A Message from the President - June 2011

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger

Purdue's campus has grown quiet again since we said good-bye last month to most of our students and many faculty who headed out for summer adventures near and far. Among those we bade farewell were nearly 9,000 outstanding students who received diplomas during commencement ceremonies around the state.

Commencement is always a wonderful occasion for our graduates and their families. This year was made extra special for some who were able to hear from Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who received an honorary doctorate and spoke during one of our West Lafayette ceremonies. You can see photographs and read the remarks by Sullenberger and our student responders at our commencement website.

Congratulations and best wishes to all of our graduates!

Timothy Sands

The business of running a University continues, of course, with summer classes for some and preparation for the next year and beyond for the rest of us. Faculty committees are looking at policies and curriculum. We have approved budgets for the next two years and continue to move forward with assessing our goals and ways to meet them.

Earlier this year I charged the campus community to develop a long-term funding plan to identify new resource opportunities to enhance the excellence and reputation of all aspects of Purdue's mission. The funding plan will put Purdue on a course to double its revenues in the next decade.

John Franklin, Jr.

Our steering committee for this effort, led by Provost Tim Sands and made up of subcommittees of faculty and staff, has been busy. Roundtable discussions over the past few months have yielded several themes that the committee will now explore further. These "big picture" items include, among others, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and information technology.

I look forward to the committee's report later this summer. The possibilities for this plan are exciting, and will allow us to invest strategically in our mission for student success, research and engagement.

This month, our "5 Students Who ..." web feature highlights students who are Innovation Makers. One of these students, John Franklin, Jr., a junior in computer science, is developing a mobile application that will help elementary school students improve their literacy outside of the classroom. Our Innovation Makers are making the world a better -- and more mobile -- place through innovative uses of technology. To read more, visit 5 Students Who ...

I wish the Boilermaker family near and far a happy and safe summer!

Hail Purdue!

France A. Córdova
President