Purdue Engagement News

Academic boot camp gives leg up to college newcomers

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 13:38:00 EDT

To help 42 incoming freshmen adjust personally, socially and academically to college, Purdue University is sponsoring its third annual Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Academic Boot Camp.

Students who are registered in the College of Engineering are attending the camp through Aug. 1, while students enrolled in technology or science will attend July 6 - Aug. 1. Founded by the Minority Engineering Program, the camp features intensive seminars that provide tools for succeeding in and outside of the classroom.

Manufacturing Extension Partnership helps companies get 'lean'

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 09:48:00 EDT

Companies throughout Indiana are taking advantage of a Purdue program that helps improve operational efficiency and increase profits.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership, administered by Purdue's Technical Assistance Program, helped 290 companies eliminate waste and implement process improvements in fiscal year 2007-08. Partnership director David Snow said these "lean manufacturing" advancements translated into an economic impact of almost $96 million.

Appointments, honors and activities

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:30:00 EDT

• Faculty and staff honors:

— Deborah Koester, project manager for the Indiana State Department of Health's quality improvement initiative, received the State Health Commissioner award. The award was presented in recognition of "outstanding contributions in promoting, protecting and providing for the health of the people in Indiana." Koester has worked with the state department of health on preparing for pandemic viruses and on a Healthcare Technical Assistance Program project to strengthen local public health-care programs. Twenty Indiana counties have participated in the assessment and quality improvement project, which will continue through September 2009. Koester also is expected to gradate in August with a doctorate in nursing practice.

Purdue, Indiana universities collaborate to offer online college credit courses to rural Indiana students

Tue, 6 May 2008 13:12:00 EDT

Hoosier high school students living in rural areas will have increased access to college credit courses this fall thanks to the collaborative efforts of Purdue University and Indiana University.

The two universities are working together to offer a pilot program that will include six online courses in the fall 2008, three from Purdue and three from IU. Purdue will offer courses in agronomy, computer science and sociology. IU-administered courses will include geological science, history and criminal justice.

Service-learning projects gain momentum, funding

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:15:00 EDT

The number of classes at Purdue University that incorporate service-learning, through which students apply the skills they learn in the classroom to community service, has grown from 31 in 2002 to more than 150.

To advance these efforts, the Office of the Provost has awarded $5,000 each to five professors named as 2008 Purdue Community of Service-Learning Faculty Fellows. The honorees include:

Kernan to speak on local government reform at Purdue conference

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:06:00 EDT

Former Indiana Gov. Joseph E. Kernan will speak about the need for local government restructuring as part of a conference in Indianapolis sponsored by the Purdue University Center for Regional Development.

The conference, The Many Faces of Regionalism: From the Mega to the Micro, will take place from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 16 and 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 17 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 123 W. Louisiana St., Indianapolis. Kernan, co-chair of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform, will speak at 11:30 a.m. April 17 in the Illinois Street Ballroom.

Students to go for gold in Science Olympiad

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:49:00 EST

More than 150 junior high and high school students from throughout Indiana will test their scientific knowledge in the Science Olympiad regional competition at Purdue University on Feb. 23.

The event, sponsored by the College of Science and the Science Olympiad Club, will take place from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. throughout campus. It features 23 science and technology-related competitions and is free and open to the public.

Science Bound students to gain internships, career counsel

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:26:00 EST

Approximately 100 Science Bound students from Indianapolis Public Schools will explore careers in engineering, life sciences and technology during a Purdue University sponsored career day in Indianapolis.

The fifth annual Science Bound Career Day will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 23 at the NCAA Hall of Champions, 700 W. Washington St. The students will participate in workshops developed by Indianapolis business leaders from Bowen Engineering; Shiel Sexton Construction; Rolls-Royce, AADC; Raytheon Co.; Veolia Water Indianapolis LLC; Indianapolis Power & Light Co.; General Electric Co.; Eli Lilly and Co., Applied Engineering and L'Acquis Consulting Engineers. High school juniors also will have the opportunity to interview for summer internships with Indianapolis companies or Purdue academic departments.

Purdue offers Chinese culture course

Wed, 6 Feb 2008 09:51:00 EST

The Confucius Institute at Purdue and Purdue Continuing Education will offer a non-credit course in Chinese culture this spring.

The course, A Glimpse of China, will cover selected topics on the Chinese civilization, geographic, historical, and aesthetic components of Chinese culture and the contemporary life of the Chinese people. Topics will include history and geography, Chinese language and calligraphy, Confucianism, Chinese arts and current social, political, cultural and economic issues of China.

Healthcare TAP sees healthy growth, new director

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 11:24:00 EST

Purdue University's Healthcare Technical Assistance Program is expanding to include programs aimed at improving the health-care provider system, public health system, control of employer-paid health-care costs, and medicine safety.

