Encouraging progress in policies and programs
Purdue Student Government President Shye Robinson cares about community, legacy and integrity — always
What motivates the president of Purdue Student Government?
“Giving back is my priority,” says Shye Robinson, a senior double-majoring in political science and brain and behavioral sciences with a minor in Spanish. “I am who I am today because of the people I’ve met, the places I’ve gone and the experiences I’ve had at Purdue.”
As the title of her self-produced podcast declares, “Shye’s Not Shy.” She’s bold, inquisitive and actively creating a more inclusive and supportive campus.
Striving to serve
“I’ve always known that I wanted to give back and help people,” Robinson says. “Before college, I had figured out that I wanted to be a dutiful servant somehow.”
During her senior year of high school, she was accepted into Purdue as a biochemistry major with the goal of becoming a pediatrician who could help families in need. However, the summer of 2020 altered her aims even before her first semester started. Seeing the impact of various movements — particularly Black Lives Matter — pointed her toward a career in the American political realm.
Robinson switched her major to political science with a minor in Spanish. The second language could open doors to more careers that influence laws and support societal well-being. She places a premium on large-scale security, ensuring everyone can access the aid they need to thrive. Interwoven in this passion is her decision to add a second major in brain and behavioral sciences after taking a compelling psychology course.
I’ve always known that I wanted to give back and help people.
Shye Robinson Purdue Student Government president
Current events caused Robinson to pivot to political science; they also inspired her to create the nonprofit organization Roundtable Politics to promote respectful, productive discussions amid polarized atmospheres. “Talking to people with different beliefs can be a conversation, not a debate — I think that’s a big shift that’s needed, and we’re working on that with Roundtable Politics,” she says.
Pursuing a double major and a minor, as well as leading club meetings, broadened Robinson’s outlook (and contributed to what she dreams of doing after college), but influential experiences haven’t been limited to campus. While at Purdue, she’s taken trips that have further inspired her to impact the world.
Expanding her own perspective
Traveling with the university enriched Robinson’s understanding of global conditions. She credits trips to Argentina and Washington, D.C., as instrumental tools in learning about the functions of government.
Robinson spent two months of the summer after her sophomore year in Argentina, honing her Spanish-speaking skills and making connections with people. “It was my first time out of the country and such a beneficial experience for me,” she says. “I want to do a lot of traveling in my life — especially through South America — and I’m glad that my minor could lead me to a place like that.”
Policies’ effects on the United States were further evident during Boilers Go to D.C., a two-week program through the Brian Lamb School of Communication that puts Purdue students in the same rooms as decision-makers and communicators in the nation’s capital.
“Boilers Go to D.C. was unforgettable,” she says. “We were going, going, going all day.” She appreciated the schedule: mornings spent touring the city and listening to guest speakers; lunches with other attendees; afternoons focused on learning media relations.
The students engaged with the guests, which Robinson felt prepared for thanks to her discussions in Roundtable Politics and classes. In addition, all attendees were assigned a Purdue alum as a guide, and Robinson made an instant connection with hers, Pablo Balcazar.
Balcazar works for a nonprofit organization geared toward immigration policies and was immensely helpful in giving Robinson information about D.C., as well as about getting involved in civil rights systems and growing her personal network. The two keep in touch and see each other during visits.
“The people are always the most important part,” she says. “Being with other students from the Brian Lamb School of Communication made everything even more memorable and fun because I was alongside my friends.”
Robinson makes a friend anywhere — something that’s been a constant since her freshman year.
Advocating for others
Starting from day one, Robinson created connections across campus and wanted to help her peers.
“When I got to Purdue, I loved getting to know people,” she says. “I would run into acquaintances on my walks, and I was always super excited to chat with them and get to know their stories.”
After learning more about Purdue Student Government from friends in the College of Liberal Arts and the Political Discourse Club, Robinson joined as a senator during her junior year. When she started, she created the Black Boilermaker Experience, an ad hoc committee. She was motivated by a student she met from a different university while studying abroad in Argentina. At that student’s school, they gathered testimonials from underrepresented students who shared how their identity translated into their college experiences.
“Studying psychology, I know that community — and specifically belonging — is super important,” she says. “It leads to having a good college experience. Getting involved in a community is essential, and it can be discouraging if you don’t see people who you identify with. So I decided to talk with Black students here, see from their perspectives and understand where they’re coming from.”
The Black Boilermaker Experience produces documentary-style films that show diverse communities and spotlight students’ viewpoints. Working with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, the committee has a goal to reach prospective students and show that they can find a place where they belong at Purdue.
I want to make changes that are tangible.
Shye Robinson
Purdue Student Government president
“Seeing how Black students have connected with communities at Purdue makes everything even more worthwhile,” she says. “I’m a huge advocate of interacting with different cultures and getting to know people’s backgrounds. It’s how you grow.”
For her senior year, Robinson planned on continuing as a PSG senator, since she liked the work she was doing. But a leader in PSG encouraged her to instead run for student body president, citing her strong network, social skills and leadership abilities as a solid foundation.
After a successful election with running mate and now Vice President Andrew Askounis, Robinson is able to enhance opportunities for others at Purdue like never before. It’s a collaborative effort, from meeting with Purdue President Mung Chiang and university administrators to getting to know how other colleges operate during student government conferences with Big Ten schools.
“I want to make changes that are tangible,” she says. “Can I walk away knowing students in the future will have access to even more?”
Stepping toward what’s next
Robinson’s persistent pace isn’t slowing down for her last semester in West Lafayette. Between health science courses and an absorbing class on Latin American history, she’s also researching and creating a Court of Claims database for her senior capstone project.
Outside of class, she keeps up with world events, researching and writing scripts for “Shye’s Not Shy.” She started the podcast after a final project prompted her to find a creative outlet. In each episode, she shares what she’s taken in from the news, discusses crucial topics with friends and strives to educate audiences. It’s also about having an enjoyable time and a good laugh, too.
“I want people to take away something after listening,” she says. “If you learn something new, that’s a win in my book.”
Robinson’s base of selfless service is building up to what happens once she graduates. As a freshman, she planned to become a civil rights lawyer. Now she knows there are countless roles she could pursue that would still promote her lifelong calling: being present and serving the world.
“Being a part of Boilers Go to D.C. was really impactful for me,” she says. “Getting to meet real-world professionals in D.C. and learn about their career trajectory and where they are now showed me that anything is possible.”
A Boilermaker love story, 60 years strong
A marriage that blossomed over half a century ago on Purdue’s campus is still going strong
In December 2023, Gisela and Luis Nino celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at their home in Cincinnati with their three daughters, grandchildren, and other friends and family.
Their daughters surprised them with a heartfelt gift — a book filled with 60 years’ worth of photos and memories, beginning with their time as students at Purdue. When reminiscing about what 60 years together has been like, the couple finds it hard to put into words.
“Sixty years,” Gisela says. “That’s unbelievable. I don’t even believe that!”
The two met in 1962 at a gathering for international students during Gisela’s first year at Purdue. Luis, originally from Colombia, had already been on campus for a few years and was close to finishing his master’s degree in civil engineering. Gisela was studying fashion merchandising and textiles and had just arrived from Brazil.
