Appointments, honors and activities

• Campus activities:

- The College of Technology's new entrepreneurship program Tech Ventures is seeking students to compete in the inaugural Open Compute Challenge. The task is to design a biodegradable server chassis that would eliminate the costs of recycling or taking it to a landfill. Teams of up to three people have until Oct. 1 to register. Designs are due Nov. 4. The winners receive a trip to the Open Commute Summit in California to present their design to information technology industry leaders. Purdue will help the winners fabricate the prototype. For more information, go to http://www.purdue.edu/opencompute/

- The Black Cultural Center's annual Friends and Family Day will be from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 29, before the Marshall-Purdue football game. It had been scheduled for after the game, before the kickoff time for the game was set at 3:30. The event will be at the BCC, 1100 Third St., West Lafayette. Participants will map the lives of African-Americans who moved from agricultural southern states to industrial northern states. The event is part of BCC's fall cultural arts series Black Detroit: The History, Movement & Music That Changed a Nation. It will feature migration stories, "Assembly Line Games" that teach about U.S. industry and education, children's activities and food.

• Faculty and staff honors:

- Five Purdue University faculty members were selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering's fourth Frontiers of Engineering Education symposium. Faculty members who are developing and implementing innovative educational approaches in a variety of engineering disciplines will come together for the event, Oct. 14-17 in Irvine, Calif. The Purdue faculty members, who were nominated by fellow engineers or deans and chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, are Mireille Boutin, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Jong Hyun Choi, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Loring Nies, a professor of civil engineering; Dimitrios Peroulis, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering; and Maryam Saeedifard, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

- Jane Kirkpatrick, professor and head of the School of Nursing, is one of 32 distinguished nurse educators who will be inducted as fellows in the National League for Nursing's Academy of Nursing Education. The fellows, who will be honored Sept. 21 at the 2012 NLN Education Summit in Anaheim, Calif., are selected based on their significant contributions to advancing nursing education.

- Human Resources employee Kate LeMar received the Betty M. Nelson Recognition Award for Outstanding Service to Purdue Retirees from the Purdue University Retirees Association. LeMar accepted the award during the association's annual kickoff luncheon on Sept. 10. The Nelson Award was established by PURA to provide special recognition for individuals, departments and outside agencies that provide significant service to all Purdue retirees. The award is named in honor of Betty Nelson, dean of students emerita and former PURA president, as a reminder of her contributions to the organization and her efforts to have retirees maintain a vital role in the Purdue family.

- Earhart, Ford and Wiley Dining Courts received the Employer of the Year Award from Wabash Center "in recognition of your outstanding relations with Wabash Center and of your commitment to employ adults with disabilities." Wabash Center in Lafayette provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Its mission is to "optimize the quality of life for people with disabilities or special needs."

• Notables:

- The Indiana Council for Economic Education, an academic outreach center within the Department of Agricultural Economics, recognized three Indiana teachers and an academic institution during its Excellence in Economic Education Awards Program on Sept. 21 in Indianapolis. Sarah Craft, a high school economics teacher at William W. Borden Junior-Senior High School in Borden, received the 2012 Olin W. Davis Award as Indiana's top economics teacher. Among Craft's accomplishments in economic education was her Economics of Sustainability Energy project. Regional award recipients were Kristin Chesterman, a teacher at Eastlawn Elementary School in Burnettsville, and Shanan Riegle, a teacher at Yorktown Elementary School in Yorktown. Chesterman was honored for her Success You Can Bank On project, while Riegle was recognized for her mini-factories project. The Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne Center for Economic Education received the 2012 Peter V. Harrington Award for university centers of economic education. The award recognized the work the Center has done with K-12 teachers.

• Alumni honors:

- The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics has named its Outstanding Aerospace Engineering Award winners for 2012. "This award recognizes the professional contributions of graduates from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and thanks them for the recognition that their success brings to Purdue and the school," said Tom Shih, head of the school. The 2012 winners are:

* Carl S. Gran, principal director of the vehicle performance subdivision for The Aerospace Corporation. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1974 and a doctorate in 1978.

* Thomas E. Haueter, retired director of the National Transportation Safety Board's Office of Aviation Safety. He earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1974.

* Erika J. Pearson, business director and deputy vice president of Asia, Pacific and India sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. She earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1993.

* Robert Sattler, retired president of LaSalle Machine Tool Inc. He earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering in 1948.

* Terry Saunder, director general of technical airworthiness for the Australian Defence Force. He earned a master's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1991.

* William (Ted) Torgerson, director and program manager of proprietary programs for The Boeing Company. He earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1983.

* John Walsh, president of Sypris Electronics LLC. He earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1982.

* Glenn Weissinger, vice president of strategic planning for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. He earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1977.

More information on the recipients is available at https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/AboutUs/Alumni/oae/2012