2023 IMPACT REPORT
The next giant leap starts here.
I’m Matt Folk, president and CEO of the Purdue for Life Foundation and a 1991 Electrical Engineering graduate. I’m pleased to welcome you to our 2023 impact report. I’m a lifelong fan of our university, a life member of the Purdue Alumni Association, and a longtime member of both President’s Council and the John Purdue Club.
The Purdue for Life Foundation is the cornerstone for engagement, development, and stewardship at Purdue. We advance Indiana’s flagship, land-grant university and provide opportunities for you to take your next giant leap as a Boilermaker.
Alumni travel, lifelong learning, clubs and networks, the Office of Industry Partnerships, alumni living opportunities—and much more—are brought to you by the Purdue for Life Foundation.
2023 has been a monumental year, especially with the inauguration of our university’s 13th president, Mung Chiang. This report gives you an inside look at where we’re heading and what we have accomplished together.
Thank you to everyone—alumni, faculty, staff, retirees, students, parents and families, friends, fans, and our corporate and foundation partners—for helping Purdue set a new record with philanthropic support this year. Because of you, we are strengthening Purdue’s reputation in teaching and research while remaining affordable and accessible to brilliant young minds.
Boiler Up!
Matt Folk
President and CEO, Purdue for Life Foundation
Vice President for University Advancement and Alumni Engagement, Purdue University
I’m Matt Folk, president and CEO of the Purdue for Life Foundation and a 1991 Electrical Engineering graduate. I’m pleased to welcome you to our 2023 impact report. I’m a lifelong fan of our university, a life member of the Purdue Alumni Association, and a longtime member of both President’s Council and the John Purdue Club.
The Purdue for Life Foundation is the cornerstone for engagement, development, and stewardship at Purdue. We advance Indiana’s flagship, land-grant university and provide opportunities for you to take your next giant leap as a Boilermaker.
Alumni travel, lifelong learning, clubs and networks, the Office of Industry Partnerships, alumni living opportunities—and much more—are brought to you by the Purdue for Life Foundation.
2023 has been a monumental year, especially with the inauguration of our university’s 13th president, Mung Chiang. This report gives you an inside look at where we’re heading and what we have accomplished together.
Thank you to everyone—alumni, faculty, staff, retirees, students, parents and families, friends, fans, and our corporate and foundation partners—for helping Purdue set a new record with philanthropic support this year. Because of you, we are strengthening Purdue’s reputation in teaching and research while remaining affordable and accessible to brilliant young minds.
Boiler Up!
Matt Folk
President and CEO, Purdue for Life Foundation
Vice President for University Advancement and Alumni Engagement, Purdue University
The Purdue for Life Foundation—created in 2020 by uniting the Purdue Alumni Association and the University Development Office—helps people who love Purdue stay connected, get involved, and give back.
We’re your lifelong link to the university, and we’re offering you a wealth of new and expanded opportunities to engage with Purdue.
Scroll on to discover how a year of small steps and giant leaps is making a lasting impact for all Boilermakers and ensuring Purdue grows ever stronger.
Thank you for reading—and for being a part of our family.
EXCELLENCE AT SCALE
Purdue University discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none.
“Purdue is the most unique and remarkable land-grant institution in the country, and its strategic initiatives each serve a distinct and critical role in propelling our entire Purdue system forward and solidifying our legacy of excellence at scale. These initiatives are part of our mission to ensure continuity of today’s momentum into the next giant leaps, together.”
Mung Chiang
President, Purdue University
PURDUE UNIVERSITY IN INDIANAPOLIS
With our world-renowned ability to fuel growth and accelerate innovation, this new and fully integrated extension of our flagship campus will bring the academic rigor and accessible excellence Purdue is known for to central Indiana.
MITCHELL E. DANIELS, JR.
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Innovation doesn’t end at discovery. To make an impact, new ideas and products must be taken to market. Building upon the university’s reputation for technological and scientific excellence, the Daniels School will prepare students to turn discoveries into societal change.
PURDUE COMPUTES
Establishing our place as a global leader in emerging technology, Purdue has launched a new initiative consisting of three dimensions that will connect faculty and students from across the institution.
