From the Dean

Fall is in full swing at Purdue: homecoming, brisk mornings, brightly colored leaves, students gearing up for exams, and signs of preparations for the holiday season. Fall 2007 is also the official start of the College of Science Centennial celebrations.

Celebrating 100 years of Science is turning out to be a lot of fun! By providing highly visible, fascinating, and exciting examples of “science at work,” we are hoping to motivate kids to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and choose science as their career option.

We have already had several highly visible science-related events! The groundbreaking for the Hockmeyer Hall of Structural Biology on October 19 was a momentous day in the history of the College of Science. I couldn’t help but think about how proud Stanley Coulter, first dean of science, would be if he could see how we are setting the stage for the next century of science.

Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong was present with 15 other astronaut alumni for the dedication of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering on October 27. Isn’t it fantastic that Purdue alumni Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan were the first and last (or rather, most recent!) humans to walk on the moon? Science alumnus and astronaut Drew Feustel is gearing up for the August 2008 space flight to repair the Hubble telescope.

Our official Centennial kickoff was the October 28 Elliott Hall appearance of the MythBusters. With 6,000 fans in attendance, and a ratio of about 3:1 students to adults, we busted the myth that kids aren’t turned on by science.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Discovery Channel TV show MythBusters, each week the two stars Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman think of ingenious ways to test urban myths. As they engaged the audience with their stories about famous (or in some cases, infamous) myths, it was clear that these guys help kids see science in ways that appeal: hands-on approach to finding answers, independent thought, and, if possible, blow things up! The MythBuster message was simple and powerful: be curious and ask questions, search for answers, don’t be afraid to be wrong, and science is for everyone. Prior to Adam and Jamie's appearance, we featured a human time capsule composed of seven faculty members and a student in the College of Science as a way of demonstrating how today's scientists will inform and impact the future. If you weren't at the MythBusters, don't miss the video on our Centennial events Web page.

So why is it that we can get well over 4,000 kids to celebrate their scientist heroes, but yet we aren’t making the grade when it comes to getting many of those same kids to choose science as a path to a career? The consequences for our nation as a global and economic leader are dire unless we successfully recruit the next generation of scientists. It’s clear that we could take a few lessons from MythBusters. I welcome your ideas and suggestions.

As part of the Science Centennial celebration, we want your ideas for items to put into the Centennial time capsule that will show people 100 years from now what our science was all about. We will list everyone's ideas on our Web site. Purdue College of Science students will make the final selection in 2008.

Please also send us your memories of your time at Purdue. We will highlight these remembrances on our Web site for all to see. We hope your stories will not only bring back fond memories, but also reunite friends and colleagues.

During November 7–9, the College of Science is proud to co-sponsor the second annual Science Journalism Laureates event. Much like the MythBusters, science writers translate research discoveries into something we can see and understand. I hope that many of you will be able to join us on Thursday, November 8 in the Lawson Computer Science Building Commons for the morning Town Hall event and afternoon conversation and reception. Please visit the SJL Web site for more information.

Finally, let us remember that November is the month for giving special thanks. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and pay tribute to the wonderful support and encouragement we receive from all of you: the faculty, staff, students, alumni, corporate partners, and other friends of the College of Science. Thank you for all that you do for Purdue and the College of Science.

Sincerely,

Jeff Vitter

 

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW FACULTY

Nancy Pelaez

Nancy Pelaez joins the biological sciences department as an associate professor, having served most recently as a program director for the Education and Human Resources/Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation. Her research interests include vascular smooth muscle physiology, evolution and medicine, physiology education, and laboratory science education. Visit her homepage.

Xavier Tricoche

The Department of Computer Science welcomes Xavier Tricoche as an assistant professor. He comes to Purdue from the University of Utah, where he was a research assistant professor at the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute. His current research interests include scientific visualization, structural analysis of vector and tensor fields, visual exploration of large-scale data, feature extraction in computational fluid dynamics problems, post-processing of medical imaging data, topological methods in visualization, computational steering, and computer graphics. Visit his homepage.

Wei Xie

Wei Xie joins the physics department as an assistant professor, coming from Brookhaven National Laboratory's RIKEN-BNL Research Center. His primary research interests involve high energy nuclear physics, including study of the Quark-Gluon Plasma believed to be created a few micro-seconds after the "Big Bang." He is conducting experiments at the Relativistic Heavy-ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Lab in Long Island, NY. Visit his homepage.

