Purdue's 12th President

November 2018

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Our 150th anniversary year is off to a really positive start. From the release of the “First Man” movie chronicling Neil Armstrong and the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon, to Drew Brees’ smashing the NFL’s all-time passing yardage record, to our football team’s epic 49-20 win over THE Big Ten university to the east, we have a lot to be proud of.

Intertwined with the epic Ohio State victory was the story of the Boilermaker who has inspired so many, both within and beyond the Purdue community. Tyler Trent has shown us what it really means to be a Boilermaker through his remarkable determination and optimism in the face of terminal cancer. If you haven’t yet read about this extraordinary young man, I recommend this story by ESPN, this piece by Forbes, and this one from CBS Sports. 

(He also, by the way, predicted that win over Ohio State, and we were thrilled that he was able to attend the game and participate in the festivities.)

Ei-ichi Negishi poses with the Homecoming 2018 game ball

The 2018 Homecoming game ball was presented to Purdue chemistry professor and Nobel Prize winner Ei-ichi Negishi as part of the Giant Leaps kickoff festivities.

Giant Leaps celebration
After kicking off officially over Homecoming weekend in September, the yearlong Giant Leaps celebration is now in full swing, including the centerpiece of the year, an Ideas Festival that connects world-renowned speakers and Purdue expertise in conversations on the most critical problems and opportunities facing our world.

Several thought-provoking Ideas Festival events have already been held, including visits to campus from Harvard professor and best-selling author Steven Pinker; administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Seema Verma; former First Lady Laura W. Bush  and her daughters, Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager; and Nobel Prize winner Barry Barish.

President Daniels talks onstage with Seema Verma

Seema Verma discusses health care issues with President Daniels during an Ideas Festival event.

If you missed out on these events, don’t worry — we’re just getting started. There are a lot of exciting Ideas Festival events in the coming months, and I hope you’ll consider joining us as you’re able. You can see the full lineup of events at takegiantleaps.com/calendar.

Here are just a few that we’re looking forward to in the coming weeks:

We have several more events to announce soon, so stay tuned. 

Campus master plan
In other recent campus news, the Board of Trustees in October endorsed the next campus master plan, setting the stage for Purdue’s physical presence over the next 50 years.

Giant Leaps Master Plan map

Backed by two years’ worth of input from our students, faculty, staff and community, and taking into account other projects on campus like the Discovery Park District and the State Street Redevelopment Project, the plan prioritizes five key goals: 

  1. Invest in teaching, research and collaborative spaces.
  2. Prioritize strategic renovations.
  3. Focus housing and dining investments.
  4. Enhance open space connectivity and campus circulation.
  5. Strengthen campus identity and gateways.

This brief video provides a look at the plan and how it conceives a physical campus that embodies and advances our strategic priorities.

USS Indiana commissioning
Finally, thanks and congratulations to the six members of the Purdue Musical Organizations who were selected to perform at the commissioning ceremony for the USS Indiana in late September. As the only Indiana university musical organization to participate in the ceremony, they launched the submarine in style. 

Six PMO members pose near the USS Indiana submarine

Photo courtesy of Purdue Musical Organizations

Lots more going on, but I don’t want to wear out my welcome. For now, Boiler Up and Hail Purdue!

Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. 
President