To meet the growing demand for its services, TAP has promoted Mary Anne Sloan from Healthcare TAP associate director to director.

Companies needed to participate in energy audits

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:44:00 EST

Purdue University's Technical Assistance Program is recruiting industrial companies in Indiana to participate in energy efficiency audits.

The audits, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program, will help companies identify how to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption and carbon emissions. TAP's Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center will work with the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development to identify and recruit facilities with energy expenditures in excess of $1 million per year. They will receive three-day energy audits by a U.S. Department of Energy qualified specialist on one or two energy intensive systems.

Purdue to offer MCAT preparation course

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 15:38:00 EST

Purdue University Continuing Education and Conferences will offer a Medical College Admission Test preparation course in the spring 2007-08 semester.

The course, sponsored by the Department of Chemistry, will meet from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Jan. 19 through April 13. The registration fee for the 24 course sessions is $499. Online registration is available at the Continuing Education and Conference Web site at: http://www.continuinged.purdue.edu/testprep.

Rolls-Royce becomes book buddies with Science Bound students

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:23:00 EST

Science Bound students at Purdue University will have support in paying for textbooks, thanks to a $100,000 endowment from Rolls-Royce Corp.

The Science Bound Book Fund was announced Tuesday (Nov. 27) during a luncheon in honor of Purdue President Emeritus Martin C. Jischke. The luncheon took place in the Rolls-Royce/UAW Training Center Auditorium, 2605 West Raymond St., Indianapolis.

Federal government awards second grant to Purdue, IU for regional competitiveness

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:22:00 EDT

Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman has helped secure a federal grant for Purdue and Indiana universities to work together to expand a regional study of rural economic development.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded the $349,865 grant to Purdue's Center for Regional Development and the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. It supplements a previous federal grant of $425,500. The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs provided $150,000 in matching funds.

Technical Assistance Program to expand energy efficiency services

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:07:00 EDT

The Purdue University Technical Assistance Program has received a $200,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Energy & Defense Development to continue its Energy Efficiency Services initiative, a program that helps Indiana companies reduce energy consumption.

The initiative supports the state's Hoosier Homegrown Energy Plan by assisting companies in reducing the use of electricity and natural gas. Purdue's program offers companies savings opportunity analysis, technology awareness, and energy efficiency training and implementation services.

Technical Assistance Program launches new programs, adds offices

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 09:37:00 EDT

Purdue University's Technical Assistance Program launched or expanded two programs, opened new offices in Kokomo and Rising Sun and added 10 full-time employees in 2006-07 to meet the increasing demand for its services in Indiana.

According to the program's recently released annual report, TAP served 413 companies and health-care providers in 69 counties during that fiscal year. Its efforts led to the creation of 547 jobs and nearly $70 million in sales.

Science Bound takes another leap forward

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:36:00 EDT

Purdue University, which recently welcomed the first class of 27 Science Bound students with full-tuition scholarships, has announced that number could double next fall.

Interim Provost Victor L. Lechtenberg and Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White on Sept. 24 joined Science Bound supporters in celebrating the program's continued success. The event was at the Crowne Plaza at Union Station, 123 W. Louisiana St., Indianapolis. Approximately 500 students, parents, mentors and corporate partners were in attendance, including the senior class of 60 Purdue hopefuls.

Technical Assistance Program opens Jasper office

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:25:00 EDT

The Technical Assistance Program, which connects businesses with Purdue resources and helps them remain globally competitive, will open a new office in Jasper, Ind., on Tuesday (Sept. 11).

David Sobotka will direct the office, for which space has been provided by Vincennes University Jasper Center. Sobotka most recently served as an organizational development consultant for HR Solutions Inc., an executive recruiting company in Evansville, Ind. An expert in lean manufacturing processes, he designed a process improvement and professional development training curriculum for health-care, manufacturing and service industries.

Indiana companies to find homegrown talent at high-tech fair

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 10:02:00 EDT

More than 800 Purdue University students soon to hit the job market are expected to meet with representatives from Indiana companies for an Oct. 31 job fair.

Employers can register online for the 10th annual High Tech Job Fair for Indiana Companies at www.purdue.edu/ jobfair. The event, offered by Purdue's Technical Assistance Program, will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Purdue Memorial Union ballrooms.

Purdue summer interns ready for real-world experience

Fri, 2 Feb 2007 11:28:00 EST

As many as 100 Purdue University interns are available to assist Indiana companies with summer projects through Purdue's Technical Assistance Program.

Employers can begin the summer intern recruiting process by registering on the program's Web site at http://www.tap.purdue.edu/ or by contacting Sheana Reigle, summer intern coordinator, at (765) 494-3314. After registering, employers will receive resumes from qualified students. Purdue staff will assist in scheduling students for interviews through April 27.