 

SCIENCE PEOPLE

McCoy Awardee Joseph Francisco discusses planetary engineering of Mars

Joseph Francisco, the William E. Moore Distinguished Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Chemistry, gave a presentation October 10 entitled, "From Earth's Atmosphere to Planetary Engineering of Mars: An Adventure in Chemistry." The presentation was part of the McCoy Distinguished Lecture series. Francisco is the winner of the 2007 Herbert Newby McCoy Award, presented annually to the Purdue student or faculty member for the year's outstanding contribution to science. The winner is nominated by colleagues and selected by faculty representatives and the university president. In his presentation, Francisco discussed the potential of introducing specific greenhouse gases onto the planet Mars in order to raise the temperature from bitterly cold to a level that could sustain life. Full story. You can also see Francisco as part of the "human time capsule" during the MythBusters Centennial kickoff.

Purdue professor shares Nobel Peace Prize

Kevin Gurney, associate director of Purdue’s Climate Change Research Center and assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences and agronomy, is among co-recipients of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about manmade climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.” Gurney was one of the 2,500 international climate scientists who played various roles in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the Nobel Prize with Al Gore. Full story.

Richard J. Kuhn named director of Bindley Bioscience Center in Discovery Park

Richard J. Kuhn has accepted the position of director of the Bindley Bioscience Center in Discovery Park. He joined the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University in 1991 where he currently serves as, and will remain, Head of the Department of Biological Sciences. His research at Purdue has focused on the replication and assembly of alphaviruses and flaviviruses. Together with his structural biology colleagues including Michael Rossmann, he has been involved in many fundamental studies that examine the structure and assembly of enveloped viruses, including the first structure of the dengue virus. A global expert on molecular virology, Kuhn continues to focus on virus replication, virion assembly, and host cell interactions using biochemical, genetic, and structural techniques.

Alok Chaturvedi wins Outstanding Commercialization Award

The United States can provide more effective responses to natural disasters, health crises, and terrorist threats, thanks in part to Alok Chaturvedi. He is the 2007 recipient of the university's Outstanding Commercialization Award. The award, sponsored by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, was presented to Chaturvedi, professor of management and computer science (by courtesy). He is the founder and former director of the Purdue Homeland Security Institute at Discovery Park, and founder, president, and CEO of Simulex, Inc. at the Purdue Research Park. Chaturvedi was recognized for his role in the development of the Synthetic Environments for Analysis and Simulation (SEAS) technology, which seeks to simulate and to explain how governments, companies, organizations, and the public respond to certain situations, including terrorism. For information on how Alok's technology is impacting the war on terrorism, please visit afcea.org.

Full story.

Geoscientist prepares for his first space mission

NASA’s looking for the best and brightest — geoscientists, that is. Andrew Feustel, a graduate of Purdue’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and a NASA astronaut, shared this and other insights with a group of students and staff on Friday, October 26. Feustel, a geoscientist whose background includes working with prominent energy companies, will depart on his first space mission next year. He has been tapped to be part of the team deployed to perform repairs on the Hubble telescope. Full story.

College of Science faculty recognized as patent holders

Several College of Science faculty were among the 28 individuals recognized as patent holders during the annual Inventors' Recognition hosted by the Purdue Research Foundation. The recipients were honored for their discoveries that have resulted, or may soon result, in commercial applications that benefit society. Honorees included R. Graham Cooks, Henry Bohn Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry; Philip L. Fuchs, Wetherill Professor of Chemistry-Organic Chemistry; Stanton B. Gelvin, professor of biological sciences; Daniel Raftery, professor of analytical and physical chemistry; Robert Santini, director of chemical instrumentation. Full story.

Sabre Kais elected fellow at AAAS

Sabre Kais, professor of chemistry, was elected a fellow of The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for outstanding contribution to theoretical chemistry, specifically the development of a finite-size scaling approach to calculate quantum critical parameters for atomic, molecular, and quantum dot systems. AAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. Full story.

Actuarial Sciences names Tracy Choka as the 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award winner

Tracy Choka (BS ’88) is the recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award in the Department of Actuarial Science. Ms. Choka is the head of product management at Swiss Re. After graduating from Purdue, she worked in actuarial programs, starting at Lincoln Re, joining Swiss Re in 2002. At Swiss Re, she heads up applied research and development, which executes leading-edge, applied research techniques to solve problems and provide knowledge-based solutions in the life and health segment of the industry. She has been a fellow in the Society of Actuaries since 1992 and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

 

Biological Sciences hosts Outstanding Alumni awardees

Biological Sciences recently honored two alumni who have made significant contributions in academia, government, and industry.

