FALL/WINTER 2007
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Welcome to the Fall issue of Insights. This is a packed issue that reflects how busy and full life is in the College of Science! Our faculty and students continue to advance the boundaries of knowledge about some of the most challenging problems facing modern society. In the last issue we highlighted research on alternative sources of energy.
In this issue, we look at the global issue of public health. It’s been decades since Purdue researchers discovered how to genetically improve the protein quality of maize, referred to as Quality Protein Maize (QPM). Using a statistical method called meta-analysis, PhD student Nilupa Gunaratna and colleagues have made discoveries that will have significant repercussions on the nutritional quality of QPM and other food crops.
You will also find the annual report for the college in this edition of Insights. Please do take a few moments to review it. I am very proud of the supreme efforts of our faculty, students, and staff to promote the college’s vision of innovative programs in discovery, learning, and engagement. Together we are accomplishing great things.
You will recall from the last Insights that I mentioned that the college is celebrating its 100th anniversary! No doubt Stanley Coulter, first dean of the School of Science in 1907, would be amazed if he could see the college now! The new Richard and Patricia Lawson Computer Science Building opened one year ago, and we just broke ground on the new Wayne and Mary Hockmeyer Hall of Structural Biology. He would soon recognize, however, that some things have remained the same: academic excellence, pursuit of the higher good through science discovery, and commitment to the land-grant mission of educational opportunities for all sectors of society.
The College of Science Centennial celebrations will officially begin when we welcome the MythBusters in Elliott Hall on October 28. Many of you know MythBusters from the Discovery Channel — I can tell you that their appearance is generating a lot of excitement!
The Centennial celebrations conclude with the Elliott Hall appearance of Jane Goodall, globally renowned primatologist, on March 29. I am sure that all who attend will be inspired by Jane and her lifelong efforts to improve the world for all living things.
Please visit www.science.purdue.edu for more information about the Science Centennial events. I hope you will join us for the celebrations!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey S. Vitter
Frederick L. Hovde Dean of Science