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May 2, 2000 Purdue to award 22 honorary doctoratesWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University will award honorary doctoral degrees to 22 persons during May commencement ceremonies around the state. "Those we are honoring have reached unparalleled heights in their professional lives, and have unselfishly lent their skills and experiences to their communities and to Purdue," said Purdue President Steven C. Beering. "It is our great privilege to grant them the university's highest honor to recognize their stellar lives and accomplishments." Seventeen of the honorees will be cited at Purdue's West Lafayette campus during four commencement ceremonies May 12, 13 and 14 in Elliott Hall of Music. Five regional campus honorees will be recognized either at ceremonies for Purdue North Central on May 9, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne on May 10, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on May 14, or Purdue Calumet on May 21. The 2000 recipients at the West Lafayette campus are: • W. Wayne Booker, Dearborn, Mich., vice chairman and chief financial officer, Ford Motor Co. His doctor of humane letters degree will be awarded at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13. • William W. Carlton, West Lafayette, the Leslie Morton Hutchings Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Pathology at Purdue. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13. • Allen Y. Chao, Anaheim, Calif., chairman, president and chief executive officer, Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13. • John N. Gardner, Pisgah Forest, N.C., senior fellow, National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Library and Information Science, both at the University of South Carolina. His doctor of higher education degree will be awarded at 8 p.m. Friday, May 12. • Jurgen R. Grossmann, Hamburg, Germany, owner and chief executive officer, Georgsmarienhutte Holding GmbH. His doctor of management degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 14. • Robert W. Johnson, Greenwich, Conn., president, CCI Research, and Purdue professor emeritus of management. His doctor of management degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 14. • Andrew J. Majda, Princeton, N.J., the Morse Professor of Arts and Sciences, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13. • Gary C. McDonald, Shelby Township, Mich., director, Enterprise Systems Lab of the General Motors Research and Development Center. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13. • Ronald L. Phillips, Shoreview, Minn., Regents' Professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in Genomics at the University of Minnesota. His doctor of agriculture degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13. • Ronald R. Rice, Osprey, Fla., retired president, Kroger Co. Manufacturing Group, and senior vice president, Kroger Co. His doctor of agriculture degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13. • Sherwin Rosen, Chicago, the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Economics at the University of Chicago. His doctor of economics degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 14. • Peter Schneider, LaCanada, Calif., chairman, Walt Disney Studios. His doctor of fine arts degree will be awarded at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13. • L. Dennis Smith, Lincoln, Neb., president, University of Nebraska. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13. • David O. Swain, Seattle, president, the Phantom Works, and senior vice president of engineering and technology, both with the Boeing Co. His doctor of engineering degree will be awarded at 8 p.m. Friday, May 12. • Larry N. Vanderhoef, Davis, Calif., chancellor, University of California at Davis. His doctor of agriculture degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13. • Sigmar L.K. Wittig, Karlsruhe, Germany, rektor (president), University of Karlsruhe. His doctor of engineering degree will be awarded at 8 p.m. Friday, May 12. • William D. Young, Burlingame, Calif., chairman of the board and chief executive officer, ViroLogic Inc. His doctor of engineering degree will be awarded at 8 p.m. Friday, May 12. At Purdue University North Central: • William R. Fuller, West Lafayette, professor emeritus of mathematics, Purdue West Lafayette, and former interim chancellor, Purdue North Central. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, during ceremonies in the Valparaiso University Chapel. At Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne: • E. Sharon Banks, Fort Wayne, Ind., Northrop/South Side area administrator, Fort Wayne Community Schools. Her doctor of letters degree will be awarded at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at IPFW's commencement in the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Center. • Maclyn T. Parker, Fort Wayne, Ind., attorney and partner, Baker & Daniels. His doctor of letters degree will be awarded at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at IPFW's commencement in the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Center. At Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: • Walter S. Blackburn, Indianapolis, architect and president, Blackburn Associates. His doctor of letters degree will be awarded at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 14, at IUPUI's commencement in the RCA Dome. At Purdue University Calumet: • Jerry L. Ross, Friendswood, Texas, NASA astronaut and colonel, U.S. Air Force. