Opened in 1877 and partly funded by John Purdue’s founding donation, University Hall is the oldest building on Purdue’s campus. Its ongoing renovation, set for completion in July 2025, will restore the historic structure while transforming it into a modern, student-focused space for the College of Liberal Arts.
A professor’s impact can go a long way, even lasting decades.
Robert Altenkirch (ME’70, PhD ME’75), Cliff Owens (ME’70, MS ME’72), and Steve Plee (ME’73, MS ME’75, PhD ME’78) recently teamed up to name a classroom in the Mechanical Engineering Building after Arthur “Mac” Mellor, a former professor and friend who died in 2022.
Although Jennifer Liu (M’98) was initially skeptical of her former company’s motto “Change Energizes Us,” she now fully appreciates its value.
For Robert (PharmD ’87) and Holly Hulse (AAE ’87), Purdue University was more than just a place of learning—it was where they built the foundation for their future careers and began their lives together. Now, they are giving back to the university that played such a pivotal role in their journey by establishing an endowment to support scholarships for women in engineering.
President Chiang and First Lady Kei Hui reflect on some of the small steps and giant leaps achieved in 2024 and share what they look forward to in the coming year.
Tim and Sally Luzader first crossed paths at a Midwest College Placement Association conference and, united by their mutual passion for helping students succeed in higher education, have spent decades dedicated to student success. Now, through their generous bequests to Purdue, they’re ensuring their impact continues well into the future.
“It’s our responsibility to create opportunities for others, whether through financial sponsorship or the willingness to commit time and expertise to inspire those following behind us,” say Jody (MS’04, PhD A’08) and Rodney (A’02, PhD A’08) Green.
“One of the things we learned at John Deere was the value of getting our customers some actual ‘seat time’ in our products and in the field,” retirees Randy (T’80) and Deb Sergesketter say. The couple now supports programs they believe provide some Purdue “seat time” earlier in a young person’s development, helping them make informed decisions about their future—and maybe even become a Boilermaker.
The United States was involved in World War II when Edwin “Ed” F. Peters (S’42) graduated from Purdue with a degree in chemistry. He had arrived on campus in the fall of 1939 and learned about the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 while listening to the university’s radio station.
A retired executive with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Matt Aguiar (MS M’80) values the graduate education he received at Purdue. Now, the proud Boiler-maker is paying it forward, funding a named space in the Mitch Daniels School of Business with his wife, Joyce.
