The Board of Trustees heard an update from Ryan Gallagher, Purdue’s associate vice president for facilities operations and environmental health and safety, on the progress made toward sustainability at the university. Purdue has been recognized by various organizations for sustainability practices, including a Times Higher Education ranking of the No. 6 university in the U.S. contributing to sustainable cities and communities, and a new Bee Campus USA designation.
Purdue has unveiled a broad strategy of AI@Purdue across five functional areas: Learning with AI, Learning about AI, Researching with AI, Using AI and Partnering in AI. A key element of the comprehensive plan came as the Board of Trustees approved a first-of-its-kind plan in the country to introduce an “AI working competency” graduation requirement for all undergraduate students on main campus (Indianapolis and West Lafayette).
The Board of Trustees gave approval to plan, finance, construct and award construction contracts to renovate the first floor of the Roberts Impact Lab under development by Purdue University Northwest in downtown Hammond, Indiana. The project includes a complete interior demolition, renovation and repurposing of approximately 13,000 square feet of a former hospital facility into a new innovation hub.
In his report to the Board of Trustees, President Mung Chiang recognized faculty who received major awards from July to October and thanked friends of the university for their recent generous contributions. He also provided an update on AI@Purdue, highlighting strategic efforts underway in heightening the university’s AI focus in the classroom and through public-private partnerships designed to accelerate AI learning, research and engagement.
Jim Bullard, the Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Mitch Daniels School of Business, presented an update on the school's activities. Among the highlights is the expansion of Daniels School offerings to Indianapolis, including the arrival of 30 students in the first cohort of the undergraduate Integrated Business and Engineering degree offered there, an offering of a business minor for non-business students, and plans to launch a hybrid version of the Master of Business and Technology program in 2026. Construction of the new Daniels School building in West Lafayette is on schedule, with a planned opening in 2027.
In his presentation to the Purdue Board of Trustees, Mark Lundstrom, special advisor on semiconductors to President Chiang and the Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, traced the evolution of the semiconductor industry and highlighted groundbreaking research discoveries by Purdue researchers. Drawing on more than five decades of experience in semiconductor research, Lundstrom reflected on key milestones, offered insights into the industry’s future and concluded with a summary of his career journey at Purdue.
During the Purdue Global Board of Trustees meeting, Jeff Buck, dean of Purdue Global’s School of Business and Information Technology, provided an update on the school’s progress and future initiatives. The board approved Purdue Global governance manual updates and the indemnification policy. The board also congratulated Eva Nodine, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, for being honored recently by the Indiana CPA Society with the group’s Women to Watch Award.
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