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at Purdue Calumet's commencement in the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville. Biographical SketchesE. SHARON BANKS Banks has made a difference in the lives of thousands of adults and children in her community. She is Northrop/South Side area administrator for Fort Wayne, Ind., Community Schools, which is her latest appointment in an education career that spans 30 years. Born in Albion, Mich., Banks was reared in Fort Wayne. She earned a business education bachelor's degree from Ball State University, then began her work in education as a counselor and teacher at Central High School – her alma mater. She also held a similar position at Elmhurst High School, while completing master's degree studies in education at Ball State in 1974. She earned an administrative certificate at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and holds a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from Ball State. While pursuing advanced degrees, she also held a range of positions in Fort Wayne schools, including parent coordinator of Title I federal programs, educational consultant during the summer for Lincoln National Corp., dean of girls at Wayne High School, and assistant principal at Snider High School. In 1988, service to her community took a new turn when Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke appointed her his chief of staff, with oversight for such city initiatives as the Drug Awareness Consortium, the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, the Deaf Awareness Action Task Force and the Work Force Development Task Force. In 1991, she was named principal of Northrop High School while also teaching a summer IPFW graduate course on cultural diversity. Among her many teaching honors are a Principal of the Year citation from the Indiana PTA Association, the Family Advocacy Award for the state of Indiana, and the Fort Wayne Urban League's 1992 Educator of the Year. Other community involvement includes an active role as a motivational speaker, serving as president of the Fort Wayne Alliance of Black School Educators, and membership in the Fort Wayne Community Foundation and Arts United. WALTER S. BLACKBURN Blackburn, a prominent business and civic leader who also has shared his time and talents with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is a native and lifelong resident of Indianapolis. He is president of Blackburn Architects, which has done projects ranging from the Artsgarden of Circle Centre Mall to the new Black Cultural Center building at Purdue West Lafayette. In his 30-year professional career, he has applied sensitivity, social consciousness, special training and professionalism to preserving neighborhoods and rebuilding the inner city. Blackburn earned a bachelor of arts degree in architecture from Howard University in 1963 before embarking on his career and has maintained an active affiliation with educational institutions. He is chairman of the 47-member Dean's Advisory Council of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, having also served as a council member since its inception in 1996. He also was on the Department of Construction Technology's Advisory Board for several years. He additionally has served higher education as a Board of Trustees member for both the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute and Bethany College in West Virginia. Blackburn also has been a board member or volunteer with such organizations as Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Broadcasting, American Pianist Association, Indiana Museum of Art, Indiana Arts Foundation, Indianapolis Opera Board, Indiana State Arts Commission and the 500 Festival Board of Directors, among others. He is a recipient of the Hoosier Heritage Award, the Edward D. Pierre Award of the Indiana chapter of the American Institute of Architects, presidential nominations to the board of the National Institute of Building Sciences and the General Services Administration Review Board, appointment to membership in the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects, an Outstanding Role Model citation from the City of Indianapolis, and two Sagamore of the Wabash recognitions, from former Indiana Govs. Robert Orr and Evan Bayh. W. WAYNE BOOKER Booker has had a significant career in a key American industry, enhanced by an international view of cultural and humanistic perspectives. He is vice chairman and chief financial officer of the Ford Motor Co. He has held a range of domestic and global executive positions in a career with Ford that began as a cost analyst in 1959. A native of Sullivan, Ind., and resident of Dearborn, Mich., he graduated from Purdue in 1956 with a bachelor of science degree in economics prior to U.S. Army service and positions in the banking field. During his more than 40 years with Ford, he has held positions in Mexico, Brazil, Japan and England, launching plants, ventures and products that have reinforced Ford's fortunes around the world. His business dealings include interactions with statesmen and corporate figures from around the world. He serves on the boards of several international councils, including the National Committee on United States-China Relations. His many international business accomplishments reflect his view that understanding a nation's culture and history are important to success in political, personal and business relationships. Booker established the W. Wayne and Beverly E. Booker International Information Endowment Fund in the Purdue Libraries. He also has had a significant influence on his firm's support of education, particularly in support to Purdue. The Purdue Schools of Mechanical Engineering, Management, Science, Industrial Engineering and Technology have been the chief beneficiaries of millions of dollars in Ford research and scholarship support over the years. WILLIAM W. CARLTON Carlton has a global reputation in the field of veterinary pathology. He is the Leslie Morton Hutchings Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Pathology at Purdue. A resident of West Lafayette, he concluded a 28-year tenure on the faculty of the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. An Owensboro, Ky., native, Carlton earned bachelor's degrees in animal science and humanities, respectively, from the University of Kentucky and Florida Southern College. He later earned a master's degree in animal physiology at Kentucky, then a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Auburn University. His Purdue affiliation began in 1960 as a graduate instructor in