Trustees task College of Science to develop new certificate to meet Indiana’s demand for STEM teachers; ratify faculty appointments; approve posthumous degrees, resolutions of appreciation and namings

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (Aug. 8) charged the College of Science to establish a STEM teaching certificate in response to Indiana’s growing unmet demand for more teachers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In what would be first of its kind in the state, Purdue’s STEM Teaching Certificate would permit STEM majors to earn state licensure by completing nine credits in the foundations of teaching, plus field experience. The new certificate is made possible by SEA 255, passed during the 2025 legislative session and signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun. The law streamlines the licensing requirements for middle- and high school teachers in STEM, focusing on high-impact teaching practices and job shadowing with seasoned teachers.  

“We’re excited to build this new Purdue STEM Teaching Certificate to give tens of thousands of Purdue students more pathways to pursue meaningful careers in education,” said Lucy Flesch, Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science. “By aligning closely with new Indiana teacher licensure legislation, this certificate helps prepare our students to share their STEM expertise in Indiana classrooms, while still engaging in research and other opportunities, and graduating on time.”

The total number of Purdue undergraduates enrolled in STEM majors has surged to more than 32,444, or 73% of all undergrads, in 2024 from 15,642, or 53% of undergrads, a decade ago.

Additionally, trustees ratified two faculty appointments:

• Guillermo Paniagua-Perez as the Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering
• Carl Wassgren Jr. as the Charles E. and Louise W. Springer Professor

Paniagua-Perez joined Purdue’s mechanical engineering faculty in 2014 and holds a courtesy appointment in aeronautics and astronautics. Paniagua-Perez’s research advances turbine technologies for higher efficiency and novel thermal cycles, with significant contributions to high-speed turbine aerodynamics, heat transfer and the development of a world-class turbine wind tunnel. He has authored over 150 archival journal papers and is the world’s most-cited researcher in experimental turbine-aero testing. His inventions are used by six major manufacturers, including Rolls-Royce. Paniagua-Perez’s work has been recognized with several honors, including a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award, Humboldt Research Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) International Gas Turbine Institute Aircraft Engine Technology Award, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Ground Testing Award, Safran Aircraft Engines’ Patented Invention of the Year, the Association of European Research Establishments in Aeronautics (EREA) Award for Visionary Aeronautics Research, and the Iwan Åkerman Award for innovation in expansion machines. He is a fellow of the AIAA and ASME, and serves on international advisory boards, including the Swedish Aerospace Research Center, CMT-Thermal Engines in Spain, the Minerva Center for Micro Turbine Powered Energy Systems in Israel, and the Romanian Research and Development Institute for Gas Turbines. The Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering professorship honors Vincent P. Reilly, a 1922 Purdue alumnus and founder of Illinois Gear and Machine Co. The endowment was created in 1969.

Wassgren came to Purdue in 1998 as a member of the mechanical engineering faculty. He also holds a courtesy appointment in industrial and molecular pharmaceutics and is associate head for mechanical engineering at Indianapolis. Wassgren’s research focuses on the dynamics of particulate and powder systems, with applications in pharmaceuticals, consumer products, biomass materials, agrochemicals and more. His research has resulted in notable contributions to pharmaceutical tablet coating and nonspherical particle models, and his work has led to advancements in agricultural grain harvesting and industrial powder flow modeling. Wassgren was co-founder and served eight years as director of the Center for Particulate Products and Processes (CP3). He holds three patents and has published more than 120 journal articles. Wassgren’s work has been widely recognized with many honors and awards, including being inducted into Purdue’s Book of Great Teachers, being named a fellow of Purdue’s Teaching Academy, receiving the Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, A.A. Potter Best Teacher Award, National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Award and more. He has chaired and organized sessions at major conferences, reviewed numerous journal manuscripts and served on many committees at Purdue. He has also led several task forces; directed the Particle, Powder and Compact Characterization Laboratory for nearly 10 years; and was the Purdue education and outreach director for the NSF Engineering Research Center on Structured Organic Particulate Systems for 10 years. He has also developed and run sessions for various engineering programs and regularly participates in the Purdue Teaching Academy new faculty orientation. The Charles E. and Louise W. Springer Professorship for Excellence in Teaching was created in 2016 by Charles Springer (BSME 1959) and Louise Springer to honor excellence in classroom teaching and instruction. It is awarded to an outstanding mechanical engineering faculty member who makes a difference in the classroom, inspiring and exciting students to gain knowledge and strive for excellence.

In other action, trustees awarded posthumous Bachelor of Science degrees in computer engineering and electrical engineering to Joshua Grady from Purdue Northwest. A posthumous degree requires that at least 85% of the credit hour requirements have been completed, including most of the requirements for the major.

Trustees approved resolutions of appreciation for friends of the university who recently contributed $1 million or more to Purdue. Those are:

• Marcel Sassola III, to support University Hall
• Jean and Bernas Downing Charitable Trust, to support the College of Agriculture
• American Institute of Steel Construction, to support the College of Engineering
• Connors Foundation for Catholic Activities Inc., to support the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
• Judith Harper, to support the College of Science
• Scott Palmer, to support the College of Engineering
• Martin and Jan Pickett, to support the RecWell Outdoor Center Master Plan
• John Moser, to support the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
• An anonymous gift, to support Student Life

Additionally, trustees approved the following namings:

• Marcel Sassola III Student Commons (Room 113 of renovated University Hall), in recognition of Marcel Sassola III
• South Hall, the new residence hall located south of Hillenbrand Hall that is set to open for the fall 2026 semester

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.