Purdue alumni join President Chiang for an evening in Houston

Purdue University alumnus and Board of Trustees member Shawn Taylor hosted a Purdue for Life Foundation event for alumni with President Mung Chiang and other special guests on April 24 at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Taylor is a Houston resident and a graduate of the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business.

“On behalf of my co-host, Steve Webster, it was an honor to host such a fantastic event with alumni and friends of Purdue and be joined by esteemed university representatives in America’s Space City,” Taylor said. “Exciting things are happening at Purdue, including the reimagined Daniels School of Business. The same can be said for the city of Houston, where we continue to attract new companies and technologies across many sectors, including energy, the life sciences, manufacturing and aerospace. As the country’s fourth-largest city, the partnership possibilities and opportunities to take giant leaps are ripe for the Boilermaker community. We’re committed and we’re just getting started.” 

Taylor, Bobinski and Chiang present Crane with a signed Purdue Baseball letterman jacket (From left to right: Shawn Taylor, Purdue alumnus and Board of Trustees member; Mike Bobinski, Purdue vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics; Jim Crane, Houston Astros owner and chairman; Mung Chiang, Purdue University president). Download image

In 2011, Taylor became a member of the ownership group that acquired the Houston Astros. After selling his interest in 2017, he became a special advisor to Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane, who was in attendance. In return, Mike Bobinski, Purdue vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics, presented Crane with a letterman jacket from the Purdue baseball team.

“We’re grateful to have been part of a tremendous Boilermaker event in Houston, showing once again that Purdue University enjoys passionate support throughout the country,” Bobinski said. “University trustee Shawn Taylor helped organize an excellent evening at Minute Maid Park, and we would like to again thank the Houston Astros organization for their hospitality.” 

Alumni heard an update on Purdue athletics from Bobinski and met new head football coach Ryan Walters and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who is a Brownwood, Texas, native.

Chiang spoke about key initiatives happening on campus, including the Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes, Purdue in Indianapolis, and the semiconductor leadership role Purdue plays across the nation and the world. “There are many proud Boilermakers and partners in Houston,” Chiang said. “We are excited to discuss Purdue’s momentum and initiatives, our excellence at scale, with our families and friends here.”

During the event, the 2022 World Series trophy was on display for photo opportunities. Over 200 alumni, friends and fans were in attendance, along with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.