G. Wesley Hatfield (PhD '68) is founder and chief scientist of CODA Genomics, Inc. and a professor emeritus in the Schools of Medicine, Engineering, and Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He also serves as co-director of the UCI Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics and as director of the UCI Computational Biology Research Laboratory. His many honors include receiving the UCI Faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award and the Eli Lilly Research Award in Microbiology and Immunology.

Mary Lynne Hedley (BS '83) is the executive vice president and chief scientific officer at MGI Pharma Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts. She is a member of the Harvard University Tutorial Board. Committed to improving world health, she has been instrumental in supporting clinics in Nicaragua and Venezuela. Her many honors include the Massachusetts High Tech's Women to Watch Award.

Both Outstanding Alumni Award recipients shared highlights of their careers and experiences during a panel discussion on the interaction of academia with the biotechnology industry.

Chemistry honors five outstanding alumni 

The Department of Chemistry honored five alumni with the 2007 Outstanding Alumni Awards.

Robert L. Ford (PhD ’72) is a professor of chemistry at Texas Southern University in Houston and a partner in Texas Utility Solutions. He is the founder and director of a university energy and environmental studies center. He has an accomplished career as scientist, educator, entrepreneur, and administrator in Louisiana state government as well as international business experience in South Africa, Taiwan, and the Netherlands.

Randall Julian (PhD ’93) is co-founder and CEO of Indigo Business Systems. At Purdue, he studied the theory of ion trap mass spectrometers under Distinguished Professor R. Graham Cooks. He is a leader in developing software technology products for the life sciences. He is active in teaching and advising students at Purdue as Adjunct Professor. His research has been recognized with awards including the Kenan Analytical Award, the M. G. Mellon Award in Analytical Chemistry, and the Eli Lilly President’s Award.

Raymond Kaiser (PhD ’90) serves as the senior director of Formulation and Analytical Development at Wyeth Vaccines. Prior to joining Wyeth, he was a specialist in Quality Assurance and Control, the head of Analytical and Purification Development, and senior scientist at Eli Lilly. He is an expert in the discovery and development of novel vaccine products. He has numerous publications in protein chemistry, therapeutic proteins, and vaccines

Margaret Morris (PhD '82) is the director of Quality Assurance and Field Compliance at Monsanto. She has been a leading contributor to Monsanto’s agricultural biotechnology field testing program, which is the largest in the U.S. She has received Monsanto’s Regulatory Lifetime Achievement Award. As a role model for women, she has twice received the YWCA Women Leadership Award.

Mary J. Wirth (PhD '78) is a professor of chemistry at the University of Arizona. Her accomplished career includes professorships and research scientist positions at several prestigious institutions. She is the founder of bioVidria Inc.and a founding member of the Committee on Advancement of Women Chemists. Among her many honors and awards, she was the 2006 recipient of the American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Spectrochemical Analysis.

Two named outstanding alumni by the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

At a reception on October 5, the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences presented two alumni with 2007 Outstanding Alumni Awards. 

Frank Kornegay (BS, '73, MS ’75) is the Operations Manager of the Spallation Neutron Source project at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is the largest science project in the nation at this time. He received the prestigious National Performance Review Award in 1996.

Ralph von Frese (MS '73, Physics; MS ‘78, EAS; PhD ’80) is a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on satellite gravity and magnetic studies of the earth, moon, and other planets. Much of his research centers around the discovery of a possible giant meteorite impact crater on Antarctica and its contributions to the near total extinction of life about 250 million years ago. He is chair of the International Antarctic Digital Magnetic Anomaly Project.

Mathematics names 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award winner

The Department of Mathematics announced Irena Swanson (PhD '92) as its Outstanding Alumni awardee for 2007. Swanson is a professor at Reed College where her research area is commutative algebra. She is a widely published author. She is a role model for women in mathematics, receiving a Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education grant. She serves on the editorial board for Communications in Algebra. She designs and makes mathematics-related quilts.

Four alumni receive 2007 Department of Physics Outstanding Alumni Awards

The Department of Physics honored four of their graduates with Outstanding Alumni Awards.

Celeste Bottorff (MS '72, PhD '75), who also holds an MBA from the University of Virginia, is the marketing group director of the Food Service and Hospitality Division of Coca-Cola Inc. She has held a variety of strategy and marketing positions and has consulted for many Fortune 500 technology companies. At Coca-Cola, she leads a group that develops insights, strategies, and marketing in the food service business. She attributes her successful career to the principles of problem solving that her science education inspired. She recently joined the College of Science Alumni Board.