“He asked me if he could go out with me, and I said, ‘I don’t think so,’” Gisela says. “But he was insistent, and so eventually we did go out, and then it all started.”
Of the dating scene at Purdue at the time, Luis recalls, “There were a lot of guys at Purdue. The girls were a minority. They had good-looking girls who were always taken, so we had to make a line to meet them.
“The reason I was in the States was to get my master’s, get some experience and go back to Colombia,” he says. “And if I had the chance — the opportunity — to meet a nice-looking girl with blue eyes, why not?”
A Purdue wedding
The Ninos’ romance, like so many others, began simply and beautifully. The young couple bonded over their passion for music and dancing. At the time, undergraduate students received football season tickets every fall. But Gisela would trade hers for symphony tickets, instead opting to spend time with Luis in the seats of Elliott Hall of Music, listening to music or dancing at a gathering for international students.
“We didn’t have any money anyhow, so that was a good way of doing it,” Gisela says.
Purdue continued to play a part in their relationship as their young love blossomed into a marriage. Their community stepped up to make their small 1963 wedding happen right on Purdue’s campus, even though funds were tight.
“Our wedding at Purdue was fantastic,” Gisela says.
The wedding ceremony took place at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center and continued with a reception across the street at Purdue Memorial Union. The only family member who was able to join was Luis’s brother Julio, who was living in the U.S. at the time. So the wedding party was largely made up of friends and faculty from Purdue.
Gladys Vail, the dean of the School of Home Economics at the time, offered to make their wedding cake and the punch for the reception. Other faculty members helped throw the bridal shower. Many more faculty and fellow students assisted with wedding planning. The pews were filled with Boilermakers.
As for the wedding dress, Gisela made that herself.
“I couldn’t afford anything else!” she says. “There was a store over in Lafayette that had a basket with remnants. There was a big remnant of lace. It was super, super reduced, because it was soiled. So I took it, threw it in the washing machine, washed it, and then I made my dress. I didn’t have enough fabric to make a long dress, so it was a short dress.”
She even sewed it in her residence hall on campus. At the time, Vawter Hall (part of Windsor Residence Halls) had a few sewing machines available for students to use. When she found a free moment in between study sessions, she would head downstairs to work on her dress.
“I don’t think I would do it again if I had the means,” she says. “But it was a lot of fun creating my own dress. As a matter of fact, I look at the pictures from that time and all the dresses I had made. There is not one dress that I have that I didn’t make myself, but this was mostly for economic reasons.”
Secrets to happiness
Up until recently, Gisela continued to alter wedding dresses for a bridal store near where she and Luis live in Cincinnati. When the store closed a year ago, she took it as a sign that it was time for her to retire and focus on traveling with her husband and family.
“We love to travel. We go every place we can,” she says. Their last trip was to Brazil and Colombia with their daughters to visit family. Gisela is planning on going to Brazil again this year to spend time with her sisters.
For the Ninos, family is the most important thing. “Family is everything, honest to goodness,” Gisela says. “They are the anchor of your life.”
Family is everything, honest to goodness. They are the anchor of your life.
Gisela Nino
BS fashion merchandising and textiles ’66
Luis believes that the secret to a long and happy family life is simple. “Keep your family together,” he says. “It’s important. It’s a good idea to go back home to your parents, your cousins, and be together, whether it’s dinner or whatever.”
And Gisela’s advice for couples hoping to keep a strong marriage is equally simple, yet profound.
“One of the things I truly believe in is that when you go to bed, you’re not mad at each other,” she says. “Make peace before you go to bed. I don’t think you ought to carry your troubles to bed.”
To this day, 60 years after their simple wedding on Purdue’s campus, the Ninos are cultivating a strong marriage through simple acts.
“We walk together. We go to the symphony together. We go out at least once a week, have a glass of beer and some food, just the two of us,” Gisela says. “That’s important. We do that every week.”
Equity in the air
Purdue Pilots Inc. generates enthusiasm for flying by providing low-cost access to flight rentals, lessons
When it comes to flying credentials, it doesn’t get much better than the student organization Purdue Pilots Inc. (PPI).
PPI came to life in 1956, when the Gold and Black Flite Club (affiliated with Amelia Earhart) and the Flying Boilermakers (a club founded by Neil Armstrong) merged. Purdue’s 1958 Debris yearbook described the organization as “the largest collegiate flyer club of its kind in the country.”
What’s even more impressive than its history-rich pedigree is that PPI is entirely student run. “It’s me and my vice president, maintenance officer, treasurer, public relations officer and secretary, and that’s it,” says PPI President Aaron Parihar. “That’s our team; we manage everything.”
Parihar notes that, while other university flying clubs may have a student governing board, it’s rare for a club to be entirely operated by students. “We’ve talked to other clubs,” he says, “and I don’t know of any besides PPI that are fully student run.”
PPI is unique in its cost structure as well. When a new member joins, they gain the exclusive right to rent one of PPI’s two Piper Warrior II aircraft. Members also vote on how the planes are maintained and priced.
Since its inception, the club’s mission has been to cultivate enthusiasm for flying at Purdue by providing low-cost access to flight rentals. Again and again and again, PPI has met this goal.
“Thousands of aviators have passed through our club since it started,” Parihar says. “There is a really rich history of people being able to come here and learn to fly affordably. We allow access to anyone with a Purdue affiliation, not just students. Boilermakers can come learn to fly for some of the best rates you can find in the area.”
During Purdue Aviation Day, we let kids come sit inside the planes, and they love it. I hope we’ve inspired a few kids to get their pilot’s license one day.
Aaron Parihar
President of Purdue Pilots Inc.
Purdue Aviation maintains, hangars and dispatches PPI aircraft. And the club also has a flight instruction agreement with Purdue Aviation. Training ranges from an introductory “Is flying really for me?” lesson all the way to earning a private pilot’s license.
Parihar says, “There’s a lot that you can do through PPI, though, even if you’re not pursuing a license.”
Members can rent the aircraft for leisure travel. Last spring break, for example, a member flew one of the planes to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Another member flew a plane back home to celebrate his grandmother’s 94th birthday.
“It’s a different level of freedom and connection,” Parihar says. “The ability to travel, to spend time with your family or visit new places.”
A private pilot himself, Parihar is slowly working his way toward his instrument rating. He will graduate in spring 2025. He points to PPI as a foundational experience for him at Purdue.
“Outside of academics, PPI is my biggest time commitment, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says. “It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”
Purdue Pilots even helped Parihar with the next steps in his future career as an engineer. “I have an internship this summer at Garmin, where I’ll be working on some of the same instruments that we have in our planes,” he says. “I was connected to the internship through other members of the club. They told me about Garmin and encouraged me to apply.”
Meet the pilot from our ‘Boilermakers in Flight’ video
Brittany Gallarneau applies lessons learned at Purdue in her career as a first officer for Envoy Air
When Amelia Earhart came to Purdue in 1935 as a consultant on careers for women, she imagined a future in which young women persistently pursued work that they loved — like Brittany Gallarneau (BS professional flight ’21).
