A Recap on Research Growth
by Melissa Dark, assistant dean for planning and sponsored research
The College of Technology has been working to grow its research footprint over the past several years. The signs of progress are noteworthy. Since the 2001-02 academic year, the College of Technology has seen a dramatic increase in both research proposals and awards. Table 1 shows activity in research proposals and awards for a 7-year period with 2007-08 Year-to-date information for July 1, 2007 – February 29, 2008.
This same data is shown graphically in Figure 1. As you can see, we are seeing steady upward growth in research awards. And 2007-08 is proving to be a banner year for the College of Technology with regard to research awards. At the beginning of the academic year, we set goals for research proposals and awards. The goal for this fiscal year is $30,000,000.00 in proposals and $5,000,000.00 in awards.
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Table 1
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Year |
Proposals |
Awards |
2001-02 |
$9,304,489.00 |
$350,166.00 |
2002-03 |
$6,684,515.00 |
$908,985.00 |
2003-04 |
$15,727,106.00 |
$2,127,994.00 |
2004-05 |
$9,966,143.00 |
$1,769,464.00 |
2005-06 |
$18,787,473.00 |
$3,104,992.00 |
2006-07 |
$16,775,266.00 |
$2,925,829.00 |
2007-08 YTD |
$14,895,372.00 |
$4,645,594.00 |
I am pleased to report that the college is currently at 50 percent toward meeting our proposal goal and 93 percent toward meeting our award goal for the 2007-08 fiscal year.
I believe we are just getting started. As we continue to create research labs and matriculate doctoral students to help support the research mission of the college, I believe we will see more rapid growth in the next seven years than what we have seen in the past seven years.
I’d like to close by acknowledging all of the faculty who have received awards with a hearty congratulations on your bright ideas and hard work. As we all know, it takes a great deal of effort and perseverance (and sometimes several proposals) to get an award.
 For a list of faculty with awards, visit the college's sponsored research site.
My hat is off to you!
Student Shares Perspective on Ireland Experience
James Murphy, a sophomore in industrial technology,  is studying abroad this semester at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland. Below, he shares some insights on university life in another country.
What is the university like?
This question usually takes awhile to explain. To sum it up in one sentence, it is virtually a 180 from Purdue, if that makes sense. It's in a city, and the campus buildings are strewn all around. I have 4 out of 5 classes in what's called Bolton Street, and one at Kevin Street. The facilities at both are probably a 2 out of 5, unfortunately, and the atmosphere is very high school. The students here don't seem to take school seriously and have the mentality of people in high school (school here is free, and I think that could be a reason for the lack of caring). It's taking some getting used to. I am also taking 21 lecture hours ... Plus, the grading system here is nuts. Virtually no homework, and the final exam accounts for more than 70 percent of the grade.
Do you enjoy your classes?
Lectures are typically 2 hours long, and they are dreadfully lengthy. The classes I'm taking though are supposed to be reflecting what I should be taking if I had stayed at Purdue. For 2 out of 5, I'm with third-year students (more calm and less rowdy), while the other classes I take with first-years, and needless to say, the teacher has virtually no control over them. There seems to be a lack of respect for the people at the front of the room. Classes seem easier than Purdue and more boring.
Do you travel by bus or do you do a lot walking?
I travel by bus to get to school. I live roughly 3.5 miles from DIT, and that is too far to walk every day. The bus rides can range from 15-60 minutes, depending on the traffic. I also do a lot of walking, though.
It is the best way to get around when the distances are manageable.
Are you enjoying the food?
Well, the food ... is at best OK. We usually don't eat out because the prices here are roughly 2 times those of home food costs. We have a local mini-grocery store we stock up at.
Have you had an opportunity to visit other parts of Europe?
Not yet. I have only been to immediate areas around Dublin. In a few weeks, though, my parents will be here, and we are visiting the rest of Ireland, Scotland, England, and then going to Switzerland. I will take pictures, of course. That isn't to say I won't be traveling on my own. My roommate and I are planning a trip to a European city during the second half of the semester. Perhaps Barcelona or Paris.
