September 28, 2007
Purdue trustees honor professors, ratify administrators, approve degrees
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University board of trustees on Friday (Sept. 28) approved the appointments of three faculty members to designated professorships and emeritus status for the former vice president for physical facilities.The board also ratified appointments of deans for the colleges of Business at Purdue North Central and Engineering, Mathematics and Sciences at Purdue Calumet.
The trustees ratified a bachelor's degree program in construction engineering and management technology at Purdue North Central, master's degree programs in nursing at Indiana University-Purdue Fort Wayne and in technology at Purdue Calumet. The merger of the departments of mechanical and industrial engineering technology and civil and architectural engineering technology at the Fort Wayne campus also was approved.
Robert P. Lucht was named the Ralph and Bettye Bailey Professor of Combustion in Mechanical Engineering. David E. Nichols is the Robert C. and Charlotte P. Anderson Distinguished Chair in Pharmacology. Randy W. Roberts, a professor of history, was named a Distinguished University Professor.
The three newest appointments bring the university's total of named and distinguished professors to 146.
"These educators are succeeding because of their commitment to their fields, to the students and to higher education," said interim Provost Victor L. Lechtenberg. "These are some of the people who make Purdue the outstanding university it is, and it is a pleasure to reward them with this distinction."
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Lucht, a Purdue professor in mechanical engineering at his alma mater since 2002, performs research in the development and application of advanced laser diagnostic techniques for probing reacting gas-phase media, such as flames and plasmas, as well as non-reacting fluid flows. His research program ranges from investigation on the physics of emerging laser techniques to the development of diode laser-based sensors for pollutant detection using ultraviolet and mid-infrared absorption.
Lucht earned a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from Purdue in 1977. He earned his master's degree in 1979 and his doctoral degree in 1981, both in mechanical engineering, also at Purdue. After receiving his doctoral degree, he became a member of the technical staff and was later a department manager at the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, Calif. He later was associate, then full professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Illinois, then became the G. Paul Pepper Professor at Texas A&M University before returning to Purdue.
He has authored or co-authored more than 100 archival journal articles. He is a fellow of the Optical Society of America and an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
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Nichols, a professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, has been at Purdue since 1974. His primary area of research is in the development of molecular probes to understand the role of brain monoamine neurotransmitters in normal behavior. His work focuses on using specifically designed molecules that are directed toward particular biological targets to complement the strides made in the information developed about structural and functional aspects of the brain. His particular focus is on brain systems that utilize dopamine or serotonin as the neurotransmitter.
He has published 230 articles in refereed research publications, 17 book chapters and monographs, and 26 symposium proceedings. He has lectured throughout the world on his research and is the recipient of seven issued U.S. patents. He has mentored more than 50 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and was chosen in 2006 to receive the first Provost's Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentor at Purdue.
Nichols earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Cincinnati in 1969 and his doctoral degree from the University of Iowa in 1973.
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Roberts has been a Purdue history professor since 1988 and has earned several distinctions. His main area of teaching is American history, including modern U.S. history and World War II.
In 2006 he was chosen as Indiana Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He also was recognized as Teacher of the Year in Liberal Arts in 1997 and by the Society of Professional Journalists in 1993. He was named one of Purdue's Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Teachers, which is Purdue's top teaching honor, in 1991.
Roberts has authored or co-authored 13 books on topics such as John Wayne, the Vietnam War, Jack Johnson, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oscar Robertson, Boston sports, the Alamo and Charles Lindbergh. He also has made numerous appearances on television documentaries and films for the History Channel, ESPN Classic, HBO, BBC, PBS, E! and the three major networks.
Before arriving at Purdue, he taught at the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, the University of Maryland and Louisiana State University.
Roberts earned a bachelor's degree from Mansfield University, a master's degree from the University of Nebraska and his doctoral degree from Louisiana State University.
The trustees also approved the appointment of Alan G. Krabbenhoft as dean of the College of Business at Purdue North Central. His appointment includes serving as Teddy Jacobi Faculty Scholar in Business.
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Krabbenhoft will lead the activities of the Department of Business, Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision, and the MBA program.
He previously was in the Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration at Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he most recently served as associate dean and program chair of the Master of Science in International Business program. He has authored and co-authored a number of articles and chapters for books and professional publications.
His awards include the WEHCBA Roosevelt University Outstanding Leadership Award and the In Praise of Teaching and Learning Award for his work in the classroom.
Krabbenhoft earned his master's and doctoral degrees, both in economics, from Wayne State University in Detroit and holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Moorhead State University (now Minnesota State University Moorhead), in Moorhead, Minn.
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Daniel J. Suson was appointed dean of engineering, mathematics and sciences at Purdue Calumet.
Suson served nine years as a department chair at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, the first three years as head of physics, then six years as head of physics and geosciences when the two departments were merged. He also was interim chair of mathematics for two years. He began there as an assistant professor and rose to full professor, teaching undergraduate physics and astronomy. He was active in numerous research projects, many involving students.
He also has served 10 years as a summer faculty fellow for the American Society for Engineering Education at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Suson is well-published and has been recognized as distinguished teacher, outstanding instructor and outstanding researcher, among other accomplishments.
He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas.
The trustees approved emeritus status for Wayne Kjonaas, Purdue's former vice president for physical facilities. Kjonaas, who had held the position 14 years, left to become the physical plant director at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.
The bachelor's degree program in construction engineering and management technology at Purdue North Central is designed to augment two related existing programs on the campus. The School of Engineering and Technology currently offers associate's degrees in building construction management technology, architectural technology and civil engineering technology, along with a bachelor's degree in engineering technology. Demand for technical personnel with engineering skills continues to be in high demand throughout the nation, and the new bachelor's program aims to meet the job demand requirements of northern Indiana companies and provide a mechanism for those aspiring to become construction management professionals, Lechtenberg said. Enrollment is projected to be 21 in the first year and increase to 61 by the fifth year.
The master's degree program in nursing at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne will have three areas of specialization: nursing education, adult nurse practitioner and women's health nurse practitioner.
To meet the projected growth in the demand for registered nurses, programs must increase graduation rates by 90 percent, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. In Indiana, 42 of the 92 counties are designated as medically underserved areas, including Allen County, where the Fort Wayne campus is located.
Enrollment for the new program is expected to be 24 students in the first year, increasing to 72 by the third year.
The new master's degree program in technology at Purdue Calumet is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills for technical leadership positions in business and industry, as well as faculty positions in technology and engineering.
The need for employees in computer systems, technology and related areas is expected to see double-digit increases through 2014. The program will help meet the growing need of for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the northwest Indiana region.
Enrollment is projected at 14 students the first year and is expected to increase to 40 by the third year.
The merger of the departments of mechanical and industrial engineering technology and civil and architectural engineering technology at the Fort Wayne campus will bring together the administration of several technology programs and offer opportunities to expand linkages across the programs. It also will give support to the newly approved master's degree program in technology at the campus, Lechtenberg said.
All of the new programs are subject to approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
Writer: Jim Bush, (765) 494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu
Sources: Victor L. Lechtenberg, (765) 494-9095, vll@purdue.edu
Robert P. Lucht, (765) 494-5623, lucht@purdue.edu
David E. Nichols, (765) 494-1461, drdave@pharmacy.purdue.edu
Randy W. Roberts, (765) 494-0040, rroberts@purdue.edu
Alan G. Krabbenhoft, (219) 785-5378, akrabbenhoft@pnc.edu
Daniel Suson, (219) 989-2468, suson@calumet.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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