate just feet from high-speed traffic, sometimes crossing into travel lanes and navigating around obstacles hidden in tall grass.

William E. and Florence E. Perry Head of Mechanical Engineering, and Reilly Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Eckhard Groll, received a Focus Award for outstanding contribution to the furthering of Purdue University’s commitment to disability accessibility.

During the recent ASHRAE conference in Las Vegas, Thanos Tzempelikos, Professor of Civil and Construction Engineering and Herrick Labs Faculty, was named ASHRAE Fellow and received the award. Tzempelikos was recognized for his research contributions to daylighting control, integration of thermal and lighting systems operation, and indoor environmental quality and comfort.

Each year, the Institute of Acoustics recognizes exceptional achievement and service to the science and application of acoustics through its Medals and Awards program. Spanning academic excellence, engineering innovation, education and professional leadership, the program celebrates individuals whose work has advanced both the discipline and its real-world impact.

Daylight and window views positively affect health and well-being in many ways. However, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are hypersensitive to environmental stimulation, which leads many educational facilities to use windowless spaces or fully block natural light to avoid potential distractions.

October of 2025 was a big month for Purdue Univeristy, with Homecoming and the grand re-opening of the newly renovated Mechanical Engineering building on the 24th and the Industrial Advisory Committee (IAC) Meeting at Ray W. Herrick Labs on the 30th and 31st.

You don't typically think of your home or workplace as a "laboratory" (unless you are a scientist!). But have you ever wondered about the brightness of the lights, or the temperature settings in your workplace, and why they were determined to be ideal (or why it's not operating according to your preferences)? Behind the scenes, researchers are studying what keeps us comfortable and safe while we are indoors – from the heating and air-conditioning systems to lighting, acoustics, and airborne particulates, to the best place to sit in the room. All of these are studied at a one-of-a-kind facility at Purdue University’s Ray W. Herrick Laboratories.