An inside look at how Purdue and Accenture connect smart manufacturing, AI, workforce development

This story highlights one of the many ways Purdue teams up with corporate partners to create solutions for complex global challenges. Learn how your organization can collaborate with us.

What happens when a loyal Purdue alumnus sees a great business opportunity? 

An innovative partnership is born. 

“My role is to drive new value with Accenture clients in manufacturing,” says Jon Simpson (BS organizational leadership and supervision, ’00), a senior manager in Accenture’s advanced manufacturing division. “When I joined the company just over four years ago, I spoke up and said, ‘Hey, I have these relationships with Purdue. How can I help drive recruiting and other activities that we’re trying to partner on?’” 

A 5-year agreement to innovate together 

In 2022, Purdue and Accenture entered into the type of collaboration Simpson envisioned, signing a multiyear agreement focused on smart manufacturing facilities, online workforce upskilling, real-world student consulting and scholarships. Within just a few years, the partnership expanded talent recruitment and client engagement efforts and added Mitch Daniels School of Business collaborations. 

A smart partnership 

As part of Purdue and Accenture’s commitment to preparing the next-generation smart manufacturing workforce, two key programs were launched: the Smart Manufacturing Academy and the Smart Learning Factory. 

The Smart Manufacturing Academy is an online, self-paced curriculum designed to teach foundations in digital transformation to machine and line operators, technicians, plant managers, engineers, and employees in other manufacturing roles.  

“As we help our clients reinvent manufacturing and build new facilities in North America, we see time and time again how important it is to take the workforce along the journey,” says Prasad Satyavolu, senior managing director in Accenture’s digital engineering and manufacturing service. 

The Smart Learning Factory is a central hub for innovation between Purdue and Accenture located on the university’s West Lafayette campus. It’s a microcosm of modern industrial manufacturing environments, demonstrating end-to-end production that utilizes the latest technologies. 

Student-focused initiatives 

Another area of collaboration between Purdue and Accenture is in the Krenicki Center for Business Analytics and Machine Learning where Purdue students develop data-driven solutions to real Accenture client problems. 

“Students have another angle, another view. They think about challenges differently,” says Igor Kazakutsa, an Accenture global marketing lead for supply chain and engineering. 

“Purdue students are working on actual client projects and gaining great work experience,” says Simpson, “and the Accenture professionals who mentor and advise student teams with regular check-ins educate and keep them accountable to industry standards.” 

These real-world learning opportunities benefit Purdue students while also developing Accenture’s talent pipeline. “Students being career-ready when they join our company always makes a difference,” says Simpson, “especially when they have experience contributing to our client’s projects.”  

The company also engages students through capstones and courses such as Strategic Management, where Accenture provides a practicum case study for the entire semester to help students gain the coaching and perspective that Accenture clients expect.

The 80/20 rule 

Simpson and Kazakutsa say that a partnership with Purdue can be beneficial for any company facing workforce, innovation, research or technology challenges.  

“Purdue can connect the right people and resources quickly,” Simpson says.  

“Clients often come to Accenture with problems that are 80% defined and time-bound, while the remaining 20% are more ambiguous and forward-looking,” he says. “Purdue offers a place where faculty, students and industry partners can think through those less structured challenges together.”

Kazakutsa agrees. 

“The speed of change in manufacturing and AI is already helping companies build faster, rethink operations and manage complex challenges,” he says. “But the pace of innovation means the industry may look very different within a year, and even more so within five. The link between education, science and practice is critical.” 

As AI changes the business landscape, partnerships like the one between Purdue and Accenture prepare students for the expectations of the real world while giving industry leaders a clearer view of the people, technologies and ideas that will shape what comes next.

Nicknamed the ‘Boxcar,’ this rig represents the history of the Boilermaker Special

Design elements from every version of the Boilermaker Special are incorporated into one vehicle made especially for Purdue football weekends. Abby (BS accounting ’07) and Jason (BS organizational leadership ’07) Vandewalle used visual cues from all eight iterations of the Boilermaker Special, including the five main editions and three styles of the Boilermaker Xtra Special.

“The idea really grew out of family tradition,” Jason says. “My parents were both Reamers (members of the Reamer Club, the student organization that cares for the Boilermaker Special and Xtra Special), so the Boilermaker Special was more than just a mascot. It was something admired, celebrated and cherished throughout my childhood.”

The back of the Boxcar reads “To Your Call,” a reference to the start of “Hail Purdue”: “To your call once more we rally.” It represents the treasured memories that form with every tailgating weekend.

This amphibious rock star gets its own educational video game with the help of Purdue research.

The eastern hellbender salamander will never win a wildlife beauty pageant. It’s believed that it got its name from settlers who said it looked like a creature from hell that was “hell-bent” on going back there. But it turns out that the hellbender could probably win the pageant’s talent contest because of all the good it does for the ecosystem.

Purdue research has revealed that the hellbender is one salamander that just might capture your heart.

Once endangered in Indiana and at risk in other parts of America, the hellbender does so much good that it inspired its own custom-built Minecraft experience. Yes, Minecraft — the one with its own movie starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, and millions of players from every single country worldwide.

Helped by Boilermaker researchers first organized by Rod Williams, a former Purdue professor now on the faculty at Texas Tech University, “Help the Hellbender — A Minecraft Conservation Quest” was created for the Minecraft Education realm.

This new game lets players traverse the hellbender’s underwater world, overcoming challenges and learning about why we all need to protect this superstar amphibian, whose health helps reveal the health of rivers and streams.

With millions of young Minecraft lovers around the world, the game is an ideal vehicle to reach middle schoolers and high schoolers — its target audiences.

It’s hoped that those students will discover not only a fascination with this lovable amphibian, but also a sense of environmental stewardship.

Roni Bullock, a senior Purdue Extension educator and forestry and natural resources graduate student, who has written lesson plans for teachers to use in combination with the game, says she sees the Minecraft game-based learning experience as a digital adventure that connects young minds to the living systems that sustain them.

“The hellbender might not look glamorous,” she says with a laugh, “but once you get to know it, you realize how much it tells us about the health of our rivers and streams. It’s a perfect species to show why protecting water matters.”

A living water-quality monitor

Looking like very slimy, super-overgrown tadpoles — their unique nicknames include “snot otter” and “water dog” — hellbenders can grow up to 2 feet long and weigh nearly 5 pounds.

You might notice that the hellbender’s wrinkly skin looks a bit like wet lasagna noodles. That’s because it lives underwater and breathes through its skin. This also is a main reason it’s so vital to humans. Because it absorbs oxygen through its skin, it’s a living water-quality monitor — a sentinel — for the health and purity of waterways.

When hellbenders get sick or fail to reproduce, water conservationists know they need to figure out what’s wrong with their watery habitat and then work to fix it.