“I decided I wanted to fly when I was about 17,” she says. “My dad (Hugh Gallarneau, American Airlines 737 captain) was my first flight instructor; he taught me while I earned my private pilot’s license.”
Aviation was something Gallarneau wanted to pursue professionally, and Purdue was the right place for her to take her next steps and earn a professional flight degree.
“Purdue is one of the best aviation schools in the country,” she says. “But I also wanted to feel like I was going to college to have a broader experience and go somewhere with great school spirit.”
She accomplished that goal in a significant way, earning a spot on the Purdue Golduster Dance Team. For four years, Gallarneau practiced many hours a day, five days a week, with the team.
“For me, it was just amazing because I was able to continue my love for dancing while meeting many different people,” she says. “And it taught me a lot about teamwork. So many people coming from different dance backgrounds, different states, different walks of life, and we all got to dance together in support of one big cause — Purdue.”
Gallarneau developed close friendships in Goldusters, as well as with her roommates in college, none of whom were aviation majors. She says, “I was able to really branch out and meet people. And I love that about Purdue.”
Genuine curiosity about other people and the ability to quickly form connections with them has served Gallarneau well, both in her aviation education and career.
“I made wonderful friends in professional flight,” she says. “We all went to different airlines, but we’re all still close friends today. It’s cool that we get to fly around the country and meet up with each other in different places.”
Gallarneau is a first officer for Envoy Air, the largest regional carrier for American Airlines. People tend to assume that means she flies a fixed route over and over. The opposite is true.
“We fly all over the country,” she says. “We also fly up to Canada, down to Mexico and to the Caribbean. Last night I was in North Carolina, but I could also be heading to Dallas, Baton Rouge, Miami, Phoenix, Chicago, New York. It’s nice to have the diversity of different destinations, new places.”
Different routes mean regularly working with entirely different crews — something Gallarneau loves. “Everybody has their own story,” she says. “We’re all bringing something different to the table. I get to fly with former helicopter pilots, fighter jet pilots, Purdue alums, and that is fun.”
One of Gallarneau’s favorite things about her job is making special moments possible for her passengers.
“No matter where I am,” she says, “I know that I have a little bit of a bigger purpose in connecting passengers. People might be traveling for a birthday, a wedding, a funeral. Airports have this huge emotional veil over them: the sad hugs of goodbyes, the happy groups of people cheering and holding ‘welcome home’ signs. And I love being part of all of that.”
Gallarneau also likes making connections with future aviators. Like Earhart before her, Gallarneau is inspiring the next generation of women pilots. She participates in Girls in Aviation Day at Purdue, encouraging young girls to consider the profession. And she is a part-time recruiter for Envoy Air, recently participating in the 34th Annual Women in Aviation International Conference.
“My job gives me such great opportunities,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll get this beautiful sunset or sunrise, or I’ll get to see the stars or fly over the mountains. And I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m 30,000 feet in the air, and I am so blessed to be able to do this.’”
Everybody has their own story. We’re all bringing something different to the table. I get to fly with former helicopter pilots, fighter jet pilots, Purdue alums, and that is fun.
Brittany Gallarneau BS professional flight ’21
Pushing for my degree through the Navy, motherhood and breast cancer.
My degree from Purdue Global shows my kids to never give up
Nina earned her degree as a Navy veteran and mother of three while battling breast cancer. She is sharing her inspiring and beautiful story of how she pushed through for the comeback she was determined to finish.
I joined the Navy after high school. While in the Navy, I had my oldest son at 21, and I didn’t have the best support system at the time. His father and I didn’t have that connection to stay together and raise him. We were both really young, and we ended up separating. I felt like the best decision for me was to leave the Navy even though I didn’t want to. I was living in Washington at my last duty station, and my parents were going through a divorce, so I decided to move home to help them through it. While I was home, I was going back to school off and on while I was working. It became too overwhelming for me as a single parent with a job to do school full time, so I had to take a step back.
Then I met my husband, and we have been together for 12 years. We moved to South Carolina together, started a business, and I decided to try going back to school. At that time, I got into a nursing program, and right when I did, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I had some health complications with her, and we decided that we needed to be closer to family. We ended up selling our business and coming home to Indiana. So again, my plans to go back to school hit another setback. I felt like I kept putting everything before myself and what I wanted to do. When we moved to Mishawaka, Indiana, and my husband was stable enough after his career change, I told him I really want to finish school. This is for me. I need to get my bachelor’s degree.
I ended up finding Purdue Global, which was awesome because, as a working mom, I needed an online program. And because I was unhappy with the job I was in, I decided to leave and pursue school full time. I was fortunate enough to do so because of my husband. He always tells me that he is so proud that I am graduating, but I tell him we should be proud of each other because I wouldn’t be able to complete it if it weren’t for him. He then got a job offer in Pennsylvania, so we moved from Indiana and away from a lot of my family. That’s when I began struggling through another obstacle.
I was suffering from a form of depression, and it was a rough semester in school since I was in Pennsylvania away from my family. It was kind of a dark time for me, so I ended up having to drop my classes and take one term off to get myself together. Finally, I said to myself, “I’m too close. I have to finish.” After taking that term off, I started right back. I had some more hiccups, and, in March of 2022, I found out I was pregnant with my second son. However, I only had five or six classes left, so I kept pushing.
This was my third pregnancy, and it ended up being very complicated. I was suffering prior to the pregnancy with an umbilical hernia, and 10 days after a cesarean section, I had surgery to have it repaired. And through all that, I was still in class trying to make sure I finished my degree.
In January I went in for my six-week post-operation checkup, and during my physical exam my doctor noticed something on my right breast. I went to have a mammogram and found out in February that I had breast cancer.
They found multiple tumors on my right side, so I had to go through six sessions of chemo — all while having a newborn. During this whole time, I knew that I didn’t have many classes left, so I was still trying to push through. One of the military representatives at Purdue Global was helping me through the process. I had to reenroll, and she made sure that I was able to get back in, so I’m thankful for her. The last two terms, I was open about my diagnosis with my professors. The professors were very understanding. There were certain weeks of chemo that I couldn’t even get out of bed, and they were willing to work with me. It wasn’t like everything was on me; I truly had the support of the school. They really wanted to make sure you know that you are graduating.
I still need surgery and reconstructive surgery, and, mentally, I want to jump right into a career, but I still have to deal with these health issues. Even though I’m not working right now, I’ve been applying, and I am nervous about that with my surgery coming up, but the Career Center at Purdue Global has been helping me a lot. They’ve been sending me jobs and helping me go over my resume as I plan to go into human resources. I’m just a people person. I love helping people. That’s why I want to do something with human resources. I feel like human resources sets the culture for the business. They can create a positive atmosphere in the company. Whatever career I can get into to make a difference somewhere, that’s what I really want to do. In the future, I plan on going for my master’s after taking some time off. My cancer has taken a toll on me, but I am very grateful because I know there are people who have it 10 times worse.
This journey has been a lot to deal with, but I had my goal set. I had to finish my bachelor’s degree to show my children that no matter what you go through, if something doesn’t go your way, or you have health issues or you have kids, don’t stop fighting. Don’t stop pushing for your goals. That’s just who I am as a person — I’m a fighter, and I’m not going to give up.