View photos of James's visit.
CGT Student Featured in Documentary
Neil Ahrendt, a freshman in CGT, was one of three students featured in the documentary "Two Million Minutes," which chronicles the life of an exceptional high school student in India, China, and the United States. This film provides a global snapshot of how the three superpowers of the 21st Century are preparing their students for the future. More Info.
CoT News Submissions
Report your CoT news through the online reporting form. The next e-newsletter is scheduled for distribution on Monday, March 31.
Sponsored Research Update
For an updated look at sponsored research activities within the College of Technology, visit the applied research section of the CoT Web site.
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Alumni News
Lee Klejnot, OLS
’05, is working with the Peace Corps in the eastern Caribbean on the island of St. Lucia. Some of his recent work has included developing a local Creole tourism product to provide economic activity for the fishing village of Canaries in preparation for the 20,000 tourists expected for the Cricket World Cup. Other projects include working with the Anse La Liberte Sea Turtle Sanctuary and the St. Lucia National Trust to develop the 133-acre preserve near Canaries into a sea turtle sanctuary and bungalows of eco-tourism; the Canabelle Soap Co-op to help unemployed women produce all-natural soap; renovating an old church to turn the building into a craft and gift market; and the Rabbit Project, which provides training, rabbits and supplies to boost the income of the poorest families in the village. Find out more about his work at http://bigcountryleo.blogspot.com/
 John Schumacher, FLT ’05, is featured on the cover of the March 2008 issue of Airline Pilot magazine. Schumacher is a pilot for Air Wisconsin.
Allison Lucas, FLT ’06, has joined the International Pilot's Association in Louisville as a paralegal, where she will help prepare grievances for the system board. Lucas has worked as an enforcement adviser/paralegal for the aviation law firm Yondice Associates in Frederick, Md., and as a crew planner for Chautauqua Airlines in Indianapolis. She also is a pilot who has earned her commercial/multiengine ratings and has worked as a flight instructor. While at Purdue, she was the captain of her team's Piper Warrior in the 2004 all-female Air Race Classic.
Wendy Puls, CGT ’01, has been named assistant director of marketing and communications for Ivy Tech Community College Northeast in Fort Wayne. Her responsibilities will include management of the regional Web site.
Allen Glassburn, EET ’74, is the new president of Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity. He is director of business operations support for Indiana Michigan Power.
New CIT Faculty
Eric Dietz begins March 17 as associate professor of computer and information technology and will work with the Purdue Homeland Security Institute. Dietz will use his experience in homeland security and defense to help further develop the college's security and cyberforensics research and course offerings. He previously was director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Gail Farnsley starts April 1 as visiting professor of computer and information technology. Farnsley comes to Purdue from Cummins, where she was chief information officer. At Purdue, she will focus on issues related to information technology and society, such as closing the gender and racial gap in technical careers.
College Recruitment Magazine Receives National Award
The "Defining Your Future" magazine won a special merit award in the 23rd Annual Admissions Advertising Awards.
Technology Week April 7-11
Be sure to visit the Technology Week Web site for details on this year's line-up of events, including gift announcements, the Dean's Distinguished Lecture, PLTW Student Celebration, Senior Picnic, and Distinguished Technology Alumni events. This year's lecture will feature Michael Morris, president, chair, and CEO of American Electric Power, who is conducting a national university listening tour on The Future of Energy.
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In the News
See the Discovery Channel – Canada video of winning Rube team
Drew Wischer, a senior in aviation technology, is the captain of the Purdue Society of Professional Engineers, which won the regional Rube Goldberg Machine Contest will compete in the April 5 national event held at Purdue.
The team was featured recently on the Discovery Channel – Canada's "Daily Planet" feature
Homeland agency boss returning to Purdue
Eric Dietz, Indiana's executive director for Homeland Security, will be stepping down and returning to Purdue University as a professor and researcher in the Department of Computer and Information Technology.
