A message from interim President Mitch Daniels
“Victories & Heroes:
Your Campaign for Purdue”
The university launched “Victories & Heroes: Your Campaign for Purdue” in 2025 to promote Purdue’s long-term success through the philanthropic support of alumni, donors, and friends.
Your campaign investments are accelerating the growth of the university’s endowment while advancing our strategic priorities: Purdue’s urban expansion in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes, One Health, Purdue Athletics, and other key areas.
You are funding scholarships, endowed professorships, research, facilities, and programs that enhance opportunities for students, faculty, and communities served by the university.
Thanks to your generous support, this campaign is fulfilling Purdue’s land-grant mission of learning, discovery, and engagement.
Together, we are building a legacy of victories and empowering heroes who will change the world.
The extraordinary generosity of the Purdue community
As “Victories & Heroes” gains momentum, Boilermakers around the world are demonstrating their commitment in more ways than ever—nearly 340,000 alumni, students, donors, and friends have taken part through philanthropy and meaningful connection with the university.
The campaign marked a major milestone in 2026, surpassing the initiative’s halfway point by raising $2.3 billion.
THE PURDUE ALUMNI COMMUNITY, INCLUDING REGIONAL CAMPUSES AND PURDUE GLOBAL, IS MORE THAN 700,000 STRONG AROUND THE WORLD.
287,279
in Indiana
639,194
in the United States
68,796
outside of the
United States
19,448
new graduates
in May 2026
THE PURDUE ALUMNI COMMUNITY, INCLUDING REGIONAL CAMPUSES AND PURDUE GLOBAL, IS MORE THAN 700,000 STRONG AROUND THE WORLD.
287,279
in Indiana
639,194
in the United States
68,796
outside of the
United States
19,448
new graduates
in May 2026
The Purdue for Life Foundation helps people who love Purdue stay connected, get involved, and give back. Through the foundation, membership in the Purdue Alumni Association, President’s Council, and the John Purdue Club gives alumni and friends meaningful opportunities to engage with the university while advancing the campaign.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
48,680
Purdue Alumni
Association members
21,268
President’s Council
members
11,566
John Purdue Club
members
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
48,680
Purdue Alumni
Association members
21,268
President’s Council
members
11,566
John Purdue Club
members
As part of the university’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Boilermakers around the world helped make victories possible during Purdue’s 13th Day of Giving on April 29.
The 24-hour online and social media-driven fundraising effort generated $95.5 million through 34,454 gifts, bringing the initiative’s cumulative total to $697.6 million since its launch in 2014.
Purdue Day of Giving notably promoted student success through scholarship support. Jeannie (P’61) and Jim Chaney funded two $10,000 scholarships awarded that day, while hundreds of donors came together to provide a third $10,000 scholarship. In addition, Bill (IE’68) and Sharon McFadden established a scholarship fund benefiting College of Engineering students, and the Adam and John Brown Foundation contributed $1 million to a College of Veterinary Medicine scholarship endowment.
INVESTING IN STUDENTS
Purdue and our supporters are committed to affordability and value.
From application to graduation, our students benefit from scholarships, programs, facilities, and opportunities made possible by your generosity. With your help, we’re ensuring that graduates leave Purdue prepared to build successful careers and fulfilling lives.
More than 108,000 students across our campuses are pursuing what’s next, and financial aid and frozen tuition are removing barriers. Together, we’re expanding access to a world-class Purdue education.
Freedom to Explore
Curiosity about the unknown led current student Aaron Perrault to Purdue, where he’s pursuing degrees in planetary science, geology, and geophysics. For the Illinois native, attending Purdue as an out-of-state student required scholarship support.
“A major reason why I was able to go to Purdue was the scholarships I received,” Perrault says. “Once I knew I could get here, it was kind of a no-brainer.”
One of his scholarships was funded by alumnus Kenneth Neavel (S’90), who established the Arvid M. Johnson Scholarship for Earth, Planetary, and Atmospheric Science for students facing financial need.
Now entering his junior year, Perrault balances rigorous coursework with performing in Purdue’s “All-American” Marching Band drumline. Scholarship support has allowed him to avoid the financial pressures his parents faced.
“My parents had to work full time while they were in school,” he says. “I’m fortunate enough that I’m able to pursue things like music and still work but not have to maintain a full-time job on top of going to school.”
Perrault has embraced challenges both inside and outside the classroom. During a sophomore-year research course, he encountered setbacks that tested his confidence.
“I learned so much in that class, but I also failed a lot,” he says. “I could stop and go a different direction, or I could put my head down and work through it. That’s what I decided to do.”