Jason Hoverman, professor of vertebrate ecology in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources in Purdue’s College of Agriculture, says hellbenders are coming back in Indiana after their numbers were estimated at less than 1,000 before 2010. He says their comeback story is all about teamwork.

“We’ve released over 1,000 hellbenders into Indiana streams in the last decade and, just two summers ago, we found the first evidence that they’re reproducing again,” he says. “That was huge. It meant the population was not just surviving — it was recovering.”

The hellbender makes a comeback

The recovery is no accident. “It’s been a massive partnership,” Hoverman says. “We work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, several zoos and nonprofits. Everyone’s doing their part to make sure this species has a future.”

The collaboration even stretches beyond Indiana, linking scientists and conservationists across more than a dozen states in the hellbender’s range from New York to Georgia.

Hoverman and his team study the eastern hellbender, found mostly in the cold, rocky streams of southern Indiana near the Kentucky border. “They used to be found farther north,” he says, “but as water quality declined and habitats changed, their range shrank.”

Today, much of the work focuses on protecting and restoring those last strongholds — particularly the Blue River, where Purdue scientists monitor conditions closely. “It’s encouraging; overall, the water quality there has really improved,” Hoverman says.

But the battle isn’t over. Farming practices that strip soil from fields can send clouds of mud into streams, filling in the under-rock crevices where hellbenders stay hidden from predators and protect their eggs.

“If you have bare farm fields and heavy rain, that soil can just slide into the river,” Hoverman says. “It’s like a mudslide filling in all the spaces they need to live.” He says the solution can be surprisingly simple: planting cover crops and buffer strips of trees at the edges of farm fields to retain soil and nutrients. “Those practices help farmers, too — they conserve soil and nutrients, so everyone wins.”

Hoverman sees the hellbender as an essential messenger: “When hellbenders are thriving, it means our water is clean enough for us to thrive, too. If we take care of them, we’re really taking care of ourselves.”

Learning species conservation through play

When Minecraft’s virtual gaming platform enables players to dive into the world of the hellbender, Bullock wants to make sure those players resurface with a purpose.

“When they play, students get to experience three different roles,” Bullock says. “They’ll choose to be a wildlife biologist working in the field, a lab researcher helping raise hellbenders in captivity or a conservationist collaborating with local landowners. And at the end, they can actually become the hellbender itself, experiencing how human activities affect its world.”

By taking on those roles, players will experience the problems as well as the possibilities. “I want students to see that people really do have an impact on the environment around them,” Bullock says. “But I also want them to feel empowered — to realize that they can make a difference. Whether it’s through farming practices that prevent runoff or by pursuing careers in conservation biology, these are all ways to help protect wildlife and clean water.”

Bullock’s lesson plan will become part of Purdue Extension’s signature curriculum for teachers nationwide — and even internationally.

“It’s free for teachers everywhere, and anyone can download it,” Bullock says. “The lesson I’ve written is designed to pair with the game so that teachers can engage students and draw out the key concepts afterward.”

Her lesson plan will soon be available on Purdue Extension’s Nature of Teaching website as well as the Help the Hellbender homepage. “We want it to be easy; just click, play and learn,” Bullock says.

For the Purdue scientists behind the project, the goal extends far beyond the screen. Every student who plays and every teacher who shares the lesson helps build a generation that values clean water, resilient ecosystems, and the intriguing and mysterious creatures that depend on them.

As Bullock puts it, “If the hellbender can inspire even a few students to care about conservation, then that’s a win for everyone — including the rivers we all share.”

If the hellbender can inspire even a few students to care about conservation, then that’s a win for everyone — including the rivers we all share.

Roni Bullock
Senior Purdue Extension educator, Franklin County

Future high school teacher’s advice: Make connections, take leaps of faith, attend Boilermaker sporting events

Meet Magdelyn Wyman, who jumped into campus life at Purdue and enjoys not only the educational path but the overall experience. Her pro tip? “Attend as many sporting events as you can!”

Q+A

What’s your career aspiration?

High school English teacher. Each semester at Purdue, I’ve had field experiences in different classroom settings. So I’ve been able to observe a variety of teaching and learning styles. I’m currently doing my student teaching, and it’s only reaffirmed my passion for the profession.

Q+A

Any advice for prospective students?

Explore what you’re interested in. Even if you’re a little unsure, you should still just go for it. Take that leap of faith. You never know what could happen, and it’s a great way to grow.

Q+A

How has your experience at Purdue been so far?

Terrific! I’ve forged strong relationships, especially with my clinical assistant professor. She’s kind, empathetic and wants only the best for me. She’s worked hard to connect me with opportunities and resources.

When the victory total flipped from 512 to 513, it made Purdue Athletics history.

It was more than another win against a ranked foe for Purdue volleyball. Much more.

With the Boilermakers’ three-set decision over No. 12 and defending national champion Texas A&M on Sept. 1 in a sweltering Mackey Arena, head coach Dave Shondell surpassed Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Gene Keady as the winningest coach in 139 years of Purdue sports competition.

And Shondell’s connection with Keady made it even more impactful and meaningful for the newly minted wins leader.

“I have great respect for Gene Keady and what he represents, and what he means to this community,” says Shondell, who shares a bit of the old-school approach that Keady projected during his 25-year run at Purdue from 1981 to 2005. “The fact that the guy’s still around here, and not only is he still around here, but he’s also still loved by everybody. And best of all for our program, he comes to all our matches. It means the world that I am mentioned in the same sentence with someone like Gene Keady.”

Not surprisingly, Keady, who turned 90 on May 21 and was in attendance on the momentous night, says his admiration for Shondell’s program is deep rooted.

“I just love the way he runs his program and the way he handles his kids,” Keady says. “He lets them play, lets them be themselves and play the game the way their hearts tell them to. He is great at getting the best out of them.

“I consider it a great compliment that some draw comparison to the way I coached and the way Dave coaches. It is an honor to have Dave break my record.”

Staff stability has been key

Keady and Shondell share many winning attributes, with loyalty being the word that might best describe both. Keady had stability in his assistant coaching ranks as Bruce Weber was on the Mackey Arena bench for Keady’s first 18 years. That’s good but doesn’t approach the continuity Shondell has enjoyed over the past 24 seasons. Assistant Kathy “Kat” Jewell has been on the Holloway Gymnasium sideline for the entire time, while Shondell’s brother, John, was a fixture for his older sibling’s first 21 years and now is an assistant at Wisconsin.

Keady and Shondell are both lunch-pail-type coaches that thrive on production and not fanfare. The common bond is results on the court. They also live by the mantra “tough times never last, tough people do.”

“Dave deserves every bit of recognition that he has received,” junior defensive specialist standout Ryan McAleer says. “This man is truly everything to us, but also everything that the university hopes to embody, and especially our athletics department.

