Dear Alumni and Friends,
On June 30, 2007, Purdue will complete the $1.5 billion capital campaign in support of its strategic plan. In the College of Science, we are proud to be such a significant part of helping the University achieve its strategic goals. This past year, we welcomed 25 new faculty members into the College, and we continue to push the envelope in discovery, learning, and engagement.
This issue’s cover story spotlights the stellar growth and success of our Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Bridging the sciences from earth to sky with their complex interdependencies, the department is a multidisciplinary powerhouse. Our researchers have been called upon to help explain some of the world’s most public natural disasters - tsunamis, droughts, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The Purdue Climate Change Research Center, directed by EAS and chemistry professor Paul Shepson, have made several intriguing discoveries about global and regional climate. This year’s freshman undergraduates in EAS, along with their counterparts in actuarial sciences, are piloting a new outcomes-based College curriculum that will help prepare them better than ever to excel in their future careers and enter the ranks of tomorrow’s leaders.
We still have much to do in the College of Science. Over the next three years, we will work diligently to attract more top students into our undergraduate honors program and find dollars to offer more scholarships. We will complete our hires of 60 net new faculty members and invest millions to equip laboratories and train students. We hope to complete the fundraising and break ground for a new Structural Biology building and begin renovation of labs and classrooms, especially in Wetherill, Lilly, and Physics. To accomplish all this, we in the College of Science have set a major goal this academic year of raising $22 million in private support. If you are considering a gift, we welcome your support to help us meet strategic goals. Take a look at the College’s "wish list" at www.science.purdue.edu. (There is a special IRS incentive this year for donors who are 70 or older.)
Thanks for all you do for the College of Science and Purdue! Have a safe and peaceful holiday season,Jeffrey S. Vitter
Frederick L. Hovde Dean of Science