That perseverance led him to a Purdue internship tied to a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory–funded lunar research project, where he’s helping map volcanic features on the moon. Looking ahead, Perrault hopes to pursue a PhD in planetary science and continue exploring unanswered questions about the solar system.
“Scholarships help students like me pursue a Purdue degree and achieve our academic goals. The support from donors makes our education possible and empowers us to make an impact in the world.”
14
years of
frozen tuition
#1
public university
in Indiana for ROI
Foundation for Research on
Equal Opportunity, 2024
#3
public university in the U.S. for internships and co-ops
U.S. News & World Report, 2026
14
years of
frozen tuition
#1
public university
in Indiana for ROI
Foundation for Research on
Equal Opportunity, 2024
#3
public university in the U.S. for internships and co-ops
U.S. News & World Report, 2026
Come for the Buzz—
Stay for the Build
Some of the most valuable college experiences happen outside the classroom.
Jeff (ECE’80) and Edie (HHS’80) Fisher wanted to create a space on campus for students actively building ventures. The Purdue Hub for Innovation, Ventures, and Entrepreneurship (Purdue HIVE)—the university’s entrepreneurship center operated by the College of Engineering—supports student-led startups focused on tech- or engineering-driven solutions. With a central campus hub launching in the fall of 2026, Purdue HIVE will come alongside students already working on startups to help them build, test, and advance real ventures.
For the Fishers, Purdue HIVE is a way of giving back to the place where their own journey began—providing a resource they believe will build a deeper entrepreneurship culture within the university.
Jeff and Edie Fisher with their family.
Jeff and Edie Fisher with their family.
TOP 10
“New Ivy” public university that employers love
Forbes, 2026
65%
of Purdue students
graduate debt-free
National average of 36%
#1
online graduate engineering degrees across all five concentrations
U.S. News & World Report, 2026
TOP 10
“New Ivy” public university that employers love
Forbes, 2026
65%
of Purdue students
graduate debt-free
National average of 36%
#1
online graduate engineering degrees across all five concentrations
U.S. News & World Report, 2026
Fueling Student Success
Brinly Hardy (M’26), who received Academic All-Big Ten honors on the Purdue women’s swimming and diving team, remembers long days of practice and classes followed by the stress of finding time to cook before starting homework.
“Most of the time, I chose convenience and didn’t eat as well as I should have,” she says.
Everything changed when the Gelov Family Purdue Athlete Dining facility opened, thanks to a gift from Ted (M’88) and Angela (LA’89) Gelov. Walking in for the first time, Hardy was struck by the facility’s size, modern feel, and wide range of options. Most of all, though, she appreciated what it meant for her daily routine: more time in her schedule.
With easy access to quality meals, Brinly could finally unwind and enjoy dinner with teammates rather than rushing through the night.
“I went from juggling too much to actually relaxing during dinner,” she says.
Now a Purdue graduate student, she looks back on the Gelov Family facility as a powerful investment in Boilermakers that helped her eat and sleep better while fully experiencing life as a student-athlete.
SOLVING CHALLENGES
Purdue and our supporters are committed to our land-grant mission.
A Research 1 university, we unite expertise across fields to tackle complex questions and bring breakthroughs to life.
As federal funding for research shifts, philanthropy is increasingly vital. You are helping us provide faculty and students with the resources, research opportunities, and facilities they need to drive discovery at Purdue.
Growing a Global Food System
Bill (S’87) and CD Young’s passion for expanding access to plant-based foods inspired their support of a student-driven competition to develop and market innovative products in the field.
The competition—led by Senay Simsek, professor and head of the Department of Food Science and Dean’s Chair in Food Science—brings together students from across Purdue to develop innovative products, explore new flavors and formulations, and create marketing strategies that respond to evolving consumer interests.
By leveraging Purdue’s interdisciplinary expertise and state-of-the-art resources in food science, the initiative provides students with hands-on experience in product development, consumer education, and data-driven decision-making while expanding food choices for consumers.
Through collaboration, creativity, and applied learning, Simsek and her cross-disciplinary team aim to foster student innovation, expand food choices, and support thoughtful consumer-focused product development.
#1
public research
university in Indiana
Times Higher Education, 2026
TOP 10
most innovative public
university in the U.S.,
8 years running
U.S. News & World Report, 2026
TOP 10
for interdisciplinary science research worldwide
Times Higher Education, 2026
TOP 10
in the U.S.
for patents
U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office, 2025
#1
public research
university in Indiana
Times Higher Education, 2026
TOP 10
most innovative public
university in the U.S.,
8 years running
U.S. News & World Report, 2026
TOP 10
for interdisciplinary science research worldwide
Times Higher Education, 2026
TOP 10
in the U.S.
for patents
U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office, 2025
From Rising Star
to Real-World Solutions
Since being named the Hall Family Rising Star Associate Professor in Industrial Engineering, Ramses Martinez has accelerated innovations that bridge discovery and impact.