Finally, I said to myself, ‘I’m too close. I have to finish.’
Nina Padilla BS business administration ’23 / Purdue Global
Related Stories
Amelia Earhart: Aviator. Legend. Boilermaker.
One of the most famous aviators of all time, Amelia Earhart worked at Purdue from 1935 until her disappearance in 1937
In 1935, Amelia Earhart was at the height of her celebrity. She had a record-setting solo flight across the Atlantic. She was a published author, a designer of her own fashion line, a charter member of the Ninety-Nines and an outspoken advocate for women.
What, then, inspired one of the most famous people in the world to live in West Lafayette and work for Purdue University?
An irresistible opportunity and a charismatic university president.
Right person, right place, right time
Purdue President Edward Elliott led the university with an eye always looking toward the next giant leap. During his 23-year tenure (1922-45), enrollment more than doubled, 28 major buildings — including an airport— were constructed and the university’s net worth nearly tripled.
Elliott hired Dorothy Stratton in 1933 as the first full-time dean of women students. Construction was complete on Purdue’s first women’s residence hall. And a record 800 undergraduate women were attending the university.
Unfortunately, a number of these women didn’t stay to complete their degrees. And those who did earn a diploma often gave up their careers to get married and start a family.
“Elliott was concerned,” says John Norberg, historian and author of Wings of Their Dreams: Purdue in Flight. “He wondered why Purdue was charging women tuition and spending time and money educating them if they weren’t going to have careers. Something needed to change.”
Enter Amelia Earhart.
Elliott and Earhart first crossed paths in September 1934, when she addressed the fourth annual “Women and the Changing World” conference, sponsored by the New York Herald Tribune. Elliott was at the same conference, speaking on “New Frontiers for Youth.”
Earhart’s impassioned speech on aviation and the role of women in its advancement sparked an idea in Elliott.
He approached her with a compelling offer: Come to Purdue, where women are allowed to enroll in STEM disciplines. Inspire these young women to complete their educations and pursue meaningful careers.
Earhart said yes.
Elliott and Earhart quickly devised a plan that worked around the aviator’s busy schedule. For a few weeks each semester, she would live in the new women’s residence hall (now known as Duhme Hall), serve as a counselor on careers for women, advise Purdue’s aeronautical engineering department and enjoy access to the resources of Purdue’s new airport — the only one, at that time, at a U.S. college or university.
Earhart fulfilled these roles at Purdue from 1935 until her disappearance in 1937.
Inspiring young women
Earhart’s inaugural on-campus event was as keynote speaker for Purdue’s first annual “Conference on Women’s Work and Opportunities,” held Nov. 26, 1935.
As in so many avenues of her life, Earhart instigated progress in her role at Purdue.
“She has said she was the first woman in the country to hold the position of career counselor for women at a university,” Norberg says.
She was wildly popular with students. Norberg notes that her dynamism and excitement were contagious, and her interest in helping women was sincere.
“She would have 20 young women gathered to speak with her, and she would sit down on the floor with them and just talk,” he says. “As a reporter in the 1970s, I had the opportunity to interview some of these women, and they all said that the experience changed their lives.”
Earhart was also scientific in her approach to career counseling. She wrote a multipage questionnaire in which she asked women to reflect on work, both in and out of the home.
“She encouraged women to think about the kinds of jobs they were actually interested in, not just what they ‘should’ do,” says Katey Watson, the France A. Córdova Archivist in Purdue University Archives and Special Collections.
“She wanted them to think outside the box when it came to their careers,” Watson says.
She would have 20 young women gathered to speak with her, and she would sit down on the floor with them and just talk. As a reporter in the 1970s, I had the opportunity to interview some of these women, and they all said that the experience changed their lives.
John Norberg, historian and author of “Wings of Their Dreams: Purdue in Flight”
The ‘Flying Laboratory’
As a consultant in aeronautics, Earhart spoke with groups of engineering students, participated in aeronautical conferences on campus and advised Purdue faculty on their work.
But she was already looking ahead to what she could accomplish next.
“Earhart had this idea of flying around the world at the equator,” Norberg says. “Others had flown around the world, but no one had done it at the equator, which would have set a record for the furthest-distance flight.”
She outlined her plans for an around-the-world flight to Elliott and spoke of her desire to conduct research on how long-distance flying affected pilots.
Norberg says Elliott’s response was, “Well, we can help you with that.”
The newly formed Purdue Research Foundation established the Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research to support Earhart’s trip and her research plans.
Purdue trustee and benefactor David Ross gave money, and further donations were received from J.K. Lilly; Vincent Bendix; and the Western Electric, Goodrich and Goodyear companies.
In 1936, Earhart acquired a Lockheed Electra 10E airplane specifically outfitted for long-distance flights, using just over $40,000 provided by the fund. It was called the “Flying Laboratory” because of new technological advancements that had been made in the field of aviation, including radio-telephone systems, newer navigational equipment and mechanisms that de-iced plane wings.
Earhart’s post-flight plan was to return the plane to Purdue, where it would be used to further pure and applied scientific research in aeronautics.
Purdue Airport
Readying for the world flight was a massive undertaking. And Purdue’s airport played a key role in Earhart’s preparation for her final, and perhaps most famous, flight.
“Purdue’s airport was the base for her world-flight research,” says Watson.
“She regularly flew out of the Purdue airport and could often be seen in the skies above campus as she prepared for her round-the-world flight,” Norberg says.
As Earhart readied for her journey, the eyes of the world were on West Lafayette.
“Having Amelia Earhart plan her flight here drew attention to Purdue’s airport and aeronautics program. She attracted incredible publicity for the university,” Norberg says.
Having the new terminal named for her means that she will continue to inspire women pilots, which was important to her. There are a lot of people who likely wouldn’t be pilots today if it wasn’t for her being vocal about the fact that women could fly and should fly.
Sammie Morris
University archivist
Purdue’s airport, which opened in 1930, was named a historical site by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2005. Earhart’s key role in Purdue’s aviation history was an important factor in this distinction.
Fittingly, Purdue University Airport’s new terminal will be named for Earhart when commercial flight service returns in spring 2024.
“One of the things I’m excited about with the naming of the new terminal is that Earhart had two passionate causes: aviation and women’s rights,” says Sammie Morris, professor, head of Purdue Archives and Special Collections, and director, Virginia Kelly Karnes Research Center.
“Having the new terminal named for her means that she will continue to inspire women pilots, which was important to her. There are a lot of people who likely wouldn’t be pilots today if it wasn’t for her being vocal about the fact that women could fly and should fly,” she adds.
World’s largest collection of Earhart artifacts
Earhart’s legacy persists at Purdue.
The university is home to the world’s largest compilation of Earhart-related papers, memorabilia and artifacts.
“We have nearly 5,000 items in the collection,” Morris says. “Original documents that belonged to her, along with many of her medals and awards. We have some of her clothing, her goggles, her pilot’s license, even her will.”
“We have the actual leather flight helmet and brown suede jacket she wore on her 1932 solo Atlantic flight,” Watson says.
“And of course, there are many photographs, telegrams, letters and other papers,” Morris says. “So it’s a really rich collection, and it documents her professional career, her time at Purdue and her personal life as well.”