“But Dave would be the first to admit that none of this would happen without Kat. We’d be drowning without her, and the fact she won National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2025 was so awesome. They are a great team working together, and it makes for an environment of knowing what to expect.”

Jewell, who has had numerous opportunities to move on, has thrived at Purdue because she has so much respect for her boss.

“He’s a worker,” Jewell says. “He knows how hard he has to work and what he has to put in to be successful and to be a really good head coach.”

Thriving amid the ups and downs

And those tough times? The Boilermaker program was rocked 20 months ago when four starters transferred, a clear example of the sometimes transient nature of student-athletes in the current state of college athletics. This season, the Boilermakers continue to succeed when faced with adversity, as AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List honoree Kenna Wollard out for the time being while battling a medical issue. In an understatement, it forced Shondell and his team to mentally and physically adjust from the jump of the 2026 season.

“A lot of coaches, especially with all the success Dave has enjoyed here, would have bowed out after that happened,” Jewell remarks on the roster changes following the 2024 season. “Most would have said, ‘Peace out, I’m done,’ but instead he just put his head down and worked.”

And he adapted. It wasn’t easy at first, and Shondell had thoughts of calling it a career. Who could have blamed him with what he has built over the past two-plus decades at Purdue.

“He’s done a really, really good job at just adapting to the personalities that we have and knowing that people compete differently, and I think he’s been able to adapt his coaching style,” Jewell says.

If you know Shondell, you know he is philosophical, if not nonchalant, about giving himself any accolades for how his coaching methods have morphed over the years.

“I think you change, but every year you change,” says Shondell, who has won 68% of his matches at Purdue (514-241 record as of Sept. 3) and an even more impressive 60% in Big Ten play (276-183) in by far the best volleyball conference around. “I mean, I’m coaching this team differently this year than how I coached the team a year ago.”

Shondell inherited a Boilermaker program that was outstanding under Hall of Fame head coach Carol Dewey in the 1980s but had fallen to the bottom of the Big Ten in subsequent decades. And in 2003, when Morgan Burke was looking for a coach, the former Purdue athletics director was ready to make a calculated gamble, plucking Shondell from the high school ranks. The move raised some eyebrows at Purdue and in the college volleyball coaching world.

But it shouldn’t have.

Shondell, the son of Indiana volleyball royalty Don Shondell of Ball State fame, had loads of coaching experience among his great attributes, not the least of which was winning. He had posted nearly 600 victories at Daleville and Muncie Central, capturing four state titles in the process. But even a quarter of a century later, Shondell remains grateful for the opportunity, as well as hopefully relaying an important message.

“I am forever indebted to Morgan for taking a chance on me,” says Shondell, 68, who in January signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him as the Art and Connie Euler volleyball coach through 2029. “The fact that it has succeeded hopefully sends some kind of a message to other people that high school people can coach.”

The high moments for Shondell? Earning an NCAA Tournament bid in just his second season, when his team was the last one named when the field was selected, may have been the first of many.

“I will never forget that; I assumed up until the last moment we weren’t going to be selected,” Shondell says with a smile, remembering that the Boilermakers were entrenched on the tournament bubble. “And not only were we selected, but we beat the host school (Colorado State) on its home court.”

That set the tone for Shondell’s impressive success in NCAA play. He is 20-0 in NCAA first-round matches, has made 13 regional semifinal berths and five trips to the regional finals. In the process, he has mentored 25 All-Americans and 55 All-Big Ten selections.

Words to live and play by

Shondell believes the 2026 Boilermakers are well equipped to earn his program its first trip to the Final Four and contend for the Big Ten crown. Its theme, “Ever Grateful,” is right out of the lyrics for “Hail Purdue.”

I will push this team harder because I know of its great potential.

head coach dave shondell on the 2026 Boilermaker volleyball squad

Shondell also knows the brave new world of college athletics where transfers, revenue share and NIL put an extra premium on always showing humility. And to have his teams compete their tail off . Last year’s somewhat surprising success, amidst the transition and turmoil, easily qualifies as a career highlight for Shondell. In fact, it might be at the top of the list.

“Our fans are the best, and we do not want them to think for one minute that the people who are still here on this team are not grateful,” Shondell says. “That’s why you see on our practice T-shirts, ‘Ever Grateful.’ It’s the way we practice and play.”

For McAleer, it sets the tone for Shondell and the program in every waking moment. “He embodies everything that we were last year and everything we strive to be,” McAleer says. “We strive for excellence, but we strive to also stay grateful through it all.”

Written by Alan Karpick, publisher of GoldandBlack.com.

Generations of Boilermakers have gathered around this vehicle for 30 years

Core memories from Courtney Lueking’s childhood? Many moments spent around the bread truck converted for Purdue football weekends — times spent dressing up in cheer outfits with her friends, eating favorite tailgating foods and running around the tailgating site. Though she graduated from Purdue in 2025, her time in West Lafayette is far from over.

“I think the next generation of us kids plan on continuing the tailgating tradition for many years to come,” Courtney says. “Hopefully we can tailgate with our own kids here one day. I don’t see our parents slowing down anytime soon either.”

Her parents, Amy and Mike Lueking, started the tradition in 1996. “It makes us so happy to see all of our friends from college at the tailgates each fall, and it is how we stay connected despite all living in different cities,” Amy says. “I’m so happy to have such an amazing group of friends who have become family.”

Boilermakers have taken part in virtually every stage of the program that will bring humankind back to the moon

Purdue astronaut Scott Tingle was one of the last people to speak with the Artemis II crew before they embarked on their historic trip around the moon in April 2026. 

And when the crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean 10 days later in the Orion capsule, three Boilermakers were part of the team that ensured the space voyagers would return home safely. 

That illustrates Purdue’s importance to Artemis — and the university’s influence on American space history. Ever since the United States chose to pursue space exploration in the 1950s, Boilermakers have taken part in every stage of the process: 

Building better rockets and more efficient propellants. 

Engineering safer spacecraft and more functional spacesuits. 

Leading massive strategic teams and planning missions. 

And, of course, traveling to space and claiming membership in Purdue’s iconic Cradle of Astronauts. 

On and on it goes. Boilermakers have been there for all of it. 

And as NASA prepares to send the first astronauts to the lunar surface since 1972, when Purdue grad Eugene Cernan took humankind’s most recent footsteps there, it’s a safe bet that the work of thousands of Boilermaker alums will help these awe-inspiring missions succeed. 

Alums like these Boilermakers who have played integral roles in the Artemis program thus far: 

Dan Dumbacher

Dan Dumbacher, serving as deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate from 2010-14, led a team of 5,000 people and managed a budget of $3 billion to initiate the Artemis campaign. His work developing NASA’s human exploration program to the moon and Mars included overseeing the Space Launch System, ground systems development, and operation and integration efforts.