Leading Purdue’s FlexiLab, he’s advancing flexible, biocompatible electronics—from wearable health monitors to implantable devices—aimed at transforming personalized medicine and human–machine interaction.
Ramses Martinez
Ramses Martinez
Funding from this faculty endowment provides critical support: resources for high-risk, high-reward research; investment in lab infrastructure; and the flexibility to pursue interdisciplinary collaborations across engineering and medicine. This backing enables Martinez to scale breakthrough ideas into patented technologies, such as novel nanomanufacturing methods and next-generation e-textiles.
The Hall Family Professorship—gifted by Craig (IE’72) and Karen (LA’73) Hall—also supports Martinez’s role as an educational innovator, allowing him to integrate emerging tools like AI into the classroom. The Halls’ interest in supporting the intersection of engineering and healthcare amplifies Martinez’s ability to translate bold ideas into technologies and talent that improve human health and quality of life.
27
Purdue-developed drugs tested in human trials
$250M
research investment from Eli Lilly and Company
The largest university-industry partnership in the country to date
400+
research labs
139
research centers
and institutes
27
Purdue-developed drugs tested in human trials
$250M
research investment from Eli Lilly and Company
The largest university-industry partnership in the country to date
400+
research labs
139
research centers
and institutes
Birck Expansion Powers
Next-Gen Innovation
Thanks to a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., and alongside university investments, Purdue’s Birck Nanotechnology Center has expanded cleanroom space, added advanced fabrication and packaging tools, and introduced specialized facilities for quantum device development. This commitment represents part of a larger $50 million grant from Lilly Endowment supporting the Purdue Computes initiative.
These capabilities allow researchers to design, build, and test next-generation chips and quantum devices in one place, dramatically accelerating the path from idea to prototype. Birck now supports full-stack semiconductor innovation—from materials engineering to advanced packaging—while enabling breakthroughs in areas like AI hardware and quantum computing.
Researchers can collaborate seamlessly with industry partners in an emerging Midwest ecosystem, translating discoveries into scalable technologies. By closing the gap between lab research and manufacturing, Birck researchers are driving innovations that could reshape computing, strengthen supply chains, and deliver solutions to complex global challenges.
IMPROVING OUR WORLD
Purdue is committed to building a better world, together.
By addressing society’s greatest needs and investing in our communities and industries, we are helping people thrive, generating jobs, and driving economic growth.
With support from partners like you, we can direct resources where they will do the most good.
Remembering Phil Low
How can I use this information to do something that really matters?
That question motivated Phil Low every day.
“I found that simply asking that question can open up opportunities that I would have never envisioned had I not stopped to think about the potential value to humanity of the work I was doing,” Low said. “I do believe I have an obligation to minimize the suffering of cancer patients if I can.”
Before his death on March 4, 2026, Low served as Purdue’s Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery, the Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and a faculty member in the Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research. His distinguished career included more than 300 patents and over 700 publications, and he also founded seven companies based on Purdue-developed intellectual property.
In April 2025, Purdue announced the creation of the Low Institute for Therapeutics (LIFT) through a founding gift from Phil and Joan Low, one of many generous gifts made to the university by the Low family over the course of their careers. A nonprofit organization, the institute is designed to address the gap between academic discovery and early-stage clinical development. Its mission is to continue the legacy of Low’s life by accelerating the development of lifesaving innovations to reduce human suffering and mortality.
“Dr. Low’s entrepreneurial spirit and scientific genius were matched only by his compassion for patients,” says Benjamin Lundgren, cofounder and managing director of LIFT. “He built LIFT to be an engine of hope. Our mandate is clear: We’ll continue to advance the novel medicines he pioneered. The foundation he laid is strong, and our team is honored to build upon it.”
The Low Institute for Therapeutics will continue its operations at the Purdue Research Park, maintaining a close partnership with Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation. As LIFT moves forward, it remains guided by Low’s belief that the ultimate victory in science is not the discovery itself but the life saved because of it.
Discovery Park to Semiconductor Ecosystem
At the turn of the millennium, Purdue faced a familiar question for research universities: how to make academic discoveries more relevant to real-world challenges. Then-president Martin Jischke’s answer was to launch Discovery Park in 2001—an interdisciplinary research enterprise designed to bring together engineers, scientists, and policymakers to solve complex global problems.
