Commencement speaker to grads: Your education has prepared you for your career’s path — not the destination

Alumnus Paul K. Kearns delivered these remarks during Purdue’s summer commencement ceremonies on Aug. 6. Kearns is director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Thank you, Purdue, for inviting me to help celebrate today’s graduates. This is a joyous occasion, and I could not be more honored than to deliver the commencement speech here, from the same stage where I received my diplomas.

I’ve returned to campus several times in recent years, and with each visit I marvel at how it has changed since I was a student. Among the new facilities that caught my attention are the Drug Discovery Building, the Nanotechnology Center, a Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Hall of Biomedical Engineering. Somehow, even Mackey Arena has matured into the Mackey Complex.

You may suspect that I am longing for the way things were, but I’m not. Quite the opposite. I see the university’s investment in teaching, research and collaborative space, and I’m thrilled. Purdue’s vision for that future is reflected in how it has changed since I studied here. The campus has evolved to mirror the advancements of business, technology and our world.

The growth is remarkable. It serves the best interests of the students, the community and society. I commend President Daniels and the university administration for the hard work of leading change. They have advanced innovative educational programs through an exciting vision and have provided the facilities needed to realize that vision. They have been stewards for a special place of history, traditions and, above all, achievement. Despite the change on campus, they have retained the foundational character and spirit of Purdue. I am confident that the university they lead has prepared you for a meaningful life, just as it did for me. I suggest, in fact, that their stewardship of Purdue is a model we can apply to our personal quests for long-term success.

Argonne National Laboratory faced challenges similar to Purdue. While not as old as the university, we’ve made comparable investments and adjustments to achieve our mission in a shifting world.

In 1946, the lab was established to develop peaceful uses for nuclear power following World War II. By the time I joined it in the 1980s, Argonne was diversifying its research portfolio — broadening its focus to more discovery science and the development of advanced technologies, especially those solving problems for energy and industry.

Fast-forward to 2022. We have expanded even more and lead initiatives in supercomputing, hard X-ray sciences, artificial intelligence, quantum information, radioisotope discovery for medical treatments, microelectronics and much more. The unifying premise of all our work is that we accelerate the science and technology that drive U.S. prosperity and security.

To accomplish this, we use a lab structure that allows for specialization, collaboration and innovation. Argonne is divided into directorates that encourage research across disciplines. Recognizing that the factors that affect Argonne’s mission have shifted, I knew the laboratory had to become more adaptable as well. I’ve learned that the path to a goal is rarely direct, and reinvention is essential along the way.

When Argonne was founded, the major threats to humanity were war and disease (and both are still making headlines). But today our health and prosperity are also at risk from extreme weather — heat waves, floodings and fires threaten our homes, farms and forests. We can address climate change through innovative energy technologies, the development of resilient infrastructure and a better understanding of impact mitigation.

To meet these new challenges, which are squarely within Argonne’s long-term goals, the lab needed to adapt. So we recently created two new directorates: one focused on advanced energy technologies, the other on nuclear technologies and national security. Such a large restructuring is a significant change — not in our goals, but in the path we take to reach them.

This step requires significant institutional courage — taking risks to redirect and refocus as necessary. But I believe that could be the key to our success.

While this new focus aligns with Argonne’s mission, it also connects with my personal one as well. I have had a long interest in and concern for the environment, sparked by reading Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” as a teenager and nurtured throughout explorations along the Wabash River during my Purdue days.

Last year, I attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, where the global community enhanced environmental commitments. I’ve seen the movements calling for decarbonization and energy justice. We are making progress, but more can be done.

Since Argonne and the other national labs are America’s scientific engine, we must play a part in this once-in-a-lifetime transition in the global energy system. And it will be your generation that will drive the solutions for a more sustainable, healthy tomorrow.

My generation had the best of intentions but has not been able to accomplish as much as we wanted or the world needs. I know we leave a heavy burden. I don’t have all the answers, but I have found that a large part of success is the ability to adapt.

When I graduated, I would have never imagined the course of my career — the great prospects that have taken me around the world and back home to the Midwest. After earning my degrees from Purdue, I started as a health protection specialist at Argonne. I was drawn to scientific discovery and embraced the stewardship of scientific resources.

Over time, I challenged myself with other positions. I let my curiosity guide me from the United Kingdom’s National Nuclear Laboratory to a Battelle Memorial Institute subsidiary working with the government of Italy to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Eventually, I jumped at the chance to serve as Argonne’s chief operations officer. I remembered the lab’s outstanding reputation from an earlier time at the laboratory. After seven years, I was named laboratory director.

And now, in addition to my work delivering the science and technology of Argonne focused on solving some of the world’s biggest problems, I also promote U.S. scientific leadership across the world. It is the pinnacle of my career, and it would not have happened without what I learned at Purdue. I am ever grateful.

I say this because of three formative traits that our university instills in all of us. What proved to be invaluable to me, professionally and personally, are:

• A foundation in a calling. For me that is science.
• A supportive network, including the lifelong friends you’ve found here. Connection makes us stronger. May your friendships never lack.
• And lastly, a constant drive for ongoing education and improvement — the bedrock for embracing change and thriving. We must never stop improving ourselves, reaching for new understanding.

My advice to you is this: Trust that your education has prepared you for your career’s path — not the destination.

Like the university itself, adapt to the times as you grow. The world will be surprisingly different 10 years from now. Like the laboratory I lead, stick to your mission, but embrace new ways to fulfill it. And perhaps like me, invest in work that fulfills and excites you — whether it leads you around the world or back to where you started. You may believe that having a clear picture of where you want to end up is most important — and it can be helpful — but I’d argue that you can’t really envision your end point until you’ve explored a bit. So wander bravely, knowing that Purdue has prepared you for the path.

To the graduates, some of you may not know where you want to go after graduation, and that is OK. Even if you do, your plans may change and life may take a different direction, which should be exciting.

At the risk of being the ceremony’s Purdue Pete, I will be cheering you on. I am confident that the transformations you pioneer will be extraordinary. You will oversee remarkable developments — breakthroughs that will change the world and make it better for everyone.

And what will allow you to lead will be your ability to anticipate, welcome and respond to your changing world. The unexpected is an opportunity. Adaptability will be your strength. And I know from experience that Purdue has positioned you for future success.

The Purdue legacy of higher education remains stronger than ever, and it has prepared you to reach your fullest potential. I want to acknowledge that none of you have done this on your own. Your family and friends lifted you up. Your classmates challenged you. And your faculty and staff have been role models and mentors. University leadership has consistently asked for the best from all of you. President Daniels, with just months left in your tenure, I suggest that your legacy is visible before us.

You have set them on their path, and they are ready.

Thank you again, and congratulations to the Class of 2022! Hail Purdue!