veterinary pathology, and he completed his doctoral studies in that discipline in 1963. After a three-year faculty appointment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he joined the Purdue faculty as an associate professor of veterinary pathology and toxicology in 1965. His Purdue career centered on the development of a premier graduate education program in veterinary pathology. He developed highly regarded course materials and collections for graduate-level study in pathology and toxicology. As the architect of Purdue's renowned graduate program in this discipline, his impact has expanded to industrial, academic, and diagnostic and governmental laboratories through the work of his former students. He also has been a prolific scientist, having published more than 225 papers, book chapters and books, as well as providing consultant expertise to government and industrial organizations and companies. Carlton is certified as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, and he has held leadership positions in a range of professional organizations, including the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, American Institute of Nutrition, International Academy of Pathology, American Association of Pathologists, American Association of Avian Pathologists and the Society of Toxicology. ALLEN Y. CHAO Chao is an eminent pharmaceutical scientist with entrepreneurial vision. He is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., a firm he founded 16 years ago. Watson Pharmaceuticals is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of proprietary and off-patent, or generic, pharmaceutical products. He resides in Anaheim, Calif. Born in Shanghai, China, and reared in Taipei, Taiwan, Chao earned a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Taipei Medical College. He continued his education in the United States, earning a master's in pharmaceutics from West Virginia University, then completing his doctoral studies in industrial and physical pharmacy at Purdue in 1973. After earning his Purdue doctorate, Chao joined Searle Pharmaceuticals Inc. as a research investigator. During that time, he also had additional educational training in the Master of Management Program at Northwestern University. His 10-year affiliation with Searle culminated with his appointment as director of pharmaceutical technology and packaging development. The launch of Watson Pharmaceuticals followed his Searle affiliation. The company's name is derived from his mother's maiden name, Hwa, and "son." In 1993, he took his company public, and revenues have risen from $129 million in 1994 to more than $650 million today. He received the Entrepreneur of the year Award representing the Inland Empire, California, and was runner-up at the national conference of the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, both in 1994. Chao is highly regarded as an alumnus and supporter of the Purdue School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, regularly interacting with faculty and students. WILLIAM R. FULLER Fuller has made an impact on Purdue in the classroom and administrative offices in a career spanning more than 40 years. He is professor emeritus of mathematics at the West Lafayette campus, and former interim chancellor at Purdue North Central. Fuller, a West Lafayette resident, was born and reared in Indianapolis and served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. He returned to his hometown in 1945, resumed work in advertising with the Indianapolis News and pursued a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics from Butler University. Graduate studies followed at Purdue, where he earned a master's in mathematics and physics (1951) and a doctorate in mathematics (1957). His graduate studies were interrupted by work as a mathematician for the U.S. Navy at the Naval Ordnance Plant in Indianapolis during the Korean conflict. Faculty and administrative appointments at Purdue followed completion of his doctoral studies, including service as head of the mathematics department, and associate and acting dean of science. He accepted an appointment at the North Central campus in 1978 as interim chancellor during a period of change for the campus in Westville. During his tenure there, Fuller developed and organized the first Chancellor's Advisory Board, comprising community leaders from LaPorte and Porter counties. Early fund-raising efforts at North Central were undertaken, including establishment of the Chancellor's Council. He also is credited with organizing a diverse faculty into academic sections, which today provide the foundation for faculty planning and governance. During Fuller's tenure, the first bachelor's-degree programs were approved for the North Central campus. He earned emeritus status in 1991. Among his many honors are a Sagamore of the Wabash citation (1982) and inclusion in the inaugural group of 225 past and present faculty members in Purdue West Lafayette's Book of Great Teachers, unveiled in 1999, which honors outstanding teachers throughout the university's history. JOHN N. GARDNER Gardner has played a vital role in enhancing the learning, retention and graduation of college students. He is senior fellow of the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Library and Information Science, both at the University of South Carolina. He lives in Pisgah Forest, N.C. Born in New York City and reared in New Caanan, Conn., Gardner received a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Marietta College and a master's degree in American history from Purdue. His career in public higher education began as an assistant professor at South Carolina in 1970, where he taught history, interpersonal communications for librarians, public speaking and higher education administration. He formally retired from the faculty in 1999. As the founder and executive director of the resource center and the nationally acclaimed University 101, he was instrumental in bringing the needs of first-year college students to national attention. As the initiator of the international