Purdue Applied Research Institute, university host chief of naval operations

CNO Franchetti (center) meets with the PARI team at the Purdue Hypersonics and Applied Research Facility. From left are: David Bretz, senior project manager for the Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center; Gregory Scofield, executive director of the PARI Hypersonics Lab; Franchetti; Mark Lewis, PARI president and CEO; Karen Plaut, Purdue executive vice president for research; and Kea Matory, PARI chief external relations officer. (Purdue University photo/Kelsey Lefever)

February 13, 2025 Purdue Today

The Purdue Applied Research Institute and Purdue University on Monday (Feb. 10) hosted Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti to view up close how work here aligns with her priorities for the Navy.

Purdue President Mung Chiang welcomed Franchetti, the Navy’s senior officer charged with the service’s strategic direction and operating efficiency. She met academic leadership for tours through several facilities that included the UAS Research and Test Facility for unmanned autonomous systems research, the Hypersonics and Applied Research Facility to review its additive manufacturing capabilities and wind tunnels, and the Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research for the latest on steel-composite structures. Franchetti also met with the 120 midshipmen of Purdue’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, thanking them for their choice to serve the Navy.