Dumbacher’s decades-long career at NASA included work on the space shuttle and multiple experimental vehicles, earning NASA’s coveted Silver Snoopy Award and Distinguished Service Medal. He also served as the CEO for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and on the NASA Advisory Council. 

Dumbacher (BS mechanical engineering ’81) is a professor of engineering practice in Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and was recognized as the Purdue Distinguished Engineering Alumnus in 2025. 

Julie Kramer White

Julie Kramer White was the chief engineer of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) — the cone-shaped crew capsule used for the Artemis missions. President Barack Obama thanked her directly for the vehicle’s development: “Julie Kramer White is helping America launch a new era of space exploration.”  

Kramer White (BS aeronautical and astronautical engineering ’90) has worked at NASA since her internship in the post-Challenger space shuttle era, with Apollo engineers as her mentors. As a structures engineer, she made design changes to make the space shuttle more capable as the International Space Station was being built. 

Those experiences shaped her decisions when designing Orion. Kramer White’s ongoing career at NASA has spanned more than 35 years. She now serves as engineering director for NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She was recognized as a Purdue Distinguished Engineering Alumna in 2023. 

Mark Baldwin

Mark Baldwin has a unique dual background, with degrees in both mechanical engineering and orthopedics. When he joined Lockheed Martin in 2009 as occupant protection lead, he utilized both skill sets working on the Orion capsule. First, he helped to measure the stresses of the vehicle itself, especially during its planned water landing. Second, he worked to secure the safety and comfort of its human occupants, refining the seats, restraints, control panels and more. After an uncrewed mission in 2022, Orion’s full repertoire was finally put to the test on Artemis II in April 2026 — the first crewed mission around the moon in more than 50 years.  

Launch and landing are the two most tenuous times during human spaceflight, and Baldwin (BS mechanical engineering ’97) had prepared 15 years for both. The launch of Artemis II went smoothly, with the four astronauts communicating and functioning successfully through the intense vibrations of the rocket. After the astronauts’ mission around the moon, Baldwin watched eagerly as splashdown approached. “I knew if (the capsule deployed) three good parachutes, the injury and structural risks were very low,” he says. “When those three parachutes inflated to full open, 15 years of stress and anxiety was released. The landing was just as we simulated it.”  

“Success of this mission was built on solid engineering fundamentals through years of dedication and teamwork,” Baldwin says. “I appreciate all that the Purdue engineering program did for me personally and many of my colleagues who helped put Artemis II in the history books.” 

Scott Tingle

Scott Tingle joined NASA’s Astronaut Corps in 2009 and flew his first mission to the International Space Station in 2017. Today, as NASA’s chief of the Astronaut Office, he is responsible for assigning astronauts to their missions and managing their needs before, during and after the mission. 

“It’s a really big job,” says Tingle (MS mechanical engineering ’88). “We need to make sure we’re taking care of our crew, taking care of their families, and making sure our systems are safe, efficient and effective to get the job done.”  

For Artemis II, Tingle was one of the last people to speak to the crew before they entered the capsule — and one of the first to greet them once they splashed down two weeks later. Now he’s focused on guiding the Artemis III crew and eventually choosing the next crew, which will feature the first woman to walk on the moon. 

“We’ve been trying to do this for 50 years,” he says. “We’re focusing on what it takes to get boots back on the moon — and eventually a permanent human presence on the moon.” 

Marie Henderson

Marie Henderson is an assistant research scientist with the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology (CRESST), a cooperative agreement between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Southeastern Universities Research Association and four universities. 

Henderson (PhD planetary science ’21) plays a key role in NASA’s Artemis program, having served as deputy lunar science lead for Artemis II and serving as science officer and science imaging integration lead for Artemis III and as a member of the Artemis Science Operations Team. Her work focuses on science operations and how astronauts use cameras to collect scientific observations from orbit and eventually from the lunar surface. As a science officer, Henderson is responsible for lunar science and geology in the Artemis Flight Control Room.  

“It’s amazing to go from the Cradle of Astronauts to working with the astronauts that are exploring the moon with the Artemis program,” Henderson says. “I look forward to putting more boot prints on the surface of the moon.” 

At Purdue, Henderson was a student of Briony Horgan, professor of planetary science in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, whose research focuses on Mars, the moon and planetary surface processes.  

“I’m so proud to see Marie continuing Purdue’s legacy in human space exploration,” Horgan says. “We’ve built an internationally recognized program in planetary science here at Purdue over the past 20 years, and Marie is exactly the type of alumna we hope will shape space exploration and the space industry in the years ahead.” 

Artemis landing and recovery team: Jason Endsley, Rob Lantz and Emily Spreen

When Artemis II returned from its historic journey around the moon, three Purdue alumni were aboard the USS John P. Murtha in the Pacific Ocean waiting to welcome the crew home. Jason Endsley (BS aeronautical engineering technology ’19, MS aviation and aerospace management ’20), Rob Lantz (BS aeronautical and astronautical engineering ’88) and Emily Spreen (BS aeronautical and astronautical engineering ’15, MS astrodynamics and space applications ’17, PhD aeronautical and astronautical engineering ’21) were all members of NASA’s Landing and Recovery Operations team that retrieved both the crew and the spacecraft. 

Their work represented years of preparation and coordination between NASA and the Department of Defense, with Spreen describing their recovery operations as a “carefully coordinated ballet” involving precise timing, real-time data monitoring and complex logistics. Endsley provided critical environmental data to guide decision-making while Spreen led efforts to predict splashdown locations and ensure the safety of both the crew and the waiting recovery team. Lantz and Endsley were both part of the team responsible for recovering the spacecraft and floating it into the well deck of the Navy ship. 

As a fascinated viewing public celebrated the return of the first moon mission in more than 53 years, the Boilermakers on the landing and recovery team helped secure the Artemis mission’s safe and successful conclusion. 

Campus communicators Alan Cesar, David Ching, Jared Pike and David Siple produced this special series of alumni profiles. 

Alumni like James Haber are embedded in America’s most storied institutions, including the Smithsonian

James Haber didn’t become a planetary scientist by accident. It’s something he’s dreamed of since third grade — thanks to an interest in space exploration that his father encouraged.

From the family’s home on Long Island, it wasn’t easy to get a patch of night sky without light pollution, but the Habers made it happen.

“We would go out to golf courses, which are the darkest spots you can find in the suburbs of New York City,” Haber says. “Sneaking onto putting greens at night to look at the stars helped expand my passion for the cosmos. It’s what led me to Purdue.”

Today, as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Haber (PhD planetary science ’23) explores some of the universe’s biggest questions, like if life exists on other planets.

He does this work at an American institution whose founding mission matches that of his alma mater.