The public can explore highlights of the collection or take a deep dive into the incredible complete collection online.
“There is one item that takes my breath away,” Morris says. “It’s this little flight log that Earhart kept during her solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932.
“It was the first time for a woman to make a nonstop flight across the Atlantic, and it was only the second time for a human. And all these things kept going wrong on the plane. She couldn’t tell how high or low she was flying; she had gasoline running down her shoulder and was afraid the plane was going to catch on fire,” Morris says.
“So she’s writing in this tiny little flight log about how if anyone finds the wreckage from this plane, please know that this is what happened. It was important to her while she was flying in these dangerous conditions to say, ‘I almost made it, and here’s why I didn’t,’” Morris explains.
“It just really puts you at that moment in history. It’s such a powerful connection to her,” she adds.
Origin and current use of the collection
The bulk of the Amelia Earhart collection came to Purdue in 1940.
“Amelia’s husband, George Palmer Putnam, was grateful to Purdue for the university’s support,” Morris says. “And after she disappeared, he offered her collection to the university, and President Elliott accepted it.”
In 2002, Purdue received an additional 492 items from Sally Putnam Chapman, the granddaughter of George Putnam.
“My grandfather chose to give the collection to Purdue because Amelia loved Purdue and because of Purdue’s generous sponsorship of her flights,” Chapman said.
Through the end of April, Purdue Archives is hosting an exhibit titled “Amelia Earhart: Life and Legacy,” which “explores not just her flying accomplishments, but her life,” says Watson, who curated the exhibit.
According to Morris, the Earhart collection is “heavily used, not only by people writing biographies about Amelia Earhart, but people writing journal articles about her role as a feminist or her impact on fashion.
“Students at Purdue use the collection. And I find it rewarding that elementary school students use it as well. They go on to the website and look at the collection, and then they will often contact us because they’re writing an Indiana history day report,” Morris says.
Watson says that student use of the collection is varied: “It’s across disciplines. Students might have a project on creating an original artwork, and they’re using collection materials to inspire their artwork. They could be doing research into flight history or on women and the gender revolution.”
From the public? “I have seen an uptick in children’s books,” she adds.
Legacy at Purdue
There are reminders of Earhart everywhere at Purdue. A statue of her stands outside the residence hall that bears her name. There is an Amelia Earhart Scholarship, an Amelia Earhart Faculty-in-Residence program and an annual Amelia Earhart Summit sponsored by the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Purdue Women in Aerospace.
Her most significant contribution, however, can be seen in the lives of Purdue students who are inspired by her example to pursue their dreams and aspire to careers that reward and challenge them.
A heroic moment in the Army led me back to school at Purdue Global.
I’m balancing duty, family and online higher education.
As an active service member in the Army, Dustin had a life-saving moment that pushed him to earn his degree. He’s sharing his story and why he chose Purdue Global to move him forward in his military career.
After I graduated from college, I worked for Chrysler for almost a decade. But then I realized that, while I loved turning a wrench, it wasn’t very much of a challenge for me. Trying to make a career change at 29 years old, I felt I needed to be confident in my choice. So, after contemplating it for about a year, I figured it was about time. And now I’ve just hit my ninth year as an active service member in the Army.
In the same way I knew I wanted to join the military, I always knew I wanted to go back to school. I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. In high school, I was a volunteer firefighter. Still to this day that is a job that I really miss doing, so I was thinking of doing something fire science related. Then in 2017, I had a moment that pushed me to get my degree.
On the way back from port operations, I came across a semi driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel, and he smashed into a guardrail. The truck caught on fire and rolled down into a swamp. We missed it by about a minute or two. I got out of the vehicle and went to the edge of the road. The semi was lying in this swamp, and another witness said the truck driver was stuck inside. We could hear him yelling, and the truck was starting to smoke a lot more. It was starting to burn, so without even thinking, I jumped down there, ran down into the swamp and climbed up the truck. Because I’d been a firefighter, and because of my role in the Army, I knew to throw the door open and turn off the ignition. I made sure the driver wasn’t hauling something that was going to explode. The driver was stuck on the passenger side under the swampy water and was starting to drown, so I dove in and pulled him out. I got him out of the semi, walked him across the truck and got him across the ravine to the waiting ambulance. Sitting at the ravine, I started processing everything from an emergency management standpoint, and that’s when I knew what I wanted to do.
knew I had to prioritize earning an online degree, plus my Army needs, while being a father and husband. It’s all about that balance.
Dustin Young
BS fire science and emergency management ’23 / Purdue Global
I started looking for schools and found Purdue Global. It had a very high reputation. The degree I got after high school was from a school that wasn’t very recognizable. So while I did get an associate degree, it almost felt like it didn’t count because nobody knew the school was fully accredited. But everybody knows Purdue, and I didn’t want to just commit to any school. I wanted to make sure the school had a reputation behind the degree.
My bachelor’s degree in fire science and emergency management and my role in the Army feed off of each other. I serve in the SFAB in a role called a CBRN advisor; I specialize in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. The Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB) are specialized U.S. Army units with the core mission to conduct, advise, support, liaise and assess operations with allied and partner nations. When I am advising, I can bring in a lot of strategic and operational value from what I’ve learned at Purdue Global. I can identify and advise commonalities between emergency management from a military and civilian standpoint utilizing both my Army CBRN background and my academic foundation from Purdue Global.
When you go back to school, you just have to make it a priority. It’s a matter of making it a priority and just going for it. I knew I had to prioritize earning an online degree, plus fulfill my duty to the Army, while being a father and husband. It’s all about that balance.
I feel a lot of excitement about my upcoming graduation, but it’s definitely not my stopping point. I’ve already reenrolled at Purdue Global for my master’s and would eventually like to go for my PhD. It feels like a huge accomplishment because there were a lot of hurdles I had to jump in order to graduate summa cum laude while being deployed. It will be such a proud moment for my wife, my son and my whole family.
Sitting at the ravine, I started processing everything from an emergency management standpoint, and that’s when I knew what I wanted to do.
Dustin Young BS fire science and emergency management ’23 / Purdue Global
Related Stories
Meet the Boilermaker with the ‘world’s largest Purdue collection’
Chris Pate’s fan cave is full of museum-quality pieces of Purdue history
Chris Pate grew up during the pinnacle of America’s sports card craze, so he already had a collector’s disposition when he enrolled at Purdue in the mid-1990s.
Once he arrived in West Lafayette, however, the stars aligned in such a way that his interest in sports memorabilia — particularly Purdue memorabilia — evolved into a full-blown obsession.
“When I was a Purdue student, everyone was good,” Pate says. “Drew Brees was throwing footballs in Ross-Ade Stadium. The women’s basketball team won the 1999 national championship. The men’s basketball team went to the Sweet 16 a couple times, and the Elite Eight and won a Big Ten championship. It was definitely an exciting time to be on campus.”
That excitement inspired Pate to begin collecting, starting with a few jerseys acquired while working in the Purdue athletics equipment room as a student. His first big-ticket item, a Big Ten championship ring, came a few weeks after graduating from Purdue with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in December 1999. And that was only the beginning.
