Ryan GAllagher, PE

Ryan leads Facilities Operations, and since July 2022, Purdue’s department of Environmental Health and Safety. This team is responsible for many of the services that keep the West Lafayette campus running reliably and safely on a daily basis. Facilities Operations includes building maintenance, in-house project delivery, custodial operations, grounds and street maintenance, and utility generation and distribution. Environmental Health and Safety focuses on keeping all campus occupants safe which includes the occupational safety of employees while they perform their job duties. Functions of the department include employee, research, lab, and food safety, as well as building abatement/remediation services, hazardous waste management, and regulatory permit management. 

Ryan has spent his career in operations and is constantly amazed at the work ethic, skill, ingenuity, and determination of front-line employees. Ryan believes that operations staff, many times working behind the scenes with little fanfare, are key to the collective success of a university or company. He understands that by ensuring a well-run operations team, others within the campus community, including faculty, students, administrators, and researchers, can concentrate on their own work without having to worry about the infrastructure and processes that support them.

Outside of work, Ryan enjoys family time with his wife, Jen, and their five children. From their home in Bloomington, Ryan and Jen visit Indianapolis often where twins Carter (law school student) and Sam (IT professional) reside. In spring, Ryan and Jen make the trip to Purdue Northwest for as many home games as possible to see twins Jack and Riley play baseball for the PNW Pride (Go Pride!). Ryan frequently gets to have lunch on campus with Olivia, the youngest of the Gallagher clan, who attends the West Lafayette campus.

Ryan powers Purdue by ensuring resources are available for facilities and environmental health and safety staff—then gets out of their way and lets them do what they do best.

Ryan may be reached at ryan@purdue.edu.