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March 25, 2003

Purdue president to 'engage' Scott County in all-day visit

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University leaders are continuing a series of Purdue Days in Indiana with a visit to Scottsburg and Scott County on Friday (3/28).

Purdue President Martin C. Jischke (pronounced JIS-key) will be joined by Purdue faculty and administrators as he talks and listens to area residents who have a variety of ties to Purdue.

Local hosts for the visit will be Purdue alumni Robert Peacock and Tom Springstun. Peacock is director of the Scott County Economic Development Commission. Springstun works at the Scott County Purdue Extension Office.

David C. Petritz, director of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and associate dean in the School of Agriculture, who will accompany Jischke on the visit, said, "President Jischke has been a strong and consistent advocate of bringing Purdue to the state and the state to Purdue. Purdue is committed to being a force – in learning, discovery and engagement – in Indiana."

W. Randy Woodson, Purdue's associate dean of agriculture, will accompany Jischke and Petritz on the visit.

Jischke, who came to Purdue in August 2000, is the university's 10th president. He previously served for nine years as president of Iowa State University, like Purdue, a land-grant institution. His experience in higher education also includes 17 years as professor and dean at the University of Oklahoma and five years at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Jischke was the founding president of the Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture. He served as chairman and board member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and as a board member of the American Council on Education, National Merit Scholarship Corporation and Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. He is on the boards of directors of the Association of American Universities and the American Council on Competitiveness.

After receiving his doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968, Jischke joined the faculty of the University of Oklahoma's School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. During his 17 years at Oklahoma, he served in multiple capacities. He became director of the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in 1977. He served as dean of the College of Engineering from 1981 to 1986, and he was named the university's interim president in 1985.

Purdue Days in Indiana have taken Jischke to the Indianapolis State Fair in August, Vincennes in September, Logansport in October, Dearborn County in November, Marion County in December, Jasper County in January and Columbia City in March. The last Purdue Day this spring will be in Anderson on April 24.

Writer: Mike Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu

Sources: David C. Petritz, (765) 494-8489, david.petritz@ces,purdue.edu

Robert Peacock, (812) 752-7268

Tom Springstun, (812) 752-8450

Bill Graham, (812) 752-3169

During the day, Jischke and his party will be at the following locations:

9 a.m. – Austin Train Depot. Jischke will participate in a roundtable discussion with Scottsburg Mayor Bill Graham, Economic Development Commission officials and members of the Scott County Manufacturers Forum.

9:35 a.m. – Morgan Foods, Austin. Jischke will tour the facility with Graham and representatives from Austin and Scott County.

11:20 a.m. – Scottsburg Best Western Inn. Buffet lunch with Scott County government, business, media, agriculture and industry representatives, as well as Purdue alumni.

12:15 p.m. – Scottsburg Best Western Inn. Jischke will make remarks and take questions.

Cooperative Agricultural Extension Office – Jischke will meet Charles Trump of the Columbia City Post & Mail and other media representatives.

1:25 p.m. – Scottsburg Lifelong Learning Center. Jischke will hear a presentation, "What is the Scott County Partnership?" and participate in a discussion of distance education in southern Indiana.

2:15 p.m. – Genesis Plastics and Engineering. Jischke will tour the facility with Jim Gladden, Genesis president and CEO.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A publication-quality photograph of Purdue President Martin C. Jischke is available at ftp://ftp.purdue.edu/pub/uns/+JISCHKE.Portraits/jischke.desk.jpeg. Jischke will be available to media for questions and photographs at 12:15 p.m. at the Scottsburg Best Western Inn.


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