Honoring America’s 250th anniversary provides an opportunity to recognize our national progress and impactful alumni. Purdue was founded in 1869 as a land-grant university with a mission to make education accessible for all. The Smithsonian, which began in 1846, was funded by James Smithson, who said it would be “an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

That common thread — the drive to impart knowledge — stitches together achievements that are centuries in the making. It weaves leading organizations like Purdue and the Smithsonian into the historical tapestry of the United States.

Sneaking onto putting greens at night to look at the stars helped expand my passion for the cosmos. It’s what led me to Purdue.

James Haber

PhD planetary science ’23

Growing as a researcher at Purdue 

As an undergraduate, Haber studied physics, mechanical engineering and astronomy at Cornell University. While searching for graduate programs, he looked at Purdue’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science (EAPS), where the planetary science division was a fraction of its current size.

Other schools may have had bigger or more established programs, but the chance to work with an incredible advisor and do intriguing fieldwork made it easy to choose Purdue.

When Haber met his advisor, Briony Horgan, he felt a kinship. Horgan had also been a student at Cornell and was originally from a physics background. Add in her experience with multiple Mars missions and it’s an ideal mentorship.

Fieldwork was a gamechanger in Haber’s graduate student experience.

“When we look at pictures of Mars, we have a sense of what’s there, but in order to really know what’s going on, I think it’s important to see things closely,” Haber says.

“There’s this sort of universality of physics and chemistry: The same processes that alter rocks on Mars also alter rocks on Earth,” he says. “The tactile experience of walking around as if you were a rover, picking up rocks and using tools to better understand what you have, enhances everything.”

Members of the department took a trip that Haber still treasures.

“It was incredible to see Arizona and Utah with my cohort,” he says. “Getting to go to the Meteor Crater with professor Jay Melosh, who had so much influence on the world’s understanding of impact craters, is something I could never forget.”

In West Lafayette, he found a space legacy unlike any other, as well as other Purdue-specific perks, like professor Andy Freed’s Geosciences in the Cinema class. Seeing reminders of alumni’s roles in space exploration was inspiring — most days, Haber walked by a photo of NASA astronaut and fellow EAPS alum Andrew Feustel and recognized the impact of the university’s space legacy.

Recently, Haber conducted fieldwork in Iceland for the Smithsonian with a couple of colleagues who also went to Purdue. Horgan let them use some of her instruments, including a handheld spectrometer gun that looks like something out of “Star Trek.”

“Briony is a very kind and compassionate person to work with,” Haber says. “She helped me then and continues to make my role better even now.”

Being among our nation’s biggest discoveries 

As “an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” the Smithsonian hosts so much more than only the public-facing exhibits. Hundreds of researchers work within the organization’s 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo.

Within the National Air and Space Museum, the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies uses data from orbiting satellites, human and robotic space missions, and field studies to expand humankind’s understanding of what’s beyond our atmosphere.

Haber is part of the team of planetary scientists looking at images and datasets from different planets across our solar system. Though the group is small, there are researchers who have been there for decades and dealt with the very first Mars rover missions. It’s a collaborative environment.

As he studies rocks on Mars, Haber compares them to rocks on Earth and tries to figure out what they’re made of and how they indicate the presence of ancient liquid water on Mars.

“My research raises a series of questions,” he says. “Where was the water flowing? Could it have been habitable? What life could have survived or even thrived there?”

Colleagues and friends work in the outer solar system, where missions like the Europa Clipper (on its way to Jupiter) are scouting the edges of what we know. Haber says he looks forward to wherever his career may lead, whether it means continuing to work with Mars or focusing on the outer solar system instead.

“Even in day-to-day work, I think about deep time and the vastness of the cosmos,” he says. “When I look at things that are billions of years old, it’s a reminder that we’re all a part of something much bigger than ourselves.”

Five years ago, Carrie Gurnell was at a crossroads.

She loved her volleyball coaching life at the University of North Texas, just four hours from her childhood residence in Katy, Texas. Life seemed pretty good living in her home state.

But then the call came.

Gurnell saw the name Dave Shondell appear on her phone during a staff meeting. She had kept in touch with her college coach and his forever assistant, Kathy Jewell, since graduating from Purdue in 2010. She was a recruiting coup, of sorts, for Shondell, who was trying to solidify his program’s foundation with the 11th-ranked recruit in the nation and Purdue’s first player from Texas.

But why would he be calling now? It was 2021; COVID was beginning to subside, and Gurnell, despite having recently suffered an illness, was content to be in Denton, Texas, close to her sister, Stephanie, and her nephews, who lived in Houston. Gurnell was establishing her coaching chops as part of the Mean Green program, having spent three seasons there after two years as an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb University.

Well, it turns out the call changed her life. When the dust settled. Shondell offered her the job of Purdue’s supervisor of volleyball operations, but it took a “come to your senses” discussion with her dad, Steven, to get her to return to West Lafayette.

“I called my dad later that day, and he was like, ‘You’re telling me Dave Shondell called you, and you didn’t …’ and I said, ‘Hold up, dad,’” Gurnell says, recalling the seminal moment. “It didn’t take me long to realize that Purdue had all the resources and I had been doing many of the things I would be doing at Purdue at North Texas and coaching, where I wore 17 different hats.”

Twenty-four hours later, she said “yes” to Shondell and accepted his offer, but getting into the rhythm of the new job would take much longer.

Taking time in transition

“After graduating, I remained obsessed with Purdue,” says Gurnell, who knew it was much more than just “staying in touch” with her alma mater. Now, in her sixth season with the Boilermakers, the transition wasn’t always linear or seamless.

“It took me a couple of years to fully buy in that this is what I wanted to do – operations instead of coaching,” Gurnell says. “I had a million questions when I arrived. Once I began to get those questions answered in my mind, I could think more creatively on things I hadn’t had time to spend on in my multiple roles at North Texas. For example, we didn’t have a ton of donors at North Texas, and as a coach I didn’t have the time to sit down and think creatively about how to keep them engaged. At Purdue, that is part of my job. As I got routines down at Purdue, it freed my mind to think creatively and to have more attention to detail in the process.”

It truly has proven to be the best of both worlds for Gurnell. Still as passionate as ever about volleyball, she can lurk on the periphery of coaching, offering a different set of eyes about what is going on the floor. But she also gets to use her artistic talent and next-level organizational skills to do what is needed. Combined with her extremely engaging personality and strong work ethic, she succeeds in doing what her job description truly is: making the lives of the coaching staff and players that much better.

“I love volleyball, and what I see on the court in practice and in matches can be helpful to our coaches because they’re so in it that sometimes they need that outside perspective,” says Gurnell, who recorded 1,045 kills and advanced to two NCAA Regional Semifinals with the Boilermakers while earning a bachelor’s degree in professional writing with a minor in art and design. “I played here, I know the Purdue way and the coaches trust my intentions.”

And the 2026 team, a squad ranked No. 9 nationally preseason with sky-high expectations, has eight new players on it. Gurnell can relate to what it is like for players to have so many new teammates, because she had a similar situation in her senior year.

