November 13, 2007

Purdue's College of Science reflects on the past, sets stage for next century

"Basic science is central to Purdue and provides the building blocks from which all research is built," said Jeffrey S. Vitter, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science. "Stanley Coulter founded the School of Science in 1907 and became its first dean, but science was an integral part of Purdue since the university's inception. In fact, the very first degree awarded from the university, given in 1875, was a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry."

The College of Science is celebrating its centennial by reaching out to the students through speakers and programs.

The college joined the university in honoring science journalism laureates on Nov. 8 and will welcome primatologist and author Jane Goodall on March 29.

"One hundred years of innovation and imagination is the theme of the science centennial celebration," Vitter said.  "As we look to the past and anticipate the future, we celebrate what has remained constant: the curiosity and drive to make scientific discoveries and provide answers to some of society's most pressing challenges. We also celebrate the young minds that will be the future researchers, innovators, communicators and educators of our field."

The college is creating a new scholarship in honor of the landmark anniversary, and each department within the college is bringing a speaker to address students and help spark their interest in the sciences. More information about the distinguished lecture series is available online at https://science.purdue.edu/centennial/lecture.asp

In addition, the college is putting together a time capsule of objects representing the past, present and future to be opened in 2107. Suggestions for the time capsule can be submitted at https://science.purdue.edu/centennial/time_capsule_feedback.asp

Discoveries over the past century in medicine and inventions in communications have helped revolutionize society, but Purdue anticipated and adapted to changes, Vitter said.

"Purdue physicists contributed to the first transistor, developed by Bell Labs, so it was only fitting that in 1962 Purdue was the first university in the nation to establish a computer science department," he said. "Purdue researchers have a history of interacting closely with industry in their fields, which helped Purdue identify issues and stay one step ahead of the curve."

Harvey Washington Wiley, Purdue's first professor of chemistry, made history as the father of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Law that led to the formation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. His research was key to establishing guidelines and protections against misbranding and adulteration of consumer products. This was one of the biggest health and economic issues facing society at that time.

Purdue researchers continue today to address important challenges and issues facing society, and the university has evolved to facilitate research that can address those challenges, said Jeffrey T. Bolin, associate dean for research in the College of Science.

"Purdue has embraced the need to create infrastructure that fosters interdisciplinary research and the need to support an incubator for startup companies based on research discoveries and innovations," Bolin said. "Initiatives like Purdue's Discovery Park and the Purdue Research Park not only help the university conduct cutting-edge academic research, but they also fulfill Purdue's mission as a land-grant institution by strengthening the state's commercial productivity and economic vitality."

Early in the 21st century, the College of Science established the cooperative areas linking and extending science, or COALESCE, program. The program expanded research in areas that require contributions from multiple disciplines, such as bioinformatics, climate change, computational science, massive data, membrane science, nanonscience and science education research. The program continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of society, Bolin said.

Christie Sahley, associate dean for undergraduate education, said that in addition to encouraging scientists to work together, it is imperative to engage more students in the sciences.

"Our nation has been producing fewer and fewer graduates in the key areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics," she said. "We must work to rekindle students' interest in the sciences and help them build a foundation that prepares them to pursue careers in these fields. Our K-12 science outreach programs work with students and teachers to achieve this goal. More than 2,400 teachers and 500,000 students throughout Indiana have benefited from these activities."

As part of this effort, the college brought the hosts of the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" to campus on Oct. 28 to kick off the centennial celebration.

Young students will bring the innovations and scientific breakthroughs of the future. Once a student's interest is sparked, it must be fueled by education, and Purdue has a history of academic excellence, Sahley said.

In 1979 Herbert C. Brown, a professor of chemistry, won the Nobel Prize, and in 1985 Michael Rossmann and his team were the first to determine the structure of a common cold virus.

Within this past year, Kevin Gurney, an associate professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, shared the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to former Vice President Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and science alumna Rita R. Colwell received a National Medal of Science from President George W. Bush.

Next year, science alumnus Andrew Feustal will become Purdue's first non-engineering graduate astronaut to fly aboard the Space Shuttle.

The college began with the departments of physics, biology, chemistry, industrial arts and sanitary science. It has grown from a single facility to more than 10 buildings across campus and continues to expand. The Richard and Patricia Lawson Computer Science Building opened one year ago, and Purdue recently broke ground on the Wayne T. and Mary T. Hockmeyer Hall of Structural Biology.

"Although much has changed, some things remain the same from the day this college was established: academic excellence, pursuit of the higher good through science discovery and commitment to the land-grant mission of educational opportunities for everyone," Vitter said. "We are setting the stage for the next century of science."

Writer: Elizabeth Gardner, (765) 494-2081, ekgardner@purdue.edu

Sources: Jeffrey  S. Vitter, (765) 494-1730, ScienceDean@purdue.edu

Jeffrey T. Bolin, (765) 494-1735, jtb@purdue.edu

Christie Sahley, (765) 494-1735, sahley@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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