 

J. Thomas “Tom” Gruenwald (MS '72, PhD '76) is the executive vice president of corporate strategy and the chief technology officer at Tellabs. He directs Tellabs’ technology, business, and network evolution strategies. He was a professor of physics at the University of Portland prior to joining Bell Labs and, later, Tellabs. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

William Morse (MS '71, PhD '76) joined the Brookhaven National Lab physics department immediately after receiving his doctorate. During his illustrious career, he has made significant, intellectual contributions to experimental particle physics. He was chosen as an American Physical Society fellow in 2006 for his many accomplishments and leadership at Brookhaven National Lab.

Mario Paniccia (MS '90, PhD '94) is an Intel fellow and director of the Photonic Technology Lab at Intel Corporation, where he directs a research group with activities in the area of silicon photonics. His October 5 presentation, “Silicon Photonics: Opportunity Challenges and Recent Results,” provided an overview of his groundbreaking research at Intel Corporation. His past work focused on many areas of optical technologies, including optical testing for leading edge microprocessors, optical communications, and optical interconnects.

 

SCIENCE NEWS

Purdue breaks ground on Hockmeyer Hall

Purdue broke ground on the new Wayne T. and Mary T. Hockmeyer Hall during a ceremony in October. The $30 million building will house Purdue’s Center for Structural Biology research group. The building is named for the Hockmeyers who gave $5.3 million toward its construction. The building is scheduled for completion in 2009. Full story.

Purdue to host Science Journalism Laureates

Acclaimed science journalists from around the world will visit Purdue University November 7–9 for the second annual Science Journalism Laureates Program, designed to promote a global community of journalists and communicators in science and technology who play a crucial role in educating the public. The laureates meet with students, alumni and faculty to discuss new frontiers of science and technology and changes in the field. Purdue alumna Moira Gunn (MS '72 and PhD '74), host of National Public Radio's Tech Nation and BioTech Nation talk programs, will co-host the November 8 9:30–11 a.m. Town Hall Meeting, which is open to the public. A public convocation and reception takes place from 3–5 p.m. later that day. Both events are in the Lawson Computer Science Building. More information.

Indianapolis and Purdue to partner on climate change project

The City of Indianapolis has announced that it will partner with Purdue's Climate Change Research Center to conduct a pilot study of a data-driven modeling framework called Hestia that will quantify all fossil fuel-based carbon dioxide emissions and underlying driver activity in Indianapolis. The project will be a university-wide collaboration anchored in the Climate Change Research Center and will use resources from Purdue's College of Science, research scientists from the Office of Information Technology at Purdue and multiple centers, including the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, the Energy Center, the Cyber Center, and the Center for the Environment. Full story.

Purdue joins Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Project

Purdue became the twentieth institution to join the $450 million Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Project (LSST). LSST is a private-public partnership that will offer a revolutionary new astronomical view of the universe, using a ground-based telescope. LSST will cover the available sky every three nights, providing a movie-like window on objects that change or move on rapid timescales such as exploding supernovae, potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids, and distant Kuiper Belt objects. The images from the LSST will be used to trace billions of remote galaxies and measure the distortions in their shapes produced by lumps of dark matter, providing multiple tests of the mysterious dark energy. Constructed in Chile, the telescope is expected to be completed around 2015. Twenty universities and government laboratories have joined this effort. Purdue faculty participating in LSST are Wei Cui, physics; John Finley, physics; Chris Hoffmann, computer science; John Peterson, physics; Voicu Popescu, computer science; and Ian Shipsey, physics.

Department of Biological Sciences offers online course for Indiana teachers

The Department of Biological Sciences is offering an online Professional Development Course (BIOL595E Teaching Evolution) for middle school and high school teachers in the spring of 2008 that will provide a vibrant, content-rich learning experience about biological evolution. The course content is based on the PBS/WGBH Educational Foundation broadcast series, interactive Web activities, teacher methodology videos, and a multimedia Web library. Teachers will have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of evolutionary concepts, develop instructional strategies, and address obstacles in the teaching of evolution. Interested individuals should contact Nancy Pelaez, associate professor of biological sciences.