reform movement in higher education known as "The Freshman Year Experience," he is widely regarded as one of the nation's most influential education professionals. In his area of expertise, he has created programs to enhance the learning, success, retention and graduation of students in transition, particularly first-year college students. He has expanded that focus to a second critical transition period for students – the senior year. He has served as a workshop leader or trainer in hundreds of faculty-development programs, and he has spoken or consulted at some 400 college campuses throughout North America and Europe. He also is the author or co-author of numerous articles and books. Gardner is the recipient of four earlier honorary doctoral degrees from colleges and universities, and the American Association for Higher Education and the Council on Independent Colleges both have honored him for his work. JURGEN R. GROSSMANN Grossmann is an international business leader with a visionary outlook in today's corporate climate. He is owner and chief executive officer of Georgsmarienhutte Holding GmbH, a German firm engaged in all aspects of steel-making. He resides in Hamburg, Germany. Born and reared in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany, Grossmann studied metallurgy and business in his native country, then earned a master of science degree in industrial administration from Purdue's Krannert Graduate School of Management in 1974. During doctoral engineering studies at the Technical University of Berlin, he developed a new method of coal gasification. He joined Klockner Werke AG as an analyst in 1980, quickly rising through the corporate ranks. By age 39, he was president and chief operating officer of Klockner Edelstahl and Klockner Stahl GmbH, which had technical and commercial responsibility for the firm's Georgsmarienhutte steelworks. In 1997, following strategic acquisitions, he established Georgsmarienhutte Holding, a group of 20 German and Austrian steel producers, forges and plant constructors, now the largest independent steel producer in Europe. Since completing his Purdue degree, Grossmann has been an advocate for Purdue and the Krannert School. He is a key figure in the establishment of the German International Graduate School of Management and Administration, or GISMA, which takes the American-style MBA business teaching expertise of Krannert faculty to classrooms of international students in Hanover, Germany. He facilitated several meetings among Lower Saxony Governor (now German Chancellor) Gerhard Schroder, Purdue President Steven C. Beering and Krannert officials to develop the GISMA concept, and was a driving force in its fund-raising effort. He also has sponsored international business opportunities for Krannert students through his financial and human resources support of Krannert's International Multidisciplinary Management Projects course, and he established graduate awards for German and other European students to enable them to participate in Krannert studies. ROBERT W. JOHNSON Johnson is a leading academic researcher, author and governmental adviser in the area of consumer credit in the United States. A resident of Greenwich, Conn., he is president of CCI Research and Purdue professor emeritus of management. He established and directed the Credit Research Center in Purdue's Krannert Graduate School of Management, and brought it to national prominence as the first academic unit in the United States devoted to the study of consumer credit. Born in Denver, Colo., and reared in Lake Forest, Ill., Johnson earned his master of business administration degree from Harvard University after undergraduate studies at Oberlin College. His doctorate in finance is from Northwestern University. He began his academic career at the University of Buffalo as a lecturer, rising to the rank of Manufacturers and Traders Trust Professor of Finance. A professorship at Michigan State University preceded his Krannert School faculty appointment as professor of management in 1964. He established the CRC a decade later, and was its director through 1990, then senior research associate until his 1997 retirement from Purdue. Johnson has spent considerable time with various governmental and public bodies dealing with policy issues on consumer credit, including frequent testimony on Capitol Hill and service as a presidential appointee to the National Commission on Consumer Finance, as well as affiliations with a range of other associations and boards. He was author of the first college textbook in financial management, and is widely regarded as a catalyst for changing the way the subject has been taught in business schools. He also has provided expertise to the media on consumer credit issues. During his Purdue tenure, he was closely involved in recruitment and development that has led to the Krannert School’s highly regarded and well-recognized finance group. ANDREW J. MAJDA Majda is regarded as one of the most renowned applied mathematicians of his generation. He is the Morse Professor of Arts and Sciences at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He lives in Princeton, N.J. Born in East Chicago, Ind., he grew up in Whiting, Ind. The impetus for his work in mathematics began at Purdue, where he earned his bachelor of science degree 1970. Completion of doctoral studies followed at Stanford University. In 1973, he began his scientific career as an instructor at the Courant Institute, which is globally known for its work in fostering the interaction of mathematics and applications. He rejoined the institute in 1994 after holding professorships at Princeton University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of California at Los Angeles. Majda's primary research interests are modern applied mathematics in the broadest sense, merging asymptotic methods, numerical methods, physical reasoning and rigorous mathematical analysis. He is known for both his theoretical contributions to partial differential equations and his applied contributions to such areas as scattering theory, shock waves, combustion, vortex motion, turbulent diffusion and atmosphere ocean science. At the Courant Institute, he has created the Center for Atmosphere Ocean Science with a multidisciplinary faculty to promote cross-disciplinary research with modern applied mathematics and climate modeling and prediction. