The wide range of opportunities mechanical engineering offers inspired Frank Incropera to pursue a career in the field. This ultimately led him to Purdue—and one of the nation’s top engineering programs—in 1966. 

Incropera spent more than three decades at the university, including nine years as head of the School of Mechanical Engineering. In 1998, he left Purdue to become dean of engineering at Notre Dame.

“My late wife, Andrea, and I started with very little financially, and the opportunity to work at Purdue was life-changing for us,” Incropera says. “Looking back, I consider those 32 years there the best of my life.”

That experience inspired Incropera to give back to the program that helped him grow his career.  

“I am very grateful to Purdue for the opportunity to teach and conduct research in areas I was passionate about for many years,” he says. “When I learned they were renovating the Mechanical Engineering Building—a place that meant a great deal to me and where I spent countless hours—I knew I wanted to contribute.” 

Incropera made a significant gift to the renovation, but his generosity didn’t end there. With two of his daughters who both studied mechanical engineering at Purdue, he later endowed a scholarship for women in the field. Most recently, Incropera also established a bequest to support a named professorship in heat transfer within the School of Mechanical Engineering. 

After years of work and contributions in heat transfer at Purdue, he wanted to help ensure the specialty continues to receive the resources needed to maintain its distinguished reputation. 

“As an academic for most of my career, I fully appreciate the value a named professorship adds to the work of its recipient,” Incropera says. “Among other things, the extra resources allow exploration of novel ideas that need additional proof-of-concept before a solicitation of external funding to bring them to fruition. They also provide a buffer to continue research that may temporarily be impacted by disruptions to funding. In essence, they amplify the already significant impact the recipient is having on science and technology.” 

Incropera and his daughters weren’t the only ones who developed a passion for Purdue engineering. Andrea Incropera worked on staff in the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program and served on the advisory council her husband helped establish. 

“Andrea was always the rock in our family,” Incropera says. “She was also central to the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program. Those who served on the advisory council with Andrea will remember her well. As the wife of an engineer and the mother of engineers, she understood the field well enough to work effectively with corporate recruiters. And as a mother who raised three daughters, she connected naturally with students and truly loved her work.” 

Even after Incropera moved to Notre Dame, Andrea retained a deep love for the university. “When Purdue played Notre Dame in football, we sat on opposite sides of the field,” Incropera says. “She’s the reason I began thinking about expressing my appreciation for Purdue in meaningful ways. It has been a pleasure to give back to the university and community that gave so much to me and my family.”

—Nicolle DeWitt