Dietz is the first executive director of Homeland Security in Indiana since the department was created in 2005. He had been associate director of the e-Enterprise Center at Discovery Park at Purdue prior to his appointment. Journal & Courier Online
Purdue expands summer guitar-making workshop
Purdue University has expanded its successful summer guitar-making workshop by adding two sessions intended solely for high school students.
Students will be taught by Purdue experts on the art and craft of guitar construction as they build their own acoustic-electric guitar during a weeklong course.
Mark French, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology and organizer of the workshops, said that he hoped to attract 20 to 30 high school students for each course. J&C Boiler Station.com
Purdue official excited about prospects for Purdue Technology Center of Southeast Indiana
The Purdue University Research Foundation has high hopes for the Purdue Technology Center of Southeast Indiana scheduled to open in August.
Joseph Hornett, the foundation's chief operating officer, said the 44,000-square-foot center on 42 acres south of Interstate 265 and east of Charlestown Road in New Albany will serve as a technology park and business incubator, as well as an academic center offering four-year Purdue degrees to "a couple of hundred students" at the Purdue College of Technology at New Albany. Louisville Courier Journal
Anderson holds its first Web design contest
Forty-eight high school students from five east-central Indiana schools competed Feb. 29 in the first Community  Service Web Design Contest, hosted by the Purdue College of Technology at Anderson.
Thirteen teams of students from Anderson Highland High School, Burris Laboratory School, Liberty Christian High School, Muncie Area Career Center and New Castle Chrysler High School made presentations on their Web sites, learned about Web design and competed for prizes.
"We were very impressed with the quality of the students and their work," said Gary Randolph, an associate professor of computer and information technology who organized the contest. "It is clear these students have a lot of potential. The judges told me it was difficult to select a winner. We think they all are winners."
Chrysler High School in New Castle won first place for a site on tourism in Henry County. Students on that team were Nathan Leek, Thatcher Thomas, Andy Haddin and Daniel Groce. Second place went to Chrysler High School for a site on their high school. Students on that team were Cole Pratt, Zach Tabor, Tony Lee and Jerry Irwin. Third place went to Burris Laboratory School in Muncie for a site studying local water contamination. Students on Burris's team were Drew Coelho, Brock Bell, Nate Burtner and Brennan Shelby.
Each of the three winning teams received plaques, and their sites are hosted at http://www.i69exit22.com, a site created by the Anderson/Muncie Boiler Foundation to host community engagement projects done by Purdue College of Technology at Anderson students.
Anderson Day in College event a success
About 25 to 30 students and parents attended the College of Technology at Anderson/Muncie open house March 3 at the Anderson University Flagship Center.
"We were very pleased with the turnout," said Jeff Dyer, a lab technician at the location. "What we were most impressed with is that about 15 students who visited were students who we felt were seriously considering taking classes here. We expect to get five to eight new students from this event."
Students were able to tour the classrooms and facilities, talk with faculty and staff from each department and check out the hardware used by some of the programs.
Dyer said more such events will be held in the future at the Anderson location.
Photo: Al Jordan, associate professor of MET, shows brothers Derrick Moistner and Jacob Moistner from Shenandoah High School some equipment during the College of Technology at Anderson open house.
Students travel to Kentucky for Spring Break service-learning trip
A group of students from Purdue's College of Technology at Columbus and Greensburg are spending their spring break giving a helping hand to a community in need in Kentucky.
About 25 students in an organizational leadership and supervision service-learning course left Saturday (March 15) for Harlan County, Ky., where they are spending the week helping residents of the impoverished county with various tasks, such as fixing up their homes.
"We chose Harlan County because it was easily drivable and a place where we felt we could learn about serving others and making a real impact," said Julia Carson, a student services secretary at the College of Technology at Columbus and one of the student leaders of the trip. "We've done service-learning projects in our immediate area before, but this will be powerful because it's the first time we are taking what we've learned to make a difference in another community." UNS Release
Richmond location awards scholarships to five
Purdue University's College of Technology at Richmond has awarded scholarships totaling $6,500 to five students for the 2007-08 academic year. UNS Release
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