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous honors and awards for excellence in his field. Among his honors are the National Academy of Science Prize in Applied Mathematics and Numerical Analysis, the John von Neumann Award of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the Gibbs Prize of the American Mathematical Society. Majda also has been awarded the Medal of the College de France and is a fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. GARY C. McDONALD McDonald is a leader in bringing the benefits of research in mathematics and statistics to industry and government. He is director of the Enterprise Systems Lab of the General Motors Research and Development Center, the latest appointment in a 30-year career with GM. The lab specializes in seven areas: business and planning systems, distribution and supply chain, production systems, variation and quality analysis, body fabrication, body assembly, and powertrain manufacturing. Born and reared in St. Louis, Mo., McDonald received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from St. Mary's College. His master's and doctoral degrees in mathematical statistics, both from Purdue, were awarded in 1966 and 1969, respectively. He resides in Shelby Township, Mich. He joined the GM Research and Development Center upon completion of his doctoral studies. At the center, he was head of the Mathematics Department and the Operations Research Department before being named to his current position in 1998. In addition to his GM work, he has been an instructor and adjunct professor at Wayne State and Oakland universities. McDonald has published more than 50 articles in diverse areas of applied and mathematical statistics. He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is an active participant at the national level in several research panels related to mathematical and statistical sciences. He is a trustee of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences, a director of the MATHCOUNTS Foundation, and a former Board of Governors member of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications. McDonald has maintained ties to Purdue, having served on program committees for the renowned Purdue International Statistics Symposia. He received the first School of Science Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Department of Statistics, and he has served as a member of the School of Science Dean's Advisory Council. MACLYN T. PARKER Parker has given his time and resources to a spectrum of endeavors in community service. He is a 15-year partner with the law firm Baker & Daniels in Fort Wayne, Ind., and has been a practicing attorney for 41 years. Born and reared in New Castle, Ind., he received a bachelor's degree from DePauw University, studied at the University of London and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan. He did additional graduate work at the University of California Law School. Parker is affectionately called "Mr. Fort Wayne" because of his close involvement with such groups as the Fort Wayne Sports Corp., which he serves as president, the Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Fort Wayne Rotary Club and the Quest Club literary club. He also plays a key role in economic-development initiatives for the city and northeast Indiana, including service on the Executive Committee of the Indiana Economic Development Council, as a director of Indiana Northeast Development and chairman of the Indiana State Strategic Economic Plan Steering Committee. Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne also has benefited from Parker's community commitment. He helped secure the McKay Farm land for development of a dozen soccer fields. He also has been an advocate for IPFW's development of the Northeast Indiana Innovative Center, a collaborative research-and-development technology park. Active as a high-school and college athlete, Parker also serves on the IPFW Division I Committee, is chairman of the Fort Wayne Fury and is credited with bringing a Continental Basketball Association team to the city. Among his honors is Fort Wayne Man of the Year, awarded in 1977 by the city's Chamber of Commerce, a 1998 Sagamore of the Wabash citation from Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon, and last year's Fort Wayne Sports Corp. Community Award. RONALD L. PHILLIPS Phillips is regarded as one of the world's most influential plant genetics and biotechnology researchers. He is Regents' Professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in Genomics at the University of Minnesota. He lives in Shoreview, Minn. Born in Huntington County, Ind., and reared in Crawfordsville, Ind., Phillips earned his bachelor's and master's of science degrees from Purdue in plant breeding and genetics in 1961 and 1963, respectively. He was honored in 1993 as a Purdue Distinguished Agricultural Alumnus. Upon conclusion of doctoral work at the University of Minnesota, he did postdoctoral research at Cornell University before joining the faculty of the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at Minnesota. His 32-year affiliation has yielded numerous contributions in research, teaching, national leadership, and coordination and administration of plant science research at the University of Minnesota. His pioneering research program also has laid the groundwork for the application of biotechnology to understanding and improving agricultural crops, and he is globally known for his work in improving cereal crops. Phillips has shared his expertise with several scientific societies and repeatedly has been appointed to government advisory committees, including service as the program director the U.S. Department of Agriculture Competitive Research Grants Office and chief scientist of the