Academic Resources // A wave of top-notch hirings will bring 50 new faculty to computer science, computer engineering, and related departments in the next five years. Founded in 1962, the Department of Computer Science was created to be an innovative base of knowledge in the emerging field of computing as the first degree-awarding computer science program in the United States. The department is strategically positioned to continue its rapid upward trajectory, with the target of achieving a top 10 national ranking before the end of the decade.
Institute for Physical Artificial Intelligence // Purdue is establishing a world-leading program in artificial intelligence. Leveraging the university’s signature strengths in materials science, engineering, microelectronics, computer science, and life sciences, the Institute for Physical AI is committed to solving the world’s toughest challenges and will be the cornerstone of Purdue’s unprecedented push into bytes-meet-atoms research.
Semiconductor Education and Research // Building on the national recognition of its semiconductor degrees program, Purdue will further enhance the economic and workforce development pipeline and become a global epicenter of semiconductor research, learning, and industry partnership with a planned $100 million upgrade to semiconductor facilities over the next few years.
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO TODAY’S TOUGHEST CHALLENGES
Purdue Innovates // As a land-grant university, Purdue has a mission to improve the world through technological innovation. Purdue Innovates is a conduit for Purdue faculty, staff, students, alumni, industry partners, and investors to bring their ideas and innovations to the marketplace.
Purdue University Airport // An 8,000-square-foot terminal will be constructed at the Purdue University Airport as the university explores the return of commercial air service to Greater Lafayette. The building is scheduled to be completed in May 2025.
Broadband Access // Purdue’s Office of Engagement is leading multiple initiatives to address the digital divide across Indiana. By investing in solutions that will provide communities with access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet as well as the necessary skills to thrive in today’s digital economy, the university will help position the state to realize billions of dollars in net economic benefits.
Hard Tech Corridor // A 65-mile long Hard Tech Corridor will stretch from Purdue University in Indianapolis to the Discovery Park District in West Lafayette. The university will invest in making the corridor the most consequential engine of economic growth and brain gain in the Midwest.
Purdue@DC // Purdue is expanding its footprint in our nation’s capital through the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy, the Purdue Applied Research Institute, the Boilers Go to D.C. program, and continued development of key government partnerships.
Physical Infrastructure // Earlier this year, President Chiang directed the creation of the Action Council on Student Housing and Wellbeing to address enrollment growth and reaffirm the importance of residential learning. By 2026, two new housing facilities will be constructed on the west side of campus, providing nearly 1,900 beds for students.
STAY CONNECTED
We offer exciting ways for alumni, friends, and fans to show their love for the old gold and black.
Boilermaker Ball // The 15th annual Boilermaker Ball was an enchanting evening of underwater wonders, raising more than $65,000 for the Purdue Scholarship Fund.
Big Ten Championship Tailgate // More than 1,000 Purdue alumni, friends, and fans joined the Purdue for Life Foundation’s tailgate at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis before the football team took on Michigan.
Grandparents University // Featuring 13 majors and six field trips, Grandparents University sold out in a matter of hours and welcomed more than 300 alumni, friends, and future Boilermakers to campus for a memorable weekend—and we’ll have two weekends in 2024!
Citrus Bowl Tailgate // More than 1,000 Boilermakers joined the Purdue for Life Foundation’s tailgate, taking over Orlando with Purdue pride before the football team faced Louisiana State.
YOU’VE GOT MAIL
The Purdue for Life vision includes streamlining communications so we can shine a bright light on exciting ways to engage with Purdue and encourage support through private giving.
Our flagship digital magazine—Purdue Alumnus—and monthly digital newsletter—Boiler UPdate—are just a couple of the ways we help share the news of Purdue’s giant leaps to all Boilermakers. Through our email preference center, you can tailor communications to your interests, opting in and out of specific categories.
This past year saw a few under-the-hood improvements, including enhancements for donors to access tax receipts and endowment reporting and track matching-gift payments. You’ll now be able to get a more complete picture of your giving to Purdue simply by logging into our portal.
We’ve also boosted reporting and have started to roll out a single system for managing data and communications across the entire Purdue system to eliminate silos and deliver content and opportunities that are relevant to you and your interests.