Over the next two-plus decades, Pate has built a staggering collection packed with so many Purdue mementos that his fan cave basement in southern Indiana has nearly run out of available space.
“I don’t want to chest-beat or anything,” he says, “but I’m pretty sure I’ve got the world’s largest Purdue collection.”
He’s not exaggerating.
Museum-quality significance
As big as it is — with easily more than 1,000 Purdue items — the more impressive aspect of Pate’s collection is the museum-quality significance of some of the pieces. To name only a few:
- Purdue’s game ball from the 1967 Rose Bowl win over Southern California, plus a team-signed football presented to Boilermaker astronaut Roger Chaffee that day in Pasadena.
- Brees’ jersey from the 2001 Rose Bowl, the most recent time the Boilermakers appeared in the “Granddaddy of Them All,” plus jerseys from two other iconic athletes who were active during Pate’s days as a Purdue student: basketball stars Brian Cardinal and Stephanie White. “It’s pretty cool that, of our three major sports, I’ve got the jersey of my favorite player from each one,” Pate says.
- The first tickets issued for the 1924 dedication game of Ross-Ade Stadium — untorn, no less — plus tickets to the 1967 dedication game for Mackey Arena.
- A game program from every Purdue-Indiana gridiron battle for the Old Oaken Bucket, and tickets from every Bucket game except 1925 and 1926. “Anybody that’s got those, we need to talk,” Pate says, offering his email address (chris@boilerup.com) to any potential sellers.
- A ticket to the Purdue-Indiana basketball game from 1932, the year Purdue won its only national championship to date in men’s basketball. The back of the ticket is adorned with a unique autograph from “Johnny” Wooden, an All-American guard on the 1932 team who would go on to become one of the most successful head coaches in college basketball history.
- The 1994 Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball award presented to Purdue All-American Glenn Robinson as the Big Ten’s most valuable player, along with other awards and game-worn jerseys from the Big Dog himself.
We could go on, but you get the idea. This is no garden-variety assortment of Purdue stuff. Pate owns so many jaw-dropping pieces of Purdue memorabilia that he’s running low on bucket-list acquisitions that he still hopes to find.
“Honestly, it’s hard to find things I don’t have, so I get excited when I come across even a smaller thing that’s rare or unique that I don’t have or often see,” Pate says.
Loaning to Purdue
Pate gets an understandable kick out of wowing his Boilermaker buddies with some of the items he has managed to acquire through the years, but as a loyal alumnus, he also believes it’s necessary to share with his alma mater.
And Purdue is more than willing to help alleviate some of the overcrowding issues in Pate’s basement, rotating a number of loaned historical artifacts — trophies, jerseys, tickets, programs and other items from Boilermaker basketball icons like Robinson, Wooden, Gene Keady, Rick Mount and Ward “Piggy” Lambert, to name a handful — through displays at Mackey Arena and the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. Pate says plans are in the works to display even more items on a year-round basis at the expansive Pete Dye Clubhouse currently under construction at Purdue’s Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
As much as I love having all of this stuff here, a lot of it really needs to be on display at Purdue. It’s really too good to just be in my basement.
Chris Pate
BSEE ’99
“As much as I love having all of this stuff here, a lot of it really needs to be on display at Purdue. It’s really too good to just be in my basement,” says Pate, who works at the Naval Support Activity Crane military base located 75 miles south of Indianapolis. “We’re working to make that happen.”
In the meantime, he’ll remain on the lookout for unique items like gold award charms, Pate’s absolute favorite Purdue pieces to track down. He explains that, before awarding championship rings became a common practice, athletes would instead receive gold charms engraved with their names, logos and other meaningful adornments like scores from significant games.
He owns charms from many different schools, but his favorite Boilermaker versions came from Duane Purvis — the two-time All-American running back from Purdue in the 1930s who is arguably more famous for the peanut butter cheeseburger named in his honor at the local Triple XXX Family Restaurant — and Clyde Lyle, who led Purdue to a 1928 conference championship and won the 1929 Big Ten Medal of Honor, one of the most prestigious awards in collegiate athletics.
“I’m fortunate enough to own several of those from over the years, and there are a couple of football ones, in particular, that I couldn’t part with if somebody offered me a million dollars. I just love them that much,” Pate says. “Now my wife, if she heard me say that, she’d swat me over the head with a game-used Purdue baseball bat. But those charms, they’re my favorite.”
Those rare gold charms are yet another example of how Pate has assembled a Purdue collection that is truly one-of-a kind. And yet he looks back on the environment at Purdue that first inspired him to begin collecting and recognizes something similar today:
- A men’s basketball program that has been ranked No. 1 in each of the last three seasons, making Purdue the first Big Ten program to earn such a distinction.
- A women’s basketball program that returned to the NCAA Tournament last season under second-year coach Katie Gearlds, a program alumna.
- And a football program that appeared in its first Big Ten Championship Game in 2022 and now features an energetic young head coach in Ryan Walters.
Who knows, perhaps the excitement today’s Boilermakers generate will inspire some young Purdue fan to become the next Chris Pate.
Count Pate himself among those who believe it’s possible.
“I’ve got a few buddies who are current Purdue students, and I tell them, ‘Hey, soak it up. You’ll remember these times for the rest of your life: the Big Ten West championship last year and then the basketball team’s success and everything else,’” Pate says.
“I think that cultivates not only fans, but in lots of cases, it also cultivates collectors like me.”
I don’t want to chest-beat or anything, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got the world’s largest Purdue collection.
Chris Pate BSEE ’99
Purdue Global Law School gave her the chance she’d been waiting for
She waited almost 30 years for her dream. Finally, she earned her law degree.
After years of looking for the right path, Janet Regnier finally saw the chance to pursue her dream with Purdue Global Law School. Now she’s sharing the story of how her online law degree moved her forward.
I’ve wanted to go to law school since I was 17, which I realized at my part-time job as a runner for a law firm. It was so interesting. I knew I’d have a career one day, so why not do this? It felt like I was learning something new every day, and I never felt like I was working. But right after college, I got married and raised four kids. Even though I loved being a full-time mom, law school never stopped being a goal of mine.
Then my youngest was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. At the time, I couldn’t handle anything else; I was learning how to take care of him. I don’t recall being away from him overnight for seven years. It’s not like it was his fault, of course, and he was never a burden. It’s just life. My priority was taking care of him, and I’m proud of how brave he is. A few years later, I also became a grandmother, and I wanted to be there for my granddaughter during those first pivotal years.
When I discovered Purdue Global Law School, I was excited because it seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally pursue my dreams. But I hesitated. I was going to spend the next four years of my life in school and then start a new career after 20 years at home. I thought, “I’ll be 53 when I’m done, and I haven’t worked all these years. Is this going to be worth it?”
When I discovered Purdue Global Law School, I was excited because it seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally pursue my dreams.
Janet Regnier
JD ’23, Purdue Global Law School
But you just have to shut all that out. Dean Martin Pritikin called me and gave an honest explanation of how the next four years would be. He said it would be a tremendous amount of work, but if I can make it, I would have an outstanding academic foundation in law and the confidence to pursue a career as an attorney.