USDA-National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program. He currently is president of the Crop Science Society of America and is chairman of the Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Section of the National Academy of Sciences. Additionally, he has been involved in a number of national training sessions to update researchers and plant breeders on new techniques and methods in biotechnology and to generate interest in research in plant biotechnology and its application in plant breeding. He also has written and edited numerous book chapters and journals, and he serves extensively on program review teams and as a presenter at seminars and symposia. RONALD R. RICE Rice has distinguished himself through personal, professional and community works in a long career in the food-products industry. He is retired president of the Kroger Co. Manufacturing Group and senior vice president of Kroger. He lives in Osprey, Fla. Born in Huntington County, Ind., and reared in North Manchester, Ind., Rice earned a Purdue bachelor's degree in dairy manufacturing in 1957 after service in the U.S. Army. He then joined Kroger as a management trainee in the dairy area, thus beginning a more than four-decade affiliation with the company. In 1967, he was promoted to plant manager of Kroger's old Indianapolis dairy, and he was instrumental in the construction of a new facility there in 1972. Rice joined Kroger's corporate office the next year as director of operations of the Dairy Foods Division and held a variety of executive positions before being named senior vice president and president of manufacturing in 1992. In those positions, he oversaw more than two dozen manufacturing facilities with annual sales of more than $2 billion. Long active in professional organizations, he is past president of the Midwest Dairy Products Association, past secretary and board member of the Milk Industry Foundation, and past chairman of the International Dairy Foods Association. In service to his alma mater, he was cited by the School of Agriculture as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1994 and participated in the Old Masters program in 1997. He also headed an alumni team for the Department of Food Science to raise funds and equip laboratories for the department's new state-of-the-art Food Science Building. In honor of his Purdue connections and commitment to his company, Kroger has established an undergraduate scholarship endowment in Rice's name. SHERWIN ROSEN Rosen has a global reputation as a distinguished labor economist. He is the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago. A Chicago native and resident, he earned his bachelor of science degree in economics from Purdue in 1960. Master's and doctoral degrees followed, both from the University of Chicago. Rosen began his academic career at the University of Rochester in 1964, rising to the rank of Kenan Professor of Economics. He joined the University of Chicago economics faculty in 1977, earning a named professorship in 1983. He was department head from 1988 to 1994. He also has held visiting professorships at the University of Buffalo and Harvard, Columbia and Stanford universities. Rosen is known for his research contributions in microeconomics, labor economics, industrial organization and agricultural economics. He is a pioneer in the study of hedonics, which lays out the theory and measurement of the trade-off between monetary and nonmonetary factors of products, jobs and other activities. He is editor of the Journal of Political Economy at the University of Chicago and has held a range of editorial board and associate editor responsibilities for numerous journals in his field. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and senior research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His work led to elected membership in the National Academy of Sciences, and he is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Econometric Society. Rosen has been a member of the executive committee and vice president of the American Economic Association, and he is past president of the Midwest Economic Association. He is president-elect of the American Economic Association and president of the Society of Labor Economists. JERRY L. ROSS Ross has earned lasting distinction as one of Purdue University's 21 astronaut alumni. A native of Crown Point, Ind., and resident of Friendswood, Texas, he received bachelor of science and master of science degrees, both in mechanical engineering, from Purdue in 1970 and 1972, respectively. A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, he was an Air Force ROTC student while at Purdue and received his commission upon graduation. Ross entered active duty with the Air Force after receiving his master's degree. He graduated from the Air Force Test Pilot School's Flight Test Engineer course in 1976. Ross joined NASA in 1979 and was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. His assignments have included extravehicular activity, chase team, support crew person, spacecraft communicator and mission specialist. He is a veteran of six space flights from 1985 through 1998. His most recent journey into space, as mission specialist on STS-88 in December 1998, was the first International Space Station assembly mission. Ross has been in space more than 1,100 hours, including more than 44 hours logged during seven spacewalks. He currently is the Astronaut Office Branch Chief for Extravehicular Activity. Ross has maintained a strong connection over the years to his hometown and to northwest Indiana. He was honored by his community in 1986 for his achievements as an astronaut. As the idea for the Challenger Foundation of Northwest Indiana gained momentum, Ross added his support to the foundation and to the Northwest Indiana Challenger Learning Center, based at Purdue Calumet. He was the keynote speaker at the center’s formal opening. During his International Space Station assembly space mission, Ross took with him a Northwest Indiana Challenger Learning Center logo banner. He has donated it and other items to the center, including a piece of the International Space Station. PETER SCHNEIDER Schneider has distinguished himself in the world of the arts and entertainment. He is chairman of Walt Disney Studios and oversees the creative development, worldwide production, marketing and distribution of all motion pictures released by Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures. He resides in LaCanada, Calif. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and reared in Madison, Wis., he launched his career after concluding his bachelor of arts degree studies in theater at Purdue in 1971. He then was active as a director and producer in the regional theater movement in New York City and Chicago, embracing the works of new American playwrights. He also was involved in theatrical production in London's famed West End. Schneider directed the Olympic Arts Festival during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which led to his affiliation with Disney. While president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, he was credited with revitalizing Disney's leadership role in feature-length animation while supervising the development and production of such landmark animated films as "The Lion King," "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Toy Story," among others. Combining his previous success in live theater with his motion picture accomplishments, Schneider, as president of Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, has played a key role in launching acclaimed live stage productions of the Tony Award-winning "The Lion King," as well as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." As a graduate of the Theatre Division of Purdue's Department of Visual and Performing Arts, he was a 1988 School of Liberal Arts Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for his breadth of professional achievements. L. DENNIS SMITH Smith is widely known for his academic career, both as a researcher and administrator. He is president of the University of Nebraska, a position he assumed in 1994 after a range of administrative positions in higher education. He lives in Lincoln, Neb. Born in Muncie, Ind., and reared in Frankfort, Ind., his early faculty and administrative service was at Purdue. His bachelor's degree, in zoology and chemistry, and doctorate, in experimental embryology, are both from Indiana University. In 1964, he joined the Argonne National Laboratory, and he came to Purdue as an associate professor of biology in 1969. Early during his Purdue tenure, he was a summer instructor in embryology at the Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory. Smith was head of the Purdue Department of Biological Sciences from 1980 to 1987, prior to a faculty appointment at the University of California at Irvine. Administrative posts at UC Irvine followed, including dean of the School of Biological Sciences, executive vice chancellor and acting chancellor, which preceded his appointment as president of the University of Nebraska. His three-decade research career has yielded significant contributions to several areas of developmental biology, and he has consulted widely in his area of expertise. He holds memberships in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Cell Biology, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and International Society of Developmental Biology. Smith is active in American higher education leadership as a member and vice chairman of the Business-Higher Education Forum, and he holds memberships in the American Council on Education, Association of American Universities, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and Association of State Colleges and Universities. He serves the state of Nebraska as a member of the Nebraska Arts Council Board, Nebraska Diplomats and Nebraska Industrial Competitiveness Alliance. DAVID O. SWAIN Swain is a leading figure in the American aerospace industry. He is president of the Phantom Works and senior vice president of engineering and technology, both with the Boeing Co. He resides in Seattle. As Phantom Works president, he oversees Boeing's research and development organization; as senior vice president, he is Boeing's chief engineer and a member of the Executive Council, which oversees all activities of the company. Born and reared in Lebanon, Ind., Swain earned a Purdue bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering in 1964. He then began his career with McDonnell Douglas as an engineer on the Gemini spacecraft project. He subsequently was involved in the company's tactical missile programs. A range of executive positions followed, including vice president/general manager of McDonnell Douglas Electronics Co. and vice president for strategic business development for McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. As senior vice president and C-17 program manager for McDonnell Douglas Aerospace-West, he led the development and production of the first 10 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, implementing a process-based management approach that help turn the $36 billion C-17 development program around. These efforts led to the Laurel Award from Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine. Under the Boeing banner, he has continued to hold key executive roles, including a tenure as executive vice president for Phantom Works Information, Space and Defense Systems, before being named to his current positions in 1999. As a Purdue supporter, he has served as a charter member of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Industrial Advisory Council and as a member of the Dean's Engineering Visiting Committee. Swain received a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award from the Schools of Engineering in 1993 and an Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award in 1999 from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. LARRY N. VANDERHOEF Vanderhoef is an academician with distinguished pursuits both as a scientist and higher education executive. He is chancellor of the University of California at Davis, a position he has held since 1994. He resides in Davis, Calif. Born in Perham, Minn., Vanderhoef grew up in South Milwaukee, Wis. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry education and a master's degree in plant physiology, both from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Doctoral studies followed at Purdue in plant biochemistry and physiology. After his Purdue doctoral studies, he embarked on his academic career as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He joined the faculty of the University of Illinois Department of Plant Biology in 1970 as assistant professor, and advanced through the ranks to professor and department head in 1977. There, he conducted research in the area of plant growth regulators and nitrogen fixation in plants. In 1980, he accepted an appointment as provost of the University of Maryland. In 1984, he was named executive vice chancellor and provost of the University of California at Davis, and he became the chief administrator of the campus 10 years later. In his scientific career, Vanderhoef has been influential in helping plan, set policy and direction, and secure funding in numerous areas of agricultural and biological research. As a university administrator, he has been active in a Kellogg Commission project on how higher education can evolve to meet the challenges of the new century. He also was chairman of a special task force for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges to examine ways to broaden financial support for agricultural research. He is a 35-year member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has been active in the American Society of Plant Physiologists, including service on its Executive Committee and Board of Trustees. SIGMAR L.K. WITTIG Wittig has international experience both as an accomplished engineer and university administrator. He is rektor, or president, of the University of Karlsruhe in his native Germany, the nation's oldest technical university. He resides in Karlsruhe. Wittig was born in Nimptsch and reared in Borgloh. He studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Aachen, earning his Dipl.-Ing. and Dr.-Ing., the equivalent of master's and doctoral degrees, in 1964 and 1967, respectively. He came to Purdue in 1967 as a visiting assistant professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, was named assistant professor a year later and was promoted to associate professor in 1971. He developed a strong research program in gas dynamics, optical techniques in gas dynamics and thermal turbomachinery. He left Purdue in 1976 to become director and head of the Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery at Karlsruhe. Wittig was one of the first in Germany to envision the potential of the gas turbine for power generation. He developed the institute into the most prestigious teaching and research program in Germany related to the fundamentals and applications of turbomachinery. He also successfully integrated university research with the requirements and constraints of industrial engineering and design. In 1989, while still holding the directorship of the institute, Wittig became prorektor, or vice president, of the University of Karlsruhe, and he assumed the top leadership position five years later. In national service in his area of expertise, he served as vice president of the German National Research Association and as chairman of the Council of Rektors of the state of Baden-Wurtemberg. For the past 14 years, he has been a member of the Grant Selection Committee of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He holds memberships in the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Leopoldina, the oldest academy of sciences in Germany. Wittig has been awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Ufa, Russia, and Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki, Greece. WILLIAM D. YOUNG Young is a leading figure in the field of biotechnology. He is the recently appointed chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the biotechnology company ViroLogic Inc. He lives in Burlingame, Calif. Born in Kingston, Pa., he grew up in Louisville, Ky. He came to Purdue to earn a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering in 1966. A master's of business administration degree followed from Indiana University in 1971. He joined Eli Lilly and Co. as a staff engineer upon conclusion of his Purdue studies, and in 1979 he became project leader of Lilly's human insulin process development and manufacturing. From 1980 to 1999, he was with Genentech Inc., a leading biotechnology company that uses human genetic information to develop, manufacture and market pharmaceuticals that address significant and unmet medical needs, particularly in the areas of cardiovascular disease, oncology and endocrinology medicines. In a range of executive positions at Genentech, Young helped lead the company to success as a biopharmaceutical company. He was the company's chief operating officer from 1997 to 1999 prior to his affiliation with ViroLogic. ViroLogic is a leader in the development and novel therapy guidance tools to enable patients, physicians and medical reimbursers to make rational treatment decisions in the management of viral diseases and cancer. Young's appointment at ViroLogic reflects his commercial and development expertise for the marketing and manufacturing of novel therapeutic products, and his accomplishments as a leader and manager in the biotechnology industry. Young is a founding fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1993 for his contributions to biotechnology manufacturing technology. The Purdue Schools of Engineering cited him in 1994 as a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus. Source: Steven C. Beering, (765) 494-9708 Writer: Greg Zawisza, (765) 494-2086; gzawisza@purdue.edu NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Publication-quality photos of all the honorary degree recipients are available at the Purdue News Service ftp site.
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