YOU’RE ALWAYS WELCOME
Located in Room 102 of Stewart Center—right in the heart of campus—the Boilermaker Station Welcome Center functions as the main Purdue hub for welcoming alumni, students, faculty, staff, guests, friends, and fans, while also serving as the launching point for all admissions tours.
One of Boilermaker Station’s newest features is our photo booth, which can be used by students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are interested in free professional headshots.
Stay connected!
Stay connected!
2022 Distinguished and Named Professorship Ceremony
2022 Distinguished and Named Professorship Ceremony
53rd Anniversary of the Moon Landing
53rd Anniversary of the Moon Landing
The Dedication of Dudley and Lambertus Halls
The Dedication of Dudley and Lambertus Halls
University Hall Renovation
University Hall Renovation
Boilermaker Ball 2023
Boilermaker Ball 2023
Holiday Snow Globe
Holiday Snow Globe
Klipsch Student Success Crossroads Dedication
Klipsch Student Success Crossroads Dedication
Purdue Day of Giving Stunt Jump
Purdue Day of Giving Stunt Jump
Grandparents University
Grandparents University
Kokomo Winery 2020 Boilermaker Blend
Kokomo Winery 2020 Boilermaker Blend
Purdue for Life Foundation Annual Weekend in Naples
Purdue for Life Foundation Annual Weekend in Naples
GET INVOLVED
We help alumni, friends, and fans deepen their ties to Purdue and to each other—personally, professionally, and intellectually.
Alumni Clubs // Our regional clubs connect alumni, friends, and fans throughout the United States. These clubs create programming and experiences that enhance engagement in a variety of ways.
+ Social
+ Professional
+ Intellectual
+ Service
+ Scholarships and Student Recruitment
Through 73 clubs, we reached more than 238,000 alumni.
In the last year, our clubs hosted more than 1,000 events and welcomed new groups in Colorado Springs and Arkansas. Through the support of our alumni club members, we were able to award 102 scholarships totaling $151,500.
Affinity Networks // Our 11 affinity networks—some with multiple chapters—connect like-minded Boilermakers around a central purpose, mission, background, or activity beyond class affiliation, school, or regional proximity. Shared interests within the Purdue family are at the heart of these networks.
We added three new affinity networks in 2022–23, and, with the help of our volunteer leaders, organized more than 92 events that reached thousands of Purdue alumni.
International Engagement and Alumni Travel // Purdue graduates make their mark—and show their Purdue pride—all over the world. At the Purdue for Life Foundation, we are dedicated to helping alumni explore, discover, and get involved no matter where they want to go or where they choose to live.
Our alumni enjoy making connections with other Boilermaker travelers on their adventures, and our program has raised nearly $150,000 that directly supports alumni engagement programming.
Lifelong Learning // We believe that learning doesn’t come to an end once you have your diploma in hand. It’s a lifelong process, and the Purdue for Life Foundation is the home for personal and professional learning delivered beyond Purdue’s campus. Our lifelong learning programs allow alumni, friends, and fans the opportunity to grow, achieve, and engage with the larger Purdue family in person or online.
Through our partnerships with Purdue Online, Purdue Global, Purdue Federal Credit Union, the John Martinson Honors College, and community organizations, more than 1,600 alumni have participated in free and low-cost webinars, workshops, and online classes in the past six months.
Volunteerism // Volunteerism is an essential component of our mission, and we encourage all alumni, friends, and fans of Purdue to volunteer in ways that are meaningful to them.
Volunteering events give our alumni opportunities to stay connected with Purdue, other Boilermakers, and their own communities. Our second annual Purdue Day of Service was held October 28 on the West Lafayette campus in support of the 1869 Tree Planting Master Plan. The event reinforced Purdue’s standing as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus Higher Education institution, an honor the university has held since 2009.
In one day, nearly 100 volunteers:
Planted and mulched 325 trees + saved Purdue Physical Facilities staff two weeks of effort
More than 12,900 Boilermakers have joined Purdue Ties—the university’s premier networking and mentoring platform—to post updates, share resources, request professional development help, and browse job postings. Within the platform, users can connect via mentorship, and 4,529 of our members have expressed a willingness to mentor students and other alumni.
