Purdue News

October 23, 2002 Purdue president to 'engage' Logansport in all-day visit WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University leaders are continuing a series of Purdue Days in Indiana with a visit to Logansport on Tuesday (10/29). Purdue President Martin C. Jischke (pronounced JIS-key) will be accompanied by key Purdue administrators as he talks and listens to Logansport-area people who have a variety of ties to Purdue. During the day the group will visit the Cass County Government Building, Fairview Elementary School and the Century Career Center. Jischke and his party also will visit area businesses and the industrial park, meet Purdue alumni, and attend the Purdue Alumni Association Annual Scholarship Banquet. Jischke has made engagement between Purdue and the state of Indiana, its businesses and citizens a major theme of his presidency. The Logansport community host is Tom Scheetz, president of the Purdue Club of Cass County. "We have 300 members in our Purdue alumni club," Scheetz said. "President Jischke is a dynamic speaker, and we wanted to show the president that we're behind him in the Campaign for Purdue and the other initiatives the university has undertaken." The seven-year campaign, announced last month, has a goal of raising $1.3 billion in private support for Purdue. Don K. Gentry, vice provost for engagement, said: "President Jischke has been a strong and consistent advocate of bringing Purdue to the state and the state to Purdue. He has shown great leadership by initiating these meetings across the state." Staff accompanying the president will be Joseph Bennett, vice president for university relations, and David Petritz, director of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. Jischke, who came to Purdue in August 2000, is the university's 10th president. He previously served for nine years as president of Iowa State University, like Purdue, a land-grant institution. His experience in higher education also includes 17 years as professor and dean at the University of Oklahoma and five years as chancellor of the University of Missouri-Rolla. Jischke was the founding president of the Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture. He served as chairman and board member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and as a board member of the American Council on Education, National Merit Scholarship Corporation and Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. He is on the boards of directors of the Association of American Universities and the American Council on Competitiveness. After receiving his doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968, Jischke joined the faculty of the University of Oklahoma's School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. During his 17 years at Oklahoma, he served in multiple capacities. He became director of the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in 1977. He served as dean of the College of Engineering from 1981 to 1986, and he was named the university's interim president in 1985. Following the Logansport visit, Purdue Days in Indiana will continue in Aurora on Nov. 26, Indianapolis on Dec. 13, Rensselaer on Jan. 21, Columbia City on Feb. 18, Scottsburg on March 28 and Anderson on April 24. Jischke visited Vincennes on Sept. 18. President Jischke's Logansport Itinerary 9 a.m. – Tom Scheetz will welcome Jischke to Logansport at the Cass County Government Building. Jischke will make remarks to community leaders and take questions. 10 a.m. – Jischke will visit the Fairview Elementary School. The visit will highlight Purdue Extension's Ag in the Classroom program and the recently held Safety Day Camp. 11 a.m. – Jischke will tour the Century Career Center, where he will be met by Karl Burhardt, president of the Logansport/Cass County Chamber of Commerce. 11:30 a.m. – Jischke will attend the 3rd Annual Business Education Luncheon at the Century Career Center. Steve Hagen and Dan Hockney will provide an overview of the center's activities. Jischke will give the keynote address. 1 p.m. – Jischke and his party will meet with Scott Family Farm Fresh Meats at the career center. 1:30 p.m. – The Purdue group will tour the community, led by Jim Weaver, president of the Economic Development Foundation. Stops will include visits to several businesses and the industrial park. 6 p.m. – Jischke and party will meet Purdue alumni at the Cass County Community Center, followed by the Purdue Alumni Association Annual Scholarship Banquet. Jischke will be the keynote speaker. Entertainment will be provided by the Purdue Glee Club, which includes two Purdue students, Joey Martin and Christopher Myers, whose families are from the Logansport area. Writer: J.M. Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu Sources: Tom Scheetz, (574) 722-1809, tom@gmsrealestate.com Don K. Gentry, (765) 494-9095 David C. Petritz, (765) 494-8489, david.petritz@ces.purdue.edu NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A publication-quality photograph of Purdue President Martin C. Jischke is available at ftp://ftp.purdue.edu/pub/uns/+JISCHKE.Portraits/jischke.desk.jpeg. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page