October 2007

A monthly letter from President France A. Cordova

Dear Purdue Partners,

When I saw the schedule of events surrounding Homecoming 2007 at Purdue, I had two immediate thoughts: 

First: Are we going to be able to pull off all these activities in just a few days? And second: If we do, it is going to be one fabulous Homecoming!

By Saturday night, October 27, I knew the answer. The Purdue family, led by Senior Vice President for Advancement Murray Blackwelder and his team, had executed every activity to perfection. And it was a Homecoming celebration that exceeded all my expectations.

No other university could have brought the first and last people to walk on the moon - along with 14 other astronaut alumni - back to campus to engage with students, faculty, alumni and others. The centerpiece of the week was the dedication Saturday morning of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, which is the new headquarters for Purdue's College of Engineering. A huge crowd jammed into the new building's courtyard for the ceremony, and they heard Neil say: 

"On this spot, 60 years ago, I was a wide-eyed freshman taking a Saturday morning class. The buildings that were here at that time were relatively new Quonset huts, temporary quarters for classes and laboratories for a student body swollen with World War II veterans ...

"And so today, we dedicate this magnificent new building. By itself, it cannot impart knowledge. It requires people to make it function: Innovative faculty, skilled staff, and curious and determined students — to produce those graduates who, with their classmates from across the engineering campus, will sally forth and create a host of societal advances, create 'what can be.'

"And it is my fervent hope that they will have the same affection for Purdue and this building when they are my age that I have for this University and its Quonset huts." 

Neil also was recognized with the unveiling of a magnificent bronze sculpture depicting him very much as that wide-eyed freshman must have looked in 1947. Ever since the sculpture has been in place, it has drawn groups of people who gather to admire it and take photos.

Other events during the Homecoming festivities included celebrations of seven new campus buildings, encompassing $153 million in new facilities, a 50th anniversary celebration for Purdue's highly ranked Krannert School of Management and a musical treat provided by more than 500 "All-American" Marching Band alumni who performed at halftime in Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermaker football team provided a perfect Homecoming weekend finale with a victory over Northwestern. 

Purdue's role in America's space program is well-known. This is something I learned during my time as chief scientist at NASA. Twenty-two of the University's alumni have been selected for space flight, including Neil and Gene Cernan, who was the most recent to walk on the moon. These men and women remain dedicated to their alma mater. But they are only the most famous of the Boilermakers who help take us into space. 

Thousands of Purdue alumni work for NASA and for the many private companies that support our space initiatives. They also conduct research at Purdue and other universities, not only in the engineering fields, but also in other disciplines that will be just as crucial if we are to take space exploration to new levels. For example, Cary Mitchell, a professor of horticulture, recently received the Founder's Award from the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. Dr. Mitchell's research includes efforts to develop the ability to grow food products during prolonged space travel. 

As America and other nations prepare to cross new frontiers in the exploration of our universe, we must assure that our young people - the pioneers of the future - are prepared through education to solve the problems that stand in the way of going beyond the moon and even beyond our solar system. There are significant challenges, but we can meet them if our education system is strong from grade schools through universities like Purdue.

*     *    * 

Each year, The Scientist, an online publication, surveys its readers and publishes a ranking of the best places to work in academia. Purdue consistently performs well in this survey, and the 2007 results rank the University fourth in the nation overall and second only to Clemson among institutions that teach undergraduates. Having spent just over three months on campus, I can only say I second the motion!

Sincerely,
France A. Córdova
President

To the News Service home page