Student and Recent Graduate Programs // We prepare students for life after college by connecting them to alumni for mentoring and professional development and by organizing events that mirror the alumni engagement experience. Our signature student program is PASE, the Purdue Alumni Student Experience, which offers exclusive discounts, gear, and programming for a one-time fee.
With 5,700+ members total, it continues to be the largest student organization at Purdue University.
Industry Partnerships // Our Office of Industry Partnerships oversees all academic-to-business partnerships for Purdue University, Purdue Online, and Purdue Global. With the help of alumni and friends, we have built mutually beneficial relationships campuswide that encompass talent, research, continuing education, and more. Beyond campus, recent external partnerships include Amazon, Eli Lilly and Company, Rolls-Royce, Accenture, Bayer Crop Science, Elanco, Wabash, and Dow Chemical.
This year, Lilly committed $42.5 million to Purdue over 10 years to fund an innovative pharmaceutical manufacturing scholarship program for incoming undergraduate students, especially underrepresented populations. The Lilly Scholars Program will help build a critical pharmaceutical ecosystem in Indiana and beyond as it grows a diverse talent pipeline in this critical field.
Purdue and Accenture have agreed to a five-year commitment supporting the university’s mission to prepare a next-generation smart-manufacturing workforce. The Accenture Smart Factory will serve as a central hub for joint innovation among Purdue, Accenture, and industry, while providing a space for collaboration on smart-manufacturing projects. The Accenture Smart Manufacturing Scholars Program will award scholarships to qualified students, including a Women in Manufacturing scholarship.
3M and Northrop Grumman have signed master research agreements with Purdue, unlocking the opportunity to work with one of the largest defense contractors and multinational conglomerates.
Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and You // Since April 2022, the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Division at Purdue for Life, along with Purdue’s Equity Task Force, has been hard at work developing a broad range of alumni engagement and fundraising strategies to create and strengthen connections with potential volunteers, mentors, industry partners, and donors.
DIB Homecoming Brunch and Day Party // Multiple generations of alumni gathered to celebrate and cheer on the Boilermakers at the first DIB Homecoming Brunch and Day Party, which was made possible though a collaboration with the Purdue Black Alumni Organization and the Purdue National Pan-Hellenic Council.
Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame // In February, DIB partnered with Purdue Athletics to host the naming dedication of the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame. The event honored the family of Leroy Keyes (HHS’69) and featured former teammates, players, mentees, and community supporters.
Memories of the Mall: Multicultural and International Student Graduation Celebration // Nearly 200 multicultural and international Purdue students and friends attended the fourth annual Memories of the Mall celebration, which featured a Roaring Twenties theme.
DIB Advancement Summit // Designed to build community, share best practices, and engage in meaningful conversations around alumni engagement, giving, and industry partnerships, the DIB Advancement Summit featured an action-packed agenda focused around the theme “Amplifying Inclusive Advancement.”
Alumni Clubs // Our regional clubs connect alumni, friends, and fans throughout the United States. These clubs create programming and experiences that enhance engagement in a variety of ways.
+ Social
+ Professional
+ Intellectual
+ Service
+ Scholarships and Student Recruitment
Through 73 clubs, we reached more than 238,000 alumni.
In the last year, our clubs hosted more than 1,000 events and welcomed new groups in Colorado Springs and Arkansas. Through the support of our alumni club members, we were able to award 102 scholarships totaling $151,500.
Affinity Networks // Our 11 affinity networks—some with multiple chapters—connect like-minded Boilermakers around a central purpose, mission, background, or activity beyond class affiliation, school, or regional proximity. Shared interests within the Purdue family are at the heart of these networks.
We added three new affinity networks in 2022–23, and, with the help of our volunteer leaders, organized more than 92 events that reached thousands of Purdue alumni.
International Engagement and Alumni Travel // Purdue graduates make their mark—and show their Purdue pride—all over the world. At the Purdue for Life Foundation, we are dedicated to helping alumni explore, discover, and get involved no matter where they want to go or where they choose to live.
Our alumni enjoy making connections with other Boilermaker travelers on their adventures, and our program has raised nearly $150,000 that directly supports alumni engagement programming.
