In Print: ‘Birck Builds the Future: Celebrating Twenty Years at Purdue University, 2005-2025’

Publication title

Birck Builds the Future: Celebrating Twenty Years at Purdue University, 2005-2025

Purdue authors

Zhihong Chen
Angie Klink

Publisher

Purdue University Press

Publication date

Dec. 15, 2025

About the book (from the publisher)

“Birck Builds the Future: Celebrating Twenty Years at Purdue University, 2005-2025” commemorates the vision, innovation and enduring impact of the Birck Nanotechnology Center. This richly detailed volume traces Birck’s journey from a bold idea — sparked by the urgent need for state-of-the-art facilities to support cutting-edge nanoscale research — to its emergence as a global leader in semiconductors and quantum research. The book highlights the center’s founding under Purdue’s then-president Martin Jischke and its role as the anchor of Discovery Park, a hub designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the fields of engineering, science, pharmacy and agriculture. Featuring contributions from early visionaries, faculty, staff and students, the narrative blends personal reflections, historical milestones and technological breakthroughs. It also chronicles the tenures of Birck’s five directors — Jim Cooper, Richard Schwartz, Tim Sands, Ali Shakouri and Zhihong Chen — capturing how each leader shaped the center’s evolution. Replete with vivid photographs and architectural insights, the book celebrates two decades of transformative research, education and industry partnership. As Birck enters its third decade — propelled by a $100 million renovation supported by the Purdue Board of Trustees, Purdue President Mung Chiang, Lilly Endowment Inc. and CHIPS Act funding — it stands as a cornerstone of the university’s innovation ecosystem, preparing the next generation of researchers and shaping the future of nanotechnology.

About the Purdue authors

Zhihong Chen is a Reilly Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Mary Jo and Robert L. Kirk Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center. Her research focuses on the design and fabrication of novel materials, devices and circuits for beyond-CMOS applications and emerging computing paradigms. Chen is a fellow of the IEEE and has served in leadership roles for the institute’s conferences and award committees.

Angie Klink is a Purdue alumna who has authored 15 books, including several about the history and people of the university. She has also written for the American Writers Museum, Ms. magazine, and Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History magazine. Klink is a recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in Historic Preservation Medal, an award honoring historic preservation and the commitment to research and writing.

About the In Print series

To celebrate our faculty’s excellence in scholarship, Purdue Today’s weekly book series highlights faculty expertise across diverse subjects and disciplines. Find out more about the Purdue University Books Initiative and how to suggest a book for the In Print series on the Office of the Provost website. Purdue University’s Libraries and School of Information Studies’ authored books collection is available here.