“I’ve had conversations with the girls on this year’s team,” Gurnell says. “I remember my senior year about having the pressure of thinking I had to perform perfectly or we wouldn’t win. And I didn’t take the time back then to pour myself into those newcomers, and I really regretted that. That is an experience I share with this year’s team.”

Creating a stress-free environment

Gurnell knows how to keep the main thing the main thing. Whether it be the coaching staff or the players, her job is to make it a smooth ride.

“My most important role is to make sure our staff feels great about coaching the team,” Gurnell says. “I don’t want any stress; I want everything to feel organized and flow smoothly because little things not going right can throw people for a loop. I understand that from my experience on the coaching side; I understand how players are.”

And it is obvious the players notice.

“She’s truly everything to this program,” says junior defensive specialist Ryan McAleer. “She has been in our shoes, knows where we’ve been. Sure, she’s great at filling out our schedule and making sure our meals are planned, which is a beast in its own right. But she has played at this level before, which I think is kind of a cheat code to having another coach.”

But being able to anticipate situations before coaches ask for them is also an attribute that Gurnell possesses.

“She is approaching the level of what Elliot Bloom does for Matt Painter,” Shondell says about the men’s basketball director of operations whom he calls “the best in the country” at what he does. “I now have somebody in Carrie that can go to the administrators for things that I don’t have to ask for. She often anticipates things before I have to ask, and that puts her ahead of the game right now.

“She has a soft touch and is sensitive to what people need, but she can also bring the hammer down if needed.”

A recent example of “the hammer” Shondell is referring to was when technicians were working on the Taraflex surface at Holloway Gymnasium. Gurnell was respectful of the work being done, but she also knew what she wanted in the situation to ensure it was installed correctly and wasn’t afraid to say so. After all, getting a state-of-the-art Taraflex surface in Holloway was something Gurnell pushed Purdue to purchase, so like many other things, she was passionate about it.

“She knows how to take control of a situation and work at a really fast pace. That is why Carrie is great at what she does.”

Glitz and glam

When it comes to creativity, Purdue volleyball fans will experience Gurnell’s artistic flair firsthand when they attend matches this fall. The hallway leading to the doors of Holloway has undergone a complete facelift. While it won’t be fully finished until after the season, it is a dramatic and impressive change.

“I pushed to do the hallway — I wanted some of the vibe basketball has downstairs in Mackey brought upstairs to Holloway,” says Gurnell with a gleam in her eye. “The thought process is as we update the hallway we’re also making room and space for upgrades as things progress. I had plenty of ideas for what we could do, and in the end, I wanted it a little more blacked out, almost like a movie‑theater feel. That works in conjunction with the fact that when you leave the hallway, you walk into a bright, welcoming Holloway.

“It’s about showcasing our players, but it’s also about the fan experience and letting people see progress so they get excited.”

The players have noticed.

“If you look great, you play great,” freshman outside hitter Syndi Vice says. “I feel fortunate to be a member of this amazing team, and I think our program deserves something like this. It fits who we are, and what we want to be as a team.”

McAleer concurs with a big smile.

“Carrie truly gets it,” says the 2025 second-team All-Big Ten honoree. “She understands the value that seemingly little things like that can bring to a program. Certain programs would just overlook a detail like what Carrie has helped create and not put in the money (thanks in part to a gift from Art and Connie Euler), but Carrie is persistently pursuing improvement, and this an amazing example.”

Running on emotion and competitiveness

Yet it may be passion and emotion that set Gurnell apart. She admits to “bawling” after a recent camp attended by 600 volleyball players, overcome with feelings of another successful event for the program.

“I texted Dave and Kat and just said how thankful I am to be here,” says Gurnell, who shares an emotional streak with Shondell when the duo thinks about how far things have come.

The feeling is clearly mutual.

“Carrie has a passion for making things flashy,” Shondell says. “But she backs it all up with an unbelievable effort that we not only appreciate, but the entire program benefits from because she is a big part of who we are and what we do.”

Written by Alan Karpick, publisher of GoldandBlack.com.

The all-Purdue suborbital spaceflight will make Jason Williamson the first Boilermaker civil engineer to travel to space

Early on in their dating life — in that tricky stage where potential partners share their goals and ambitions — Jason Williamson told his future wife, Edna, about a dream that has driven him since childhood. 

“I said, ‘Hey, by the way, I’m going to space. I don’t know how or when or who or what, but I’m earmarking this dream, and it’s going to happen,’” says Williamson (BS civil engineering ’97), a senior vice president at Dunaway, a Texas-based engineering services firm. 

Her first thought: Sure, why not? 

“We were talking about what we’d always wanted to do, and that is one of the first things that he told me,” she recalls. “He said, ‘I’ve always had this dream of going to space.’ And my response, not really knowing a lot about what that looked like, was, ‘Why don’t you? Why haven’t you gone to space yet?’” 

If only it were that easy. At that point, Edna was not yet the space enthusiast she has become over the course of their relationship. She did not know that a physical limitation — Jason is colorblind — could prevent someone like him from even being considered as a NASA astronaut candidate or that joining a commercial suborbital program is often an expensive and arduous process.  

But it quickly became clear that this was no fleeting interest. It was a true passion that would drive Jason to do whatever it took to fulfill. 

It was apparent when he showed off his prized copy of the 1993 story that his hometown newspaper, the Anderson (Indiana) Herald Bulletin, published about his trip to Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. 

It was evident when he signed up for Virgin Galactic’s Future Astronaut community and excitedly took advantage of every opportunity to participate in the commercial suborbital spaceflight provider’s activities. 

And it was perhaps most obvious in the way his face lit up when he and Edna attended two Virgin Galactic launches at Spaceport America and watched the VSS Unity spacecraft begin its voyage beyond Earth’s atmosphere. 

“It was beautiful,” she says. “It just brings you to tears watching somebody fulfill their dreams.” 

Little did the Williamsons know while watching the Galactic 06 and 07 crews that they were also seeing their future.

Launching Purdue 1 

Behind the scenes, Virgin Galactic was working with Jason’s alma mater, Purdue — an institution he has supported as an ambassador for two-plus decades — to initiate Purdue 1, a first-of-its-kind commercial suborbital mission where all five crew members would be Boilermakers. Because of his loyalty to both Virgin Galactic and Purdue and excitement over all things space-related, Williamson was an obvious choice when the parties evaluated which alumni they would invite to join the mission. 

“That means a great deal to me,” Williamson says. “I want to make sure that I’m giving my best for Purdue, I’m giving my best for Virgin Galactic, and I’m giving my best for myself, my company and my family. I want to do right by everybody because it is such an incredible privilege to get to do this.” 

