Purdue appoints new leader for Center for Regional Development

January 7, 2013  


Lionel J. Beaulieu

Lionel "Bo" J. Beaulieu
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue has chosen Lionel "Bo" J. Beaulieu as its next director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development, beginning in April.

In addition, Beaulieu will serve as a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Beaulieu has been director of the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University since 1997, where he also is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Prior to that, he was a professor in the University of Florida's Department of Family, Youth and Community Services and assistant and acting chair of the Department of 4-H Youth Development.

"I am personally looking forward to Dr. Beaulieu's contributions to strengthening the research efforts within PCRD, given his significant and diverse experience in this field," said Suresh Garimella, Purdue's associate vice president for engagement. "He will help us connect PCRD efforts with those of Purdue faculty with relevant interests across many departments and, thereby, leverage the extensive expertise resident among our faculty."

Acting Provost Victor Lechtenberg led the search committee.

Beaulieu earned master's and doctoral degrees from Purdue. His research and engagement activities include:

* Regional development innovations

* Human/social capital resource issues in the rural United States and South

* Entrepreneurship and broadband/e-commerce strategies in rural America

* Civic engagement/deliberative democracy

* Building disaster-resilient places

* Food assistance needs of vulnerable rural populations

The Purdue Center for Regional Development provides support for civic leaders as they build their economies through education and workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurship support, physical planning, and leadership development. PCRD develops advanced tools and provides training and technical assistance that enable Indiana's entrepreneurs, communities and regions to compete in the global economy.

Since its founding in 2005, collaborations designed and guided by PCRD have trained more than 2,300 entrepreneurs; assisted more than 4,000 businesses start or grow; helped more than 16,000 Hoosiers gain new workforce skills; developed five new training or certificate programs, including the nation's first certificate in sustainable manufacturing; moved nearly 12,000 high school students into STEM education; and engaged more than 1,300 civic leaders in civic collaboration training.

PCRD's internationally recognized approaches to building civic collaborations have led to PCRD engagements in 30 states and Canada. The center's work in building sophisticated analytic tools for cluster and innovation-based economic development has won national awards and recognition.

Writer: Jeanne V. Norberg, 765-494-2084, jnorberg@purdue.edu

Sources: Suresh Garimella, 765-494-9095, garimell@purdue.edu

Lionel "Bo" J. Beaulieu, ljb@srdc.msstate.edu

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