I’m here to tell you that I made it. There’s so much I could say about the great experience I had at Purdue Global Law School. You never feel alone because the professors and student support team are readily available. And not only did I graduate from law school, but I also found a job in the areas of law I’m most interested in — I found a job in real estate and tax controversy as a law clerk. In February, I will take the bar exam to become a licensed attorney.
I see myself pursuing tax and real estate law for a long time. But knowing there’s plenty of room to grow for someone with a JD and soon, a bar license — that’s worth so much to me.
I’m so proud that I finally accomplished my dream, and I’m proud my kids saw it. I hope watching my journey shows them they can reach their dreams, too, no matter what those dreams are. They just need to set a goal and do it. It’s never too late.
I hope watching my journey shows (my kids) they can reach their dreams, too, no matter what those dreams are. It’s never too late.
Janet Regnier JD ’23, Purdue Global Law School
Related Stories
My online degree from Purdue Global brings me closer to my lifelong goal.
I’m a proud military service member and first-generation college graduate.
From Guam to the U.S. Army, Cliford has an incredible story. He’s sharing his journey to the Purdue Global degree that is bringing him one step closer to his dream.
I was born and raised in the Philippines. My family was poor; we couldn’t afford anything, but then my life changed when my family moved to Guam. We had a lot more opportunities. And ever since I was in elementary school there, I’ve wanted to become a police officer. I grew up in an environment where violence is the only solution to fix a problem; domestic violence was considered a family matter, and bullying was acceptable. To prevent other people from experiencing these internal threats, regardless of your economic background, is to gain authority to handle it. My parents couldn’t afford for me to go to college, so I found a route for me by joining the Army in 2019. I also joined because I wanted to challenge myself and become a role model to my family. My whole family went straight into construction jobs, so I’m first-generation military.
I knew I wanted a military-friendly college that offered courses that would help me become a successful police officer. I was stunned when I found Purdue Global because all the courses it offered would benefit me a lot in the future. Purdue Global was actually recommended to me by my supervisors who had also attended, so I went ahead and checked it out. I noticed on the website that it was part of one of the most innovative universities, Purdue, and I really liked that, so I applied.
While earning my associate degree in criminal justice, I was able to learn what to do as an officer. I learned the consequences of violating rights and the proper procedures of policing, which I wouldn’t have known without my degree. Also, I know that with my degree, I’m more likely to get hired. As a military student, I was provided with an academic advisor with expertise in the military lifestyle, and there are even professors with military backgrounds. I was given multiple chances of extended deadlines due to ongoing missions that interfered with completing my modules. And as a first-generation student, I was able to take virtual seminars and receive tips and guidance on becoming a successful student.
I was stunned when I found Purdue Global because all of the courses it offered would benefit me a lot in the future compared to my previous college.
Cliford Manuel
AAS Criminal Justice ’23 / Purdue Global
I’ve been through a lot, and by graduating I feel so accomplished. My family is very happy for my upcoming commencement. Recently, I video-chatted with them, and they were so happy. They were all clapping for me as they congratulated me, so that felt great. Having this degree and knowing that my family is so proud of me — it feels amazing.
In the future as a police officer, I hope to build trust and a strong relationship with the community. I want them to feel that their police officers are approachable and not the type of professional to be scared of. I’m not exactly sure what’s next for me, but I do hope to return to school for my bachelor’s and eventually become an officer in Arizona or California.
Finishing this journey as a first-gen military service member and then the first person in my family to graduate college feels so great.
I’ve been through a lot, and by graduating I feel so accomplished. Finishing this journey as a first-gen military service member and then the first person in my family to graduate college feels so great.
Cliford Manuel AAS Criminal Justice ’23 / Purdue Global
Related Stories
Purdue Global helped her fulfill a dream she didn’t know she had
How a rescue horse inspired this ER nurse to get her online law degree
When Kerry Koziol started to feel stuck in her career, an online law degree from Purdue Global Law School gave her new dreams to aim for. She’s sharing the story of how the future she imagined took an unexpected but perfect turn.
If you talk to law students, you’ll hear a lot of “I always wanted to go to law school.” That’s not my story.
I’m an ER nurse, and I earned my JD through Purdue Global because of a horse my husband and I rescued. I like the drama of the ER; I like the unexpected. I like the faster pace and the help I can offer. I like that at home, too — we live on a ranch and have horses and dogs.
When I was in my 40s, hospitals started requiring nurses to get BSNs. I loved my job, but I didn’t want a BSN. My options were to get a master’s in nursing, become a nurse educator or a nurse practitioner, but none of that really clicked with me.
Then, in 2013, a couple was arrested on animal abuse charges. 55 deceased horses were found on their property, but thankfully 26 horses were alive and moved to local stables. When the village asked for volunteers, we had to help.
I got there and immediately saw this beautiful Clydesdale. She was skinny, had her head down, blind in one eye. But who better to take care of a special-needs horse than a critical care nurse? I knew she was ours. We named her Maxine.
I realized if I got another nursing degree, I could help people locally. But with a law degree, I could run for Congress and get legislation passed.
Kerry Koziol
Juris Doctor ’23 / Purdue Global
As the new owners, we were invited to the couple’s trial to show support for the animals we rescued and those that were lost. In the courtroom, it was like a light came on. I realized if I got another nursing degree, I could help people locally. But with a law degree, I could run for Congress and get legislation passed. And there are a lot of areas I want to effect change. I wanted to get health care decisions back in the hands of those that provide direct patient care. I wanted to use my voice for those who are unable to defend themselves. I wanted to protect veterans and seniors against those who so often take advantage by providing guidance on their legal rights.
My path became clear to me as I watched the trial. I left the courthouse making phone calls to put my plan into action. I had two associate degrees already, but I’d need a bachelor’s to get into law school. Purdue Global’s program in legal studies was perfect. When I finished, law school at Purdue Global was the next step. Of course, law school is hard, so we were told in the beginning always to have our inspiration handy. Mine is a picture of Maxine, right next to my school computer. She’s my why. From the day I made the decision to pursue a law degree, what kept me going was my vision of being able to advocate for those without a voice.
I was concerned about going back to school. Not to mention law school, and in my early 50s! But lots of students my age and older were doing the same thing. And, because it was online, I was able to continue working full time as a registered nurse while pursuing my law degree.
If you’re considering going to law school as an adult, it’s doable. Not all the students come from a law background. You can make yourself shine; you can elevate yourself to a whole new level when you combine knowledge of the law with what you’ve done previously. It’s such an opportunity because so few do it.
We were told in the beginning always to have our inspiration handy. Mine is a picture of Maxine … she’s my why.
Kerry Koziol Juris Doctor ’23 / Purdue Global
Related Stories
Boilermakers explore ‘Mars’ on Earth
At the Mars Desert Research Station, Purdue crews live and work as if they are truly inhabiting the red planet.
Nestled between Capitol Reef and Canyonlands national parks is an alien landscape so filled with otherworldly rock formations and colorful hills, you may think you are on another planet.
And for crews of Purdue analog astronauts, you would be exactly right.
The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), located near Hanksville, Utah, has served as Mars on Earth for Purdue researchers since the first all-Boilermaker mission launched in 2017.
