Top 5 stories from Purdue University   

‘Purdue News Now’

The fall semester is in full swing as Harvest Fest comes to Memorial Mall and volleyball returns to Mackey Arena. Boiler Ambassador Anahita has all the latest Boilermaker news in this week’s edition of “Purdue News Now.”

Plus, check out five good stories below you may have missed.

Demand for Purdue education breaks record across undergrad, master and doctoral levels; most selective incoming class and highest graduation rate

Purdue University received 86,953 applications for its incoming fall 2025 undergraduate class — the 14th consecutive year of record applications. The in-state undergraduate admissions rate remained at 71%, similar to recent years, while the out-of-state admissions rate dropped to 39%, leading to the most selective incoming class in recent history. By far the most selective public university in the state, and with 97% of all admitted students submitting standardized test scores, the average SAT score and GPA of the incoming class also set new records, at 1,337 and 3.81, respectively.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

If every home and personal vehicle went electric in the U.S., power outages could spike — unless key measures are taken

A future where all homes and vehicles in the U.S. are fully electrified could overwhelm power supply and risk outages unless key upgrades are made, says a new study conducted by Purdue University engineers. But a few strategies could cut two-thirds of the potential costs of reinforcing the nation’s distribution grid to handle this demand. Electrifying would mean switching a home’s heating system from a boiler to a heat pump and transitioning from gas- or diesel-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

Harvesting in sync: Purdue and John Deere develop automated unloading technology

Harvest is one of the most demanding times in a farmer’s year. The clock is always ticking, and every grain spilled or minute wasted equals profit lost. One of the most intricate maneuvers on the field is unloading grain from a combine into a grain cart while both vehicles are moving. It’s a task that requires near-perfect synchronization between the combine operator and the tractor driver pulling the grain cart. That same kind of close collaboration recently played out in a project between Purdue University and John Deere. Combining industry experience with research expertise, the two organizations developed an initial demonstration of Auto Unload, a precision technology that improves productivity, reduces operator fatigue and saves valuable time during harvest. It’s a partnership that mirrors the technology itself: two parts moving in sync toward a shared goal.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

AP video — Why hurricanes grow faster in ocean hot spots

Dan Chavas is a professor of atmospheric science in Purdue University’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. In this video, he explains why hurricanes expand fastest over hot spots on the ocean’s surface. In a recent study conducted by Chavas and his colleagues, it was discovered that hurricanes grow much faster when traveling over locally warm waters, where a portion of the ocean’s surface is warmer than the rest of the ocean. Before this work, scientists knew that some hurricanes expanded substantially during their lifetimes while others stayed compact, but they didn’t understand why.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

Purdue alumnus Keith Krach receives nation’s highest manufacturing honor

Purdue University announced Sept. 16 that noted alumnus Keith Krach — chair and co-founder of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, former U.S. under secretary of state, and business executive — has been named the 2025 recipient of the M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal. The prestigious award, jointly awarded by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and SME is considered among the manufacturing sector’s highest honors, recognizing exceptional innovation and leadership that advance the science and practice of manufacturing.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

MORE: Recent AP video stories

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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 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations 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 integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.