Discovery Park emphasized collaboration across disciplines and sectors, aligning academic inquiry with societal needs such as energy, health, and national security with leading-edge facilities like the Birck Nanotechnology Center, the Bindley Life Sciences Center, and the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. In doing so, Discovery Park translated the classic land-grant mission—education, research, and extension—into a modern format: integrated, solution driven, and outward facing.
In 2018, the Purdue Research Foundation expanded the footprint to become the Discovery Park District, a $1 billion mixed-use development of housing, high-end manufacturing, and industry- and research-driven partnerships. Companies such as Rolls-Royce, Saab, and Bayer established major operations alongside Purdue researchers, generating high-tech jobs and accelerating the commercialization of innovation. The district’s design—integrating housing, research facilities, retail, and manufacturing—reflected a deliberate effort to attract and retain talent while fostering continuous collaboration.
Nowhere is this evolution more visible than in semiconductors, a sector central to national competitiveness. Through renovations to the Birck Nanotechnology Center and robust industry collaboration, Purdue and its partners have rapidly positioned West Lafayette as a critical node in the U.S. chip ecosystem. These efforts are the direct result of Purdue’s long-standing pattern of cultivating interdisciplinary research, building trusted partnerships, creating an innovation-ready environment, and aligning with national priorities.
In April 2024, SK hynix announced a nearly $4 billion investment to build an advanced semiconductor packaging and R&D facility at Purdue Research Park—the largest single economic development project in Indiana’s history. The facility will produce next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips essential for AI systems and is expected to support approximately 1,000 employees when production begins while anchoring a domestic supply chain. State and federal leaders have described this effort as forming the Silicon Heartland, highlighting the broader ambition to strengthen U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.
In support of these goals, the university launched a nationwide initiative through its Chipshub platform in February 2026 to tackle a looming workforce shortage in chip design and manufacturing. Through public-private-academic partnerships with companies like Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens—as well as federal agencies—Purdue is providing universities across the country with free access to advanced chip-design tools. The goal is to democratize education, accelerate training, and help fill an estimated 115,000 semiconductor jobs needed by 2030.
Purdue is leveraging its expertise to expand impact far beyond its own campuses. What began as an effort to bring researchers together has evolved into a platform to reshape industries, transform Midwest economies, and strengthen national capabilities.
#10
best alumni networks
Princeton Review, 2025
#1
most recognized public
university in the U.S.
American Caldwell, 2024
#1
public university for graduating Fortune 500 CEOs
Strategas, 2024
#10
best alumni networks
Princeton Review, 2025
#1
most recognized public
university in the U.S.
American Caldwell, 2024
#1
public university for graduating Fortune 500 CEOs
Strategas, 2024
Where Policy Meets Real Care
What policies actually improve healthcare—and which ones don’t? How do we design a healthcare system that works better for real people? How do we turn good ideas into meaningful change?
A founding gift from the Ricks Family Foundation will launch an interdisciplinary institute at Purdue to address these questions. In collaboration with university leadership, the Ricks family brought an intimate knowledge of healthcare from hospital and pharmaceutical settings to develop a framework that can reshape the way healthcare works in Indiana and beyond.
The Purdue Institute for Healthcare Systems Innovation will be housed in the Mitch Daniels School of Business and work across the university to drive research that effects change. Healthcare in the United States consumes nearly one-fifth of the economy, yet costs remain high, outcomes are inconsistent, and access is uneven. Pricing, policy, delivery, and patient behavior are often treated as separate problems when, in reality, they’re tightly connected parts of a single system. The institute is built on the premise that meaningful change only happens when those connections are understood and addressed together.
By bringing together expertise in business, engineering, and pharmacy, Purdue is positioned to evaluate healthcare as a complex system governed by incentives, processes, and decision-making structures. This means asking harder questions about how treatments are priced, how hospitals operate, how policies shape behavior, and how patients respond to cost and access barriers. Researchers will then use that data and analytical frameworks to produce solutions that can be tested, implemented, and scaled.
Indianapolis will serve as the proving ground for this work. With its concentration of health systems, insurers, life sciences companies, and policymakers, Indiana offers a unique environment in which ideas can move quickly from research to application. And by developing frameworks that are grounded in real-world implementation, the institute can influence how healthcare decisions are made far beyond its Midwest home.
Thank you for making an impact.
Visit purdue.edu/campaign to learn more
and discover how you can invest in Purdue’s future.
Thank you for
making an impact.
Visit purdue.edu/campaign to learn more and discover how you can invest in Purdue’s future.
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