“Geologically, it’s pretty much a dream location,” says Adriana Brown, commander of MDRS Crew 289.
“It’s one of the most realistic analog Mars locations on Earth,” agrees Cesare Guariniello, commander of MDRS Crew 288.
Established in 2001 and owned and operated by the Mars Society, MDRS supports Earth-based research in pursuit of the technology and operations required for off-world human space exploration.
“Analog” astronauts assume the role of an astronaut while they are at MDRS. They conduct research and go about day-to-day life as if they are actually on Mars.
Putting learning into practice
“Many people come to Purdue because of its reputation as the Cradle of Astronauts,” says Kshitij Mall, a postdoctoral research associate and one of the primary architects behind Purdue’s successful trips to MDRS. “They come to Purdue because either they want to be astronauts or they want to be around astronauts. An important aspect of educating these people is to prepare them to go on a real mission. But you can’t do everything in a classroom. At Purdue, you have this unique opportunity to put learning into practice.”
Fieldwork opportunities at MDRS are rare. Usually, no more than 15 groups can be accommodated each year. Through persistence and excellence, Purdue secured a fixed annual rotation at MDRS and even earned the chance to send an unprecedented two crews to Utah in one season.
A global victory. A $10,000 cash prize. And an incredible opportunity.
The relationship between Purdue and the Mars Society started with teamwork, innovation and a healthy dose of competition.
Mall, a PhD student in Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AAE) at the time, was conducting research in Japan as part of an AAE and Global Engineering exchange program when he met Shota Iino. Iino, a then-graduate student at Keio University, invited Mall to form an international team to compete in the Mars Society International Student Design competition.
Team KANAU was born, and it included Mall and Iino as well as four other Purdue participants and several Japanese students. The competition required teams to design a two-person Mars flyby mission. After presenting its design to a team of six judges, Team KANAU emerged victorious, capturing the $10,000 prize.
Inspired by the camaraderie of the Mars Society competition and informed by the analog Mars exploration experiences of several individual Purdue alums, Mall recruited an all-Purdue crew to apply for one of the highly coveted fieldwork spots at MDRS.
“It was like running a startup company,” Mall says. “The mission requires crew members to fill specific roles, such as commander, health and safety officer, crew engineer, crew geologist and more. For Purdue’s first mission to MDRS, we enlisted people who are passionate about Mars as well as smart, capable and disciplined.”
Again and again and again
The first MDRS Purdue crew set the pattern for the groups that followed: perform well, make a good impression, get invited back.
Purdue research scientist Guariniello, who is readying to embark on his sixth Purdue mission to MDRS, explains: “There are so few openings at MDRS and so many people competing for the opportunity, but Purdue is invited back year after year because we consistently perform so well. Our Mars Society partners always tell us that our research and our logistics are of the highest quality.”
The work ethic and team spirit of Purdue crews play a large role in MDRS successes, too. “Crew members see something needs to be done, and they do it,” Guariniello says.
He adds, “We want to test different aspects of space exploration, and we want to work as a team in a location where nobody is there to help you out. We are encountering the same challenges and conditions emotionally and physically that you would on an actual mission to Mars. If you get in trouble, you learn how to take care of the situations that arise yourself.”
In applying to the program, crew members propose two or three different research projects they would like to pursue. But they are also expected to help with the research projects of other crew members. A crew journalist may also help a crew scientist take care of plants in the GreenHab. A crew geologist may also serve as the health and safety officer, which requires knowledge of CPR and first aid.
Rather than being intimidated by these responsibilities, Purdue crew members are excited. More than 50 people applied this year for the highly sought-after crew spots on the next Purdue mission to MDRS. In previous years, Mall and Guariniello have received as many as 100 applications.
Purdue is invited back year after year because we consistently perform so well. Our Mars Society partners always tell us that our research and our logistics are of the highest quality.
Cesare Guariniello Purdue research scientist
Two weeks. Seven analog astronauts. Four hundred gallons of water.
“We always point out that being an analog astronaut is not pretend. We don’t go to Utah to play,” Guariniello says. “This is a realistic mission, where people are in close quarters and must live together and solve challenges together. MDRS is a place to test things that would be useful for future human explorers on Mars, especially social interactions and conducting research in a remote, limited environment.”
For two weeks, Purdue analog astronauts live and work in “the Hab,” a two-story circular structure 8 meters in diameter. The Hab is stocked with limited supplies, comparable to those which astronauts would have available. Four hundred gallons of water, for drinking and cleaning, must last seven crew members two weeks.
The moment the simulation starts, crew members are confined to the Hab and the surrounding MDRS campus, which includes a GreenHab, two observatories, a science dome, and a repair and maintenance module. Crews can’t just open the front door and go outside. They must use airlocks to exit the Hab and must wear flight suits, helmets and heavy air packs while conducting research outside the MDRS campus.
Even the timing of Purdue’s missions to MDRS, during the winter break, simulates the sacrifices that astronauts make in being away from loved ones during the holidays.
“It increases that sense of isolation from Earth a bit. But I will also say that it really allows the team to bond when we’re there together,” says Brown, who served as crew geologist last year.
“I interacted with people from different departments and from all over the world — people who I had not previously encountered in my four years at Purdue. And I have stayed friends with many of them.”
When are you ever going to get this chance again?
Conducting research in the field is a significant component of the MDRS experience. “It’s truly an exercise in building a project from the ground up. You come up with an idea. You look for funding sources. You plan out the details and the equipment you will need, and then you execute and write about it,” Brown says.
Research at MDRS must be useful for Mars exploration and something that can be done only in an analog environment. So crew members cannot do something at MDRS that can be done in a lab. Research also relies on using available materials. Missions to Mars will be constrained by weight and unable to carry every needed resource from Earth.
Brown adds, “It’s a huge opportunity for people who work in these fields. It can be difficult to do fieldwork in this area of study. And so it’s a unique opportunity, especially for students who study habitats in extreme environments or in human space exploration.”
Previous research projects have included evaluating human dynamics under stressful situations, performing a noninvasive search for water and mapping radiation. Participants apply to join the crew with their own research projects, but by the time the mission solidifies, projects become consolidated. Crew members may not be working on exactly what they originally proposed, but they are working on something for the greater good of the team and of the mission.
Brown says, “My experience with MDRS really had me level up as a researcher. What it really came down to for me is: When are you ever going to get this chance again?”
What next?
After earning her Bachelor of Science in environmental geoscience from Purdue last December, Brown pursued graduate work. She credits her MDRS experience as contributing toward her acceptance to the PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences program at the University of Michigan.
“Professionally, it was so helpful to write about the MDRS experience,” she says. “I was asked about it in nearly every interview, and I have presented on it with Kshitij at American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ASCEND 2023. MDRS stands out as a unique experience.”
Other Purdue MDRS alumni have gone on to secure internships and jobs at places like Blue Origin and NASA.
Purdue’s MDRS efforts are currently pursued independently, but there are conversations about expanding to include a certificate program or even adding an analog astronautics class that will allow students who can’t make it to MDRS to still prepare for experiencing an analog environment.
Purdue will continue to take small steps toward the next giant leap of one day sending humans to Mars.