Purdue's carbon footprint measured by students

This past spring, students and faculty embarked on an intellectual expedition when they took a new course titled “Carbon Neutrality at Purdue.” As part of the course, students calculated the university's annual carbon emissions and provided ideas for reducing emissions, which could save Purdue as much as $2 million annually. The course was a 500-level course, open to upperclassmen and graduate students of any degree program with no prerequisites, drawing from the colleges of science, engineering, liberal arts, and agriculture. Click here for the class's final report. Full story.

Biometric sensors no dirtier than doorknobs

Industries are learning that many users of biometric sensors believe the devices are unsanitary and a potential source of germs that could cause illness. However, a Purdue University study has found that while the glass surfaces of devices that scan fingerprints may look more unsanitary due to visible dirt and prints, they in fact harbor about the same amount of bacteria as a typical doorknob. Full story.

Founder of Palm, Handspring, and Numenta to present at Purdue

Jeff Hawkins, founder of three technology companies including Palm and Handspring, will present a lecture November 13 on the theory of hierarchical temporal memory to explain how a new theory of neocortex may lead to truly intelligent machines. Hawkins will describe the theory, its biological basis, and introduce a new software platform created by Numenta that allows anyone to apply this theory to a variety of problems. Hawkins described this approach in his book, On Intelligence, published in 2004. The College of Science is co-sponsoring this lecture, which will take place November 13 at 10:30 a.m. in Loeb Playhouse. More information.

Purdue to host Bioethics Seminar Series

Purdue is hosting a Bioethics Seminar Series that will focus on environmental ethics and nano/medical ethics. Leigh Raymond, associate director of Purdue’s Climate Change Research Center , will present, “Ethics and Politics of Climate Change” at 5:00 p.m., Nov. 5 in the Burton Morgan Center 121. Upcoming lectures feature other well-known speakers Eric Meslin (director of the Center for Bioethics, IU), Nagel Cameron (director of the Center on Nanotechnology and Society at the Illinois Institute of Technology), Barbara Karn (from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), and David Resnik (bioethicist at the National Institute for Environmental Health Services). More information on bioethics at Purdue.

Purdue celebrates MRI facility dedication

Purdue celebrates its MRI Facility Dedication and Symposium November 2 with speakers from Purdue, InnerVision, General Electric Healthcare, and other affiliated universities. The new building in Purdue Research Park provides space for a high-powered magnetic resonance imaging center that will be used for patient care and research. The 7,800-square-foot MRI center, InnerVision West, will house a restaurant, coffee shop and a high-tech company. The MRI center is a partnership whose members include Purdue University, Purdue Research Foundation, St. Elizabeth Regional Health, Unity Health Care, and GE Healthcare. Schedule and more information.

Science Teambuilding and Leadership Institute (STALI)

Science Teambuilding and Leadership Institute (STALI) will hold its first advisory board meeting on November 30. Launched by the College of Science Undergraduate Education, STALI is an academic component of Boiler Gold Rush that is designed to help incoming science freshmen get a jump start in the new curriculum and to prepare them for success as a student and in their careers. Associate dean for undergraduate education, Chris Sahley, chairs the advisory board which includes representatives from corporate sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Walgreens. Other events include a presentation by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and a reception to follow. For more details regarding this event, please contact Robin French, rdfrench@purdue.edu.

Science Education in Computational Thinking (SECANT) to host NSF workshop at Purdue

Faculty in the Departments of Computer Science, Physics, and Chemistry departments at Purdue have recently been awarded a three-year NSF grant in the new program "Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH)" for computing education for science undergraduates. Project SECANT, Science Education in Computational Thinking, is a community building project that will bring together computer scientists and natural scientists who recognize that computing has become indispensable to scientific inquiry and is set to transform science in a transformative manner. The first SECANT workshop will be held at Purdue on November 15–16. Participants will include computer scientists, physicists, and chemists from Big Ten institutions, undergraduate institutions, and scientists from the industry. More information.

Share the knowledge!

We want to hear from you. The College of Science celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. What amazing things have come out of the College of Science at Purdue? What is your favorite memory of your time at Purdue? What do you know that we don't? We're especially interested in memories from the distant past. Please e-mail us with your remembrances and suggestions.

 

PURDUE NEWS

Click on the title for a link to the full story.

Purdue Homecoming salutes first man on moon, 50th anniversary of NASA

Neil Armstrong Hall is new home to Purdue engineering

Neil Armstrong sculpture, lunar footprints, unveiled at Purdue

Purdue celebrates plan for new home for hospitality and tourism management

Three events wrap up Purdue's fall celebration

Dalai Lama visits Purdue

Purdue professor receives World Food Prize

Hanley Hall celebration to focus on families, leadership

SCIENCE EVENTS AND CALENDAR

Nov. 2, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Indiana Multicultural Job Fair, Indiana Convention Center. More information.

