World-class faculty are at the heart of the Purdue University College of Engineering and the School of Industrial Engineering. Rising Star Professorships are awarded to Assistant or Associate Professors who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments and leadership in research, teaching and engagement. These professorships are a form of recognition awarded for a limited term of three years or until the awardee is promoted to Full Professor, whichever is earlier. The initial Ravi and Eleanor Talwar Rising Star Professor is Dr. Wenzhuo Wu.

Talwar serves as president of Gate City Steel, Inc., a steel fabrication company headquartered in Indianapolis. He also commutes once a week from Indianapolis to St. Louis, the headquarters for his current company, Tishler Industries, which builds heavy transformer casings for power plants. Talwar has purchased, turned around, and sold several troubled steel fabricating businesses. 

He earned his MSIE (1969) from Purdue University, and his BSME from Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, where he also serves on the Board of Trustees and has received an honorary doctorate. The Ravi and Eleanor Talwar Leadership Center within the Indiana Tech Academic Center is named for them.

"Looking back, the IE disciplines have played a big role in developing my way of conducting business," Talwar says. "Establishment of in-line production facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, coupled with master schedules and an emphasis on quality and on-time delivery, are some examples of Purdue IE disciplines that I have applied in our businesses."

He was named a Purdue IE Outstanding Industrial Engineer (2017), and that year was also featured in the Purdue College of Engineering magazine Imprints in an article "Childhood Wonder Inspires Professional Passion".

The Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering is grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Talwar for the Rising Star Professorship.

Read "3 IE Rising Star Professors named"