Deans’ Message
We have had an exciting wrap-up of 2014 and start to 2015 in engineering research at Purdue, including the announcement of a major partnership with GE in advanced manufacturing, the significant roles that Purdue and Indiana are playing in the most recently announced national manufacturing innovation center, and a landmark gift from the Lilly Endowment that includes support for two major engineering research facilities at Purdue. Along with these “breaking news” stories, we are pleased to share recent accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students. This issue highlights the research of Gary Cheng, associate professor of industrial engineering, in laser-based nanomanufacturing and of Karen Marais, assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics engineering, in systems approaches to analysis of engineering failures.
As we noted in our first issue, a core component of the hiring strategy for the College of Engineering Strategic Growth focuses on what we refer to as “preeminent teams”: faculty teams that build on existing strengths in research, with the goal of moving both in new directions and to new levels of preeminence. In this issue, our preeminent team in Wireless Implantable Devices summarizes the interdisciplinary approach of its researchers and updates us on recent hires.
Industrially funded research is of growing importance to our portfolio. Research of a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Purdue’s colleges of Agriculture, Science, and Engineering with Pioneer Oil, an Indiana-based company, is an excellent example of how this engagement can be a win/win.
We are proud that the Purdue College of Engineering has recognized the importance of undergraduate research through support of our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (SURF). For more than a decade, the program has provided 11-week, full-time funded research experiences for cohorts of over 150 students from Purdue and other U.S. universities. The contribution of Andrew Adelsperger, a nuclear engineering sophomore, to advancing modeling of friction in axial pumps at the Maha Fluid Power Laboratory highlights the capability of our young researchers mentored by faculty and graduate students.
We are pleased to share these stories with you.
The John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering
Ransburg Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Associate Dean of Engineering for Research
Professor of Agronomy, Civil, and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Chair of Excellence in Earth Observation
Discovery: Innovation@Purdue Engineering, is a Purdue College of Engineering publication that focuses on advances in research. The quarterly e-publication features recent research achievements in the College and highlights faculty and student research, including collaborations with international partners. Significant initiatives in engagement with industry and in translating research to practice will also be spotlighted.