Nov. 2, 1:15–4:00 p.m.: Purdue MRI Facility Dedication and Symposium, InnerVision West. Schedule of events.

Nov. 2, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Global Opportunities Fair, Purdue Memorial Union North Ballroom. The fair is free and open to all Purdue students and alumni interested on global work or study. Registration is required. More information.

Nov. 3, 12:00 p.m.: Football, Purdue vs. Penn State at Penn State.

Nov. 5, 5:00–7:00 p.m.: Bioethics Seminar Series, Burton Morgan Center 121. Leigh Raymond, associate professor of political science and associate director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, will present, “Ethics and Politics of Climate Change.” More information.

Nov. 7–9: Science Journalism Laureates. The annual program returns for a second year to honor the important role played by science and technology journalists and communicators. Events open to the public in Lawson Commons on Nov. 8 include a Town Hall meeting, 9:30–11:00 a.m., and an afternoon convocation and reception 3:00–5:00 p.m. More information.

Nov. 8, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.: Discovery Lecture Series, Global Business Development in Life Sciences, Ross-Ade Pavilion. BioCrossroads® and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation team up as part of the Discovery Lecture Series to present “What Skills Do Our Nation’s Next Generation of Entrepreneurial Leaders Need?” More information

Nov. 10, 12:00 p.m.: Football, Purdue vs. Michigan State.

Nov. 12, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.: Energy Efficiency Global Forum and Exhibition, Washington, D.C. This inaugural event embodies the best features of a World’s Fair, where scientific, business, and political leaders as well as activists, the media, and people from all countries and walks of life come together to celebrate new ideas and cutting-edge technologies that can transform people’s lives. More information.

Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m.: Philip F. Bagwell Lecture, Loeb Playhouse. "Hierarchical Temporal Memory: How a New Theory of Neocortex May Lead to Truly Intelligent Machines." Jeff Hawkins, the founder of Palm, Handspring, and Numenta will describe the theory and its biological basis and will introduce a new computer software platform that allows anyone to apply this theory to a variety of problems. More information.

Nov. 15–16: NSF Workshop on Science Education in Computational Thinking, Lawson Computer Science Building. The workshop will address how to make computational thinking a central part of an undergraduate science education through the development of new courses focused on the computational understanding relevant to tomorrow’s scientist. More information.

Nov. 17, game time TBA: Football, Purdue vs. Indiana at Indiana.

Nov. 17, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.: Physics Fun Fest, Physics Department. For students of all ages. Contact Julie Conlon, physics outreach coordinator, for more information at 765-494-0740.

Nov. 29: Centennial Distinguished Lecture Series. The Chemistry Walton Lecture presents Harry Gray, Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry and founding director of the Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology. Contact John Fisher, director of alumni relations and special events, for more information at jrfisher@purdue.edu, 765-494-0586.

Nov. 30, 2:30 p.m.: “Interviewing Tips for International Students,” Stewart Center 214A. Norman Timonera, senior consultant for employment services of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, will provide expert advice to help international students improve their interviewing skills. This event is co-sponsored by STALI (Science Teambuilding and Leadership Institute), the Center for Career Opportunities, and International Student Services. A STALI networking reception will follow at 3:30 p.m. in Stew 214B. For more information, please contact Robin French at rdfrench@purdue.edu.

Dec. 16, 2:30 p.m.: Winter Commencement, Elliott Hall of Music.

February 7, 2008: Centennial Distinguished Lecture Series presents Mildred Dresselhaus

Mar. 29, 1:00 p.m.: “An Afternoon with Jane Goodall,” Elliott Hall of Music. The College of Science will host renowned primatologist Jane Goodall to speak about threats to chimpanzees, the problems facing our world, and how people can effect change through consumer action, lifestyle change, and activism. Click here for more information.

Apr. 7: Centennial Distinguished Lecture Series. Mathematics Public Lecture presents Margaret Wright, Chair and Silver Professor of Computer Science, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. Wright is a leading researcher in the fields of optimization, linear algebra, and scientific applications. Contact John Fisher, director of alumni relations and special events, for more information at jrfisher@purdue.edu, 765-494-0586.

Are you interested in leaving a lasting legacy for future students or faculty at Purdue? If so, please visit our planned giving home page.

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