When Virgin Galactic’s new Delta Class spacecraft lifts off in 2027 carrying the all-Purdue crew, Jason will not only accomplish the space dream that he first described to Edna, but he will also become the first Boilermaker civil engineer to join the university’s iconic Cradle of Astronauts. 

“It’s really mind-blowing for a mere mortal like myself to have this opportunity to go to space,” he says. “Purdue and Virgin Galactic and space — it’s like they just squished it all together and said, ‘Here are your dreams, young man.’ It’s unbelievable to me that all of this is coming together. Talk about a full-circle moment.” 

A covert meeting in plain sight 

When Williamson visited the Purdue campus in August 2025, the primary purpose was to speak with Boilermaker civil engineering students. As a longtime Dunaway executive who specializes in healthcare and commercial developments, he has a wealth of engineering experience from which to draw during these frequent sessions where he discusses working in his industry. 

But Williamson also had a secondary motive during this particular visit to West Lafayette. He hoped to meet with a pair of Boilermakers who would soon become two of the most important people in his life. 

Williamson already knew the identities of these two fellow Purdue 1 crew members — Steven Collicott, a professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and graduate student Abigail Mizzi (BS aeronautical and astronautical engineering ’25) — but the trio had each signed nondisclosure agreements stating they would not publicly reveal that the mission was in the works. Nonetheless, they requested clearance from Virgin Galactic to meet in person, and the company signed off on their plan to meet somewhat indiscreetly that day in August. 

As Collicott, Mizzi and Williamson walked through the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, chatting and checking out displays spotlighting Purdue’s space history, Williamson stopped a student in the hallway. Then he handed him his cellphone and asked him to take a picture of their group standing in front of an exhibit spotlighting Purdue students who have experienced weightlessness in flight — just like the Purdue 1 crew will experience for several minutes during their upcoming mission. 

Perhaps the Boilermaker student who took the photo will see it here and recognize his unique place in Purdue’s space history: This random passerby took the first photo of the Purdue 1 crew (or at least three-fifths of the group) a month before Purdue and Virgin Galactic officially announced the mission in September 2025.

“Nobody knew who these three people were,” Williamson recalls with a laugh. “That was kind of our little secret way of getting to meet each other.” 

But it was actually not the first time that Williamson and Collicott had crossed paths. There was a Virgin Galactic connection on that special occasion, as well. 

When the Williamsons attended the Galactic 07 festivities in 2024, they were surprised to see several young people buzzing about wearing Purdue gear. They soon discovered these young people were Boilermaker students assisting Collicott, whose autonomous experiment to study propellant slosh would fly aboard the spacecraft that day. 

“I’m fanboying these college kids that are flying their autonomous payload onboard this spaceship that I get to go watch, and I remember being out on the tarmac and saying, ‘Hey, can I have a selfie with you guys?’” Williamson says. “So I took a picture with these students and learned of Steven. Didn’t know Steven from Adam. And then literally a year or so later, Steven and I are crewmates.” 

Preparing to take flight

The Purdue 1 crew members have continued getting to know one another since the initial announcement, and they have since added two newcomers to the group. Purdue and Virgin Galactic announced in April that veteran commercial astronaut Beth Moses (BS AAE ’92, MS AAE ’94) and retired senior research scientist Florence Stahura (MS chemistry ’92) would complete the five-person crew.  

As their launch date approaches, the group hopes to train together to not just prepare for the mind-blowing experience of traveling in zero gravity and seeing Earth from beyond the clouds, but also the logistical issues they’ll need to conquer. 

Collicott, Mizzi and Moses will all have research responsibilities during the trip — there will also be two Purdue-initiated autonomous experiments aboard the ship — so everyone involved needs to understand how to share the space within the spacecraft. 

Collicott and Mizzi’s human-tended experiments will study fluid dynamics in zero-gravity conditions. Meanwhile, Moses will wear a set of health sensors that will allow researchers from Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering to monitor her physiological characteristics throughout the mission. 

“At some point through our training, we want to try to choreograph how we all interact with one another so that everyone can really get the full value of what they’re doing,” Williamson says. “But Abby and Steven, in particular, will have a very specific task at hand.” 

Pursuing your dreams 

The Purdue 1 crew members are approaching their respective roles on the flight as opportunities to exemplify Purdue’s land-grant mission of teaching, research and engagement. 

Collicott, Mizzi and Moses have the teaching and research aspects covered, so Williamson and Stahura are sharing the responsibility to engage the public about what this mission means. 

And they have amazing stories to tell.

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In Williamson’s case, the message is all about persistence. Traveling to space must have seemed unlikely for a first-generation college student whose parents — a General Motors alternator assembler and a sheet metal worker — had to work hard for everything they had. That reality is in part why attending Space Camp as a high school graduation gift is such a special memory for Williamson. 

“I had such a beautiful time,” he says. “I fell in love with what they do, how they do it, the educational component to it, their curriculum, the simulators and all the things of that nature. But it’s also teaching you teamwork and leadership skills and how to communicate effectively with one another.” 

He enjoyed it so much, in fact, that he has returned twice for camp as an adult, including a six-day visit earlier this year where he and Edna both participated in the Adult Advanced Space Academy. The unique bonding experience inspired the Williamsons to sponsor young people of limited means so they could also enjoy Space Camp. 

“It was so cool just to go back and visit,” Williamson says. “I think because of my passion for Space Camp and what they do for these young students, adults and educators, I want to do everything I can to give back to them.” 

After all, you never know what such a formative experience might spark in a bright, ambitious young person. Williamson’s story is proof, as he proceeded from Space Camp to Purdue, where he expanded his engineering and interpersonal skills, and into a three-decade career, where he became a leader in his field. 

Williamson wants others to see where he is today, on the cusp of achieving an unlikely dream, and recognize that amazing things can happen for those who chase their passions with patience and persistence. 

“What I like about this mission is we all have a unique lens of why we were selected or why we’re doing it,” Williamson says. “So much of this is from the heart for me, where for others, it is heart, but there’s also a tangible thing that they’re responsible for. The biggest thing that’s on me is what a beautiful platform. What a beautiful way to inspire others. What a beautiful way to say it doesn’t matter how you grew up. It doesn’t matter the path you took to get there. What matters is you’re still pursuing your dreams. 

“Purdue talks a lot about the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap,” he adds. “That resonates with me very, very vividly.”

Boilermakers shaped iconic projects like the Hoover Dam and Golden Gate Bridge. Today’s students are creating what’s next.

Just as America’s population has steadily grown throughout its 250 years, so too has the need for roads, bridges and dams — anything to help move and connect.

Generations of Boilermakers have transformed America’s infrastructure. They’ve designed and built some of world’s greatest engineering marvels, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam. Today’s efforts safeguard achievements and make the future even stronger.

