Purdue highlights academic strengths, commitment to workforce development during visit from top federal and state leaders

On Wednesday (July 16), Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and Indiana Department of Education Secretary Katie Jenner hosted U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s visit to the state, including a trip to Purdue’s nuclear reactor research lab.

The visit included a tour of Purdue’s Nuclear Engineering Building and Purdue University Reactor Number One (PUR-1) and its digital nuclear control and AI systems with Purdue students, faculty and staff. PUR-1 is the first and only nuclear reactor in the U.S. licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate a fully digital instrumentation and control system. Discoveries stemming from PUR-1 research lead toward the development of advanced reactors, such as small modular reactors and microreactors.  

This asset makes Purdue a national leader in nuclear engineering education, energy innovation and the empowerment of AI computing, while providing real-world experience to drive student success, helping fulfill demand in the nuclear workforce pipeline and bolstering economic development.

McMahon, Braun and Jenner also moderated a roundtable discussion with leaders from federal government, state government, K-12 education and industry on the development of the skilled workforce needed to power critical fields across our state and nation.

With excellence at scale and a focus on student success and affordability, Purdue is excited to continue the national leadership in advancing nuclear power, AI computing capabilities and work-study programs, and through public-private partnerships create jobs, workforce and innovation. 

About Purdue University 

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.