I have had the privilege to accompany Dean Mung Chiang as he set out to get to know as many of you as possible in his first year. It has been thrilling to see so many alumni, partners and friends respond in such a resoundingly enthusiastic way.

Purdue Engineering has unique opportunities and challenges. Boosted by multiple years of record-setting enrollment, soon there will be more than 100,000 Purdue engineering alumni around the globe — and countless more partners and friends. Simply put, our footprint is growing and so are our opportunities for impact.

As you’ll read in the feature about his global listening tour, Dean Chiang spent untold hours, days and weeks traveling the world to visit with you, gather your input and learn about your many accomplishments. It has been my honor to help facilitate these introductions as we build lifelong relationships and engage with our Boilermaker Engineering family. As such, we’ve begun an exciting initiative to express our gratitude. Called “One Course Higher,” it’s a collection of online courses for all Purdue Engineering alumni to access anytime, anywhere — for free, for life.

We are also delighted to report that, thanks to you, we again set a record high for fiscal-year contributions to the schools, programs and research centers for the College. The $176 million you have given to support our efforts affirms your faith in our teaching, research and global leadership, and continues to propel us in our boundless potential.

Additionally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mung for his personal support this past year and the scholarship he created in honor of his grandparents who were influential in shaping his life story. As a student, Mung benefited from the philanthropy of others and now he, too, is paying it forward, investing in the next generation of Purdue engineers. The Chiang and Chin Memorial Scholarship is earmarked for female students from the state of Indiana.

The generosity of others through Ever True, the Campaign for Purdue University is transforming the way we work. Sixteen gifts for newly named and endowed headships and professorships this past year will allow us to attract and retain some of the world’s best faculty, while other contributions will enable their trailblazing research. Many of you, including our partners in industry and foundations, have shown your passion for future engineers by creating fellowships and scholarships, illustrated by 51 new endowments for student support. Others have helped us address our growth with funds to expand facilities, such as the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering’s Innovation Wing, the Bechtel Innovation Design Center and the Materials and Electrical Engineering Atrium. For all of this vital support, the College truly is Ever Grateful.

In the coming year, I invite you to join us as we strive to reach the Pinnacle of Excellence at Scale, enhancing our many strengths as we continue our unprecedented growth in size. We are excited to celebrate 150 years of giant leaps during this sesquicentennial year with each of you, our cherished alumni and benefactors.

My deepest appreciation for your unwavering support. Thank you.