Purdue partners with Porter County on economic development
by Martin C. Jischke
Porter County and Purdue University enjoy a strong partnership that is a direct result of consistent communication and a shared vision. I had the pleasure of spending a day in your county recently, and came away impressed by both the corporate and civic vitality.
During my visit, county leaders provided input on the university's next strategic plan. I also received feedback on how we are doing in our efforts to help the county remain competitive in the global marketplace. I learned that residents here place a high value on many of Purdue's initiatives.
One way in which the university reaches out to Porter County is to continue to build on the excellence of Purdue North Central at Westville, where students can earn degrees close to home. These graduates are key to a healthy state economy because once they earn their degrees, more than 84 percent of them stay in Indiana.
Purdue also has launched several programs and projects to boost economic development in Porter County. One example is the Planning With POWER Project, coordinated by Purdue Extension and the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program.
POWER is an acronym for Protecting Our Water and Environmental Resources. The project is a statewide educational and outreach program designed to link land-use planning with natural resource planning in local communities like Portage and Valparaiso. During a recent two-day workshop, Porter County planning officials and citizens developed traditional neighborhood design guidelines to be incorporated in the Porter County development ordinance. The guidelines feature a balanced mix of residences, shops, workplaces, civic uses and recreation within neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods with this mix foster community identity, uniqueness and quality of life that are vital in the overall economic development goals and strategies of Indiana communities. The workshop was one of the three national projects awarded to provide technical assistance to local communities on smart growth, land-use planning and the protection of natural resources.
Knowing that economies, shopping patterns and community patterns do not stop at county lines, Purdue also has established the Center for Regional Development. It conducts applied research and analysis to nurture economic development partnerships that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
Purdue also supports Indiana's economy by working with individual companies to employ the latest technology and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. One example is Purdue's partnership with Crown ESA, which stands for Engineering Services and Automation. It offers mechanical and electrical engineering services, as well as fluids and construction engineering. Founded in 1992, Crown ESA employs 75 people, many of whom are Purdue graduates. The company regularly recruits prospective employees at Purdue's High Tech Job Fair for Indiana Companies.
The job fair is sponsored by Purdue's Technical Assistance Program, which works with companies in implementing state-of-the-art technologies and solving technical problems. Last year 458 Indiana companies realized increased sales and even job growth by working with the Technical Assistance Program.
Purdue also is a partner in almost three-fourths of Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund grants. The grants fund projects in all parts of the state that help Indiana businesses grow and compete.
Another economic driving force is Purdue's College of Agriculture Extension program. It has a permanent presence in Porter County so that it, too, can provide educational opportunities for the community and promote economic development.
While all of these cooperative ventures are cause for celebration, Purdue realizes that much remains to be accomplished. That is why the university invites Indiana citizens to provide input on its next strategic plan. Porter County residents are asked to reflect on four questions before submitting ideas on a special Web site at http://www.purdue.edu/whatsnext/. Questions include:
• How has Purdue benefited Porter County, and what needs might be unmet?
• What do businesses, citizens and young people in Porter County need from a major research university?
• What does Purdue need from Porter County to help it accomplish mutual goals?
• How can Purdue improve its learning environment to better prepare students for the future?
Purdue embraces its obligation to serve the citizens of Indiana, especially in the key areas of education and economic development. We look forward to our continuing relationship with Porter County to expand educational opportunities and keep the state economy viable and vigorous.
Martin C. Jischke, who came to Purdue in August 2000, is the university's 10th president. He and other university leaders visited Porter County in November to collaborate with business and community leaders. During the past six years, Jischke and university leaders have conducted more than 60 daylong visits to Indiana communities to meet and learn from their residents.
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