“There’s increasing complexity in all types of engineering, and demands are especially high in civil engineering,” says Paul Giroux, a professor in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering. “At Purdue, there’s always been a strong focus on teaching theory and practice. To meet emerging needs, Purdue has also been a leader in innovation.”

Unique, hands-on training

Purdue’s Steel Bridge Research, Inspection, Training, and Engineering (S-BRITE) Center hosts the next generation of bridge engineers and inspectors.

S-BRITE developed directly from the transportation industry’s need for a better-trained workforce. Director Robert Connor is Purdue’s Jack and Kay Hockema Professor in Civil Engineering and the director of S-BRITE and the Center for Aging Infrastructure. His conversations with the Indiana Department of Transportation spurred action — after cracking in steel welds closed a bridge spanning the Ohio River, something had to change.

Connor helped create S-BRITE’s Bridge Component Gallery, a multiacre site featuring dozens of actual steel-bridge structures and components that are available for hands-on educational and training purposes.

“Tactile learners need something beyond a PowerPoint,” Connor says. “Pictures of damage don’t show well on a slide. What I wanted were real components with real problems.”

When students can physically approach something like corrosion, noticing the way it looks and feels in reality, they’ll be better equipped to identify these issues as professionals. The gallery has examples of damages as well as components that demonstrate a sound structure.

“When people come to the gallery — whether they’re students, visiting lecturers or industry professionals — they say, ‘I want to be a part of this,’” Connor says. “It’s one of a kind.”

Training doesn’t stop in Indiana, or at the physical site. S-BRITE spans the country. It’s the best way to solve problems that people in every state are experiencing. National partners look to Purdue to help with their problems; S-BRITE experts are available for on-call support.

Connor has also influenced the advancement of the Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research, a 66,000-square-foot facility that’s reimagining the way students learn about structural models and elements.

The work happening inside the center demonstrates that infrastructure is not only about maintaining what already exists. It’s about imagining what comes next — a tradition carried forward from the earliest days of Purdue’s engineering program.

The minds behind monumental projects

Civil engineering professor Giroux, who has almost 50 years of industry experience with Kiewit, is nationally recognized for his expertise on America’s most iconic projects. He’s had leadership and speaking roles at anniversary events like the Brooklyn Bridge 125th, the Hoover Dam 75th, the Golden Gate Bridge 75th, the Panama Canal 100th, the Grand Coulee Dam 75th and the Transcontinental Railroad 150th.

At Purdue, Giroux teaches CE 59700 (The Great Projects: Essential Lessons From the Great Builders), which examines major events in civil engineering to understand each case’s technical, professional and personal lessons. It helps demonstrate how impactful and holistic solutions are found.

That history includes American landmarks with distinct Boilermaker connections.

Purdue alum Elwood Mead (BS agriculture 1882, MS civil engineering 1888, HDR engineering 1902) was the chief engineer for the Hoover Dam, constructed between 1931 and 1936. Built during the Great Depression, the dam transformed water management and power generation throughout the American Southwest, demonstrating how infrastructure can drive economic growth and improve quality of life for millions.

Lake Mead, the reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam, was named in his honor.

In the same era, Charles Alton Ellis played an integral role in designing the Golden Gate Bridge, which was named one of the “Seven Wonders of the Modern World” by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1994. He made thousands of calculations, wrote contracts and supervised siting for the bridge, which opened to the public in 1937.

Despite his significant contributions, Ellis went largely unrecognized for decades. In 1931, after the bridge design has been finalized, Chief Engineer Joseph Strauss removed him from the project amid ongoing professional disagreements and mutual frustration. However, during the bridge’s 75th anniversary celebration that Giroux chaired, the American Society of Civil Engineers placed a plaque at the bridge honoring Ellis’ structural design work.

Ellis joined the Purdue faculty in 1934 as a professor of structural engineering and remained here until his retirement in 1946.

“Civil engineering has a remarkable heritage with amazing stories,” Giroux says. “It’s gratifying for me to introduce young engineers to the past and help them prepare for what’s ahead of them.”

A future based on our foundation

As a land-grant institution founded to serve the public good, Purdue has prepared generations of engineers, builders and problem-solvers who transformed ambitious ideas into lasting structures.

Purdue’s curriculum is expanding to offer opportunities that haven’t been available in the U.S. until now. The Bridge Engineering Education Program includes new courses and seminars, as well as plans for a concentration, that will serve as a national model.

“These students will be the future leaders of the profession,” Giroux says.

Along with training structural engineers, Connor hopes to expand the program to help the inspection side of the industry, offering resources for technicians and people currently operating in the field. It would provide a clear path to certification and ensure that inspectors have the knowledge necessary to keep the public safe.

“It’s not only about the initial years,” Connor says. “We’re talking about continuing education. It serves everyone.

“We’ll get a call about a bridge that’s over 100 years old, followed by a call on bridge design that’s using new materials and methods that we use today. And we figure it all out.”

See how these Boilermakers made their rooms their home at Purdue

Your residence hall room is more than just somewhere to sleep. It’s the place on campus that you call home — and your room should reflect what makes you feel comfortable.  

University Residences provides many of the basics for your room, such as a bed, dresser and desk. These serve as your starting point. The rest is up to you! Your favorite colors. Your interests. Your space. Below, you’ll find tips on how to bring your room to life with themes, lighting and personal touches that fit your style.  

Ava Alter and Alysse Martin combined their love of the West and the ocean to create the theme for their room in Shreve Hall. Framed pictures, a neon light, and turquoise and pink decor bring their coastal cowgirl look to life.

“The theme is coastal cowgirl!” Ava says. “My roommate and I both grew up in rural Indiana and love the western look. We also wanted to give the room a girlie pop of pink and loved the combination of blues and pinks in the coastal cowgirl theme. Our nickname for the room is the Barbie Dream House!”

For Molly Love and Abby Jones, lighting sets the mood. These two roommates wanted warm lighting in their room in Earhart Hall, so they relied on string lights and lamps to create an atmosphere where they can relax. Music decor adds to the ambience.  

With a few personal touches, you can create your desired atmosphere. Lighting, colors, photos and decor can all be used to create the mood you want — whether that’s cozy, energizing, calming or fun.  

“We decided upon a cozy atmosphere,” Molly says. “We decided that we wanted to incorporate plants, ambient lighting and spacious rugs to portray a home away from home. We also made one rule: Don’t turn on the big light!”

Having an open space to relax at the end of the day was important to Kylie Iloski and Vanessa Vega, which is why they collaborated to ensure that everything has a place. With thoughtful storage, these roommates in Shreve ensured they have everything they need without too much clutter.  

“Our theme is cozy and modern with a touch of pink and gold,” Kylie says. “We wanted the room to feel bright, welcoming and put together, while still showing our own styles. The matching details tie it all in, and the neon and name sign make it fun and personal.” 

By planning ahead, you can fill your room with personality while leaving space to unwind at the end of a long day.