Head’s Welcome

We recently celebrated the end of another successful academic year and are still basking in the glow of this important milestone for our graduates. The hard work and grit of our graduates remind me of the importance of persistence. Celebrated and best-selling author James Patterson cited “persistence” as the defining trait of his career; his first novel was rejected by 31 different publishers before finally being accepted. In many ways, our efforts within the School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering (SEE) also reflect persistence. We were launched as a start-up unit in 2006, and last July, after 19 years of patience, perseverance, and effort, the Purdue Board of Trustees established us as a school. We now have an extraordinary opportunity—and responsibility—to use this new status to achieve even greater goals.

John W. Sutherland

I want to especially note how incredibly proud I am of all the talented students emerging from our programs at every degree level, our amazing faculty who mentored these students to degree completion, and the incredible staff who keep everything running smoothly. The accomplishments of these groups—both in and beyond the classroom—reflect the strength of our community and the impact of SEE.

This year has been marked by a number of important developments and achievements within the School, including a new degree program and notable recognitions for our students and faculty. In this welcome, I will provide a high-level overview of these, as well as announce a very special anniversary and celebration.

As you know, SEE is the only program to offer environmental engineering degrees at Purdue. To complement those degrees, we will now begin offering an academic credential designed for working professionals focused on sustainability engineering. This year, we established a new online M.S./M.S.E. in Sustainability Engineering —an interdisciplinary degree program designed to prepare professionals to tackle engineering challenges while remaining cognizant of sustainability considerations, including the long-term viability of the environment, economy, and society. As a practical matter, the program responds to the increasing demand for engineers who can balance environmental responsibility with economic and technical performance. Collectively, SEE’s academic offerings support our goal of leading the preparation of the next generation of engineers to address complex global challenges and shape the future of environmental engineering. Learn More

The SEE faculty are at the forefront of the profession, serving as outstanding teachers, inspirational mentors, and groundbreaking researchers and scholars. I would like to share a few of the recognitions received by our faculty this year. Amisha Shah was honored for her groundbreaking environmental chemistry work with the 2026 ACS ENVR Dionysiou Award. Zhi (George) Zhou was elected to the grade of Fellow within ASCE. Learn More Ernest (Chip) Blatchley is serving as president of the International Ultraviolet Association. Caitlin Proctor delivered an invited lecture at the AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference. Hua Cai and Brady Hardiman were named Purdue University Faculty Scholars. Lindsey Payne was appointed to the Pathways into Engineering Steering Committee of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Fu Zhao was recognized with a Seed for Success Acorn Award. Congratulations to all!

As noted above, our students are incredibly talented and hard-working. I wanted to mention just a few of the accolades they have received over the past year. Undergraduate student Grace Smith received the 2026 France A. Córdova Leadership in Action Award. Ph.D. student Yiming Liu is serving as a board member for the ISIE (International Society for Industrial Ecology) Student Chapter. At every commencement, one engineering student is selected to carry the engineering banner to the stage based on their academic achievements and contributions beyond the classroom. This year, we were especially proud to have one of our undergraduates serve as the banner bearer at both the fall and spring commencements: Rashmika Manipati (Fall 2025) and Hailey Benfield (Spring 2026). Learn More These honors reflect not only their individual accomplishments, but also the strength of SEE in preparing graduates to lead and innovate in addressing complex sustainability and environmental engineering challenges.

At the end of every spring semester, SEE hosts a Recognition Night that includes a senior design poster session, along with recognition of the honors and awards earned by our students, staff, and faculty (such as those noted above). Learn More

Finally, we are excited to celebrate a major milestone for SEE. On July 1, 2006, the Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering was created at Purdue University to serve as a focal point for environmental and sustainability-oriented research and education. As we know, the “Division” was elevated to the School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering on July 1, 2025. On October 15, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of our founding. This celebration will recognize two decades of innovation, impact, sustainability, and persistence with a special event designed to reflect, connect, and inspire. All alumni, friends, and those with an interest are invited to attend. To register and learn more, please visit [20th Anniversary]. I hope to see you there.

Hail Purdue!

John W. Sutherland signature

John W. Sutherland
Distinguished Professor and Fehsenfeld Family Head
School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering