Jischke receives national award for engagement
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The C. Peter Magrath Institution/WK Kellogg Foundation Engagement and Outreach Scholarship Award honored Jischke for Purdue's efforts to use university resources to improve the lives of Indiana citizens. It is named for C. Peter Magrath, who served as the association's president from 1992 to 2005 and was an advocate of engagement.
The honor came as a surprise to Jischke, who also received the association's distinguished service award. The award was established to recognize a leader who has made significant contributions within five major focus areas that include broadening access in higher education and creating partnerships to effect social change. As part of the award process, the association considered programs such as the Purdue Opportunity Awards, which pays tuition, room and board for Hoosier high-need freshmen, and the Purdue Science Bound program, which mentors Indianapolis public school students.
Victor L. Lechtenberg, Purdue vice provost for engagement, said Jischke has re-energized Purdue faculty, staff and students to reach out beyond campus.
"From day one, using Purdue resources to boost economic development, support K-12 education and serve the citizens of Indiana has been a top priority of President Jischke, who established engagement as one of the cornerstone's of Purdue's strategic plan," Lechtenberg said. "We are proud to have made great strides with our engagement efforts. We pledge to forge even more partnerships throughout Indiana."
Jischke received a plaque and $5,000. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation provided $180,000 to fund institutional awards for the next two years. The association is hopeful that the foundation will provide an endowment to support the award in future years. Mortimer Neufville, the association's executive vice president, said the Kellogg Foundation is a key ally in the engagement mission.
"The Kellogg Foundation funded a four-year study on the future of state and land-grant universities," Neufville said. "The most significant outcome of this study was the consensus that engagement is a key component for the success of a public university. Martin Jischke recognized this even before he assumed the presidency of Purdue and has made tremendous progress in this arena."
Jischke, who came to Purdue in August 2000, is the university's 10th president. He just completed his term as chairman of the Association of American Universities, which represents the top 62 research universities in North America, and is the current chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors. He also serves on President George W. Bush's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Jischke serves on the board of the American Council on Competitiveness and the national board of Campus Compact, an organization of university presidents and college deans that helps students learn about citizenship through community-service opportunities. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce honored Jischke and his wife, Patty, last November with its Volunteer of the Year Award.
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 Corp., and the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. He previously served for nine years as president of Iowa State University, another land-grant institution.
Jischke's experience in higher education also includes 17 years as professor and dean at the University of Oklahoma and five years at the University of Missouri-Rolla. During his tenure at Oklahoma, he served in multiple capacities. He became director of the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in 1977. He also served as dean of the College of Engineering from 1981 to 1986, and was named the university's interim president in 1985.
Founded in 1887, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges is the nation's oldest higher education association and represents more than 200 public universities, land-grant institutions and many of the nation's public university systems. Its members support excellence in teaching, research and public service.
Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu
Sources: Victor L. Lechtenberg, (765) 494-9095, vll@purdue.edu
Mortimer Neufville, (202) 478-6040
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Related news release:
Public research universities association to honor Purdue's Jischke
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