Lifelong Learning // We believe that learning doesn’t come to an end once you have your diploma in hand. It’s a lifelong process, and the Purdue for Life Foundation is the home for personal and professional learning delivered beyond Purdue’s campus. Our lifelong learning programs allow alumni, friends, and fans the opportunity to grow, achieve, and engage with the larger Purdue family in person or online.
Through our partnerships with Purdue Online, Purdue Global, Purdue Federal Credit Union, the John Martinson Honors College, and community organizations, more than 1,600 alumni have participated in free and low-cost webinars, workshops, and online classes in the past six months.
Volunteerism // Volunteerism is an essential component of our mission, and we encourage all alumni, friends, and fans of Purdue to volunteer in ways that are meaningful to them.
Volunteering events give our alumni opportunities to stay connected with Purdue, other Boilermakers, and their own communities. Our second annual Purdue Day of Service was held October 28 on the West Lafayette campus in support of the 1869 Tree Planting Master Plan. The event reinforced Purdue’s standing as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus Higher Education institution, an honor the university has held since 2009.
In one day, nearly 100 volunteers:
Planted and mulched 325 trees + saved Purdue Physical Facilities staff two weeks of effort
More than 12,900 Boilermakers have joined Purdue Ties—the university’s premier networking and mentoring platform—to post updates, share resources, request professional development help, and browse job postings. Within the platform, users can connect via mentorship, and 4,529 of our members have expressed a willingness to mentor students and other alumni.
Student and Recent Graduate Programs // We prepare students for life after college by connecting them to alumni for mentoring and professional development and by organizing events that mirror the alumni engagement experience. Our signature student program is PASE, the Purdue Alumni Student Experience, which offers exclusive discounts, gear, and programming for a one-time fee.
With 5,700+ members total, it continues to be the largest student organization at Purdue University.
Industry Partnerships // Our Office of Industry Partnerships oversees all academic-to-business partnerships for Purdue University, Purdue Online, and Purdue Global. With the help of alumni and friends, we have built mutually beneficial relationships campuswide that encompass talent, research, continuing education, and more. Beyond campus, recent external partnerships include Amazon, Eli Lilly and Company, Rolls-Royce, Accenture, Bayer Crop Science, Elanco, Wabash, and Dow Chemical.
This year, Lilly committed $42.5 million to Purdue over 10 years to fund an innovative pharmaceutical manufacturing scholarship program for incoming undergraduate students, especially underrepresented populations. The Lilly Scholars Program will help build a critical pharmaceutical ecosystem in Indiana and beyond as it grows a diverse talent pipeline in this critical field.
Purdue and Accenture have agreed to a five-year commitment supporting the university’s mission to prepare a next-generation smart-manufacturing workforce. The Accenture Smart Factory will serve as a central hub for joint innovation among Purdue, Accenture, and industry, while providing a space for collaboration on smart-manufacturing projects. The Accenture Smart Manufacturing Scholars Program will award scholarships to qualified students, including a Women in Manufacturing scholarship.
3M and Northrop Grumman have signed master research agreements with Purdue, unlocking the opportunity to work with one of the largest defense contractors and multinational conglomerates.
Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and You // Since April 2022, the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) division at Purdue for Life, along with Purdue’s Equity Task Force, has been hard at work developing a broad range of alumni engagement and fundraising strategies to create and strengthen connections with potential volunteers, mentors, industry partners, and donors.
DIB Homecoming Brunch and Day Party // Multiple generations of alumni gathered to celebrate and cheer on the Boilermakers at the first DIB Homecoming Brunch and Day Party, which was made possible though a collaboration with the Purdue Black Alumni Organization and the Purdue National Pan-Hellenic Council.
Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame // In February, DIB partnered with Purdue Athletics to host the naming dedication of the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame. The event honored the family of Leroy Keyes (HHS’69) and featured former teammates, players, mentees, and community supporters.
Memories of the Mall: Multicultural and International Student Graduation Celebration // Nearly 200 multicultural and international Purdue students and friends attended the fourth annual Memories of the Mall celebration, which featured a Roaring Twenties theme.
DIB Advancement Summit // Designed to build community, share best practices, and engage in meaningful conversations around alumni engagement, giving, and industry partnerships, the DIB Advancement Summit featured an action-packed agenda focused around the theme “Amplifying Inclusive Advancement.”
