Purdue's 2006 highlights captured on video

[ Background music ]
>> Purdue achieved great milestones in 2006.
The Purdue Alumni Association saw its highest membership
numbers in history with over 67,000 members while the
University Development Team reached its campaign goal
of $1.5 billion as the year ended.
[ Background music ]
As the campaign for Purdue enters its final six months,
the goal of reaching pre-eminence seems every closer.
For example, the campaign funded several new buildings
on the West Lafayette Campus in 2006.
[ Applause ]
Purdue dedicated a new $25 million biomedical engineering
building in September.
Research here ranges from development
of nanoscale diagnostic and therapeutic devices
to new materials in therapist to repair damaged
and diseased body parts.
Also dedicated in September was the new Richard
and Patricia Lawson computer science building.
This $20 million facility houses four classrooms,
five instructional labs, our research labs, faculty offices,
a cafeteria and a study lounge.
>> The Richard and Patricia Lawson Computer Science Building
we are dedicating here today exemplifies everything we are
trying to do to take our great university to that next level.
>> The Linda and William Fleischhauer Radiation Therapy
Facility for the School
of Veterinary Medicine was dedicated September 20th.
This $2 million building is the only one of its kind in Indiana.
[ Singing ]
The Glee Club joined the ground breaking ceremony
for a new $10 million building in Discovery Park
to house the Discovery Learning Center.
This interdisciplinary center will revolutionize how students
learn in science, technology, engineering and math.
>> This is gold and what is this surface back here?
>> At the other end of Discovery Park,
a new state of the art clean room opened
in the Birck Nanotechnology Center.
This room can be purified to as few as one micro particle
in every cubic foot of air.
>> If you have one particle that lands on your chip
where your chip has nanoscale features,
that area is destroyed.
>> The Neil Armstrong Hall
of Engineering made significant progress in 2006
with completion expected by mid-2007.
The 125,000-square foot building will include research labs
and undergraduate teaching areas
that facilitate student teamwork.
[ Background construction ]
A different type of dedication took place at the Purdue Airport
when the Fed-Ex Corporation donated a recently retired
airplane to the Department of Aviation Technology.
Students will use the jet to learn about the mechanics
and systems on an air craft equipped to carry cargo.
[ Background band music ]
While the $1.5 billion goal of the campaign
for Purdue was officially reached at the end
of December 2006, advancement staff celebrated the feat during
the first week of 2007.
>> Our first toast to one of the best months we ever had,
a little under expected, but a $46 million December.
>> The campaign will end June 30th, 2007,
as will Martin Jischke's seven year presidency at Purdue.
The Board of Trustees appointed a search committee
after the president announced his plans to retire.
>> And because of Martin's leadership
and his accomplishments, I don't think there's any question
that this university is very well positioned
in the higher education market
to attract the very best candidates.
>> We're also working with Purdue
to put together training classes.
>> Jischke spent part of his final year traveling
around the State of Indiana to get feedback and ideas
on what Purdue does well and what it can do better.
>> They see the University as enormously powerful tool,
if you will, to help communities grow, develop people would
like Purdue to become more engaged with them.
[ Background music ]
>> One of the hallmarks
of the Jischke years has been a major expansion
of campus facilities.
With more than $780 million worth of new buildings
under construction or completed.
Another hallmark is a significant increase
in the study abroad program.
The number of Purdue students studying
in other countries has more than tripled since 2000.
For example, 44 MBA students spent two weeks
in Beijing learning firsthand about business in China.
They also saw sights like the Great Wall.
And a group of 20 engineering
and liberal arts students spent two weeks
in three Chinese cities including Harbin
in the far northeast corner of China.
>> The backside was close to the ground.
The other side was way up in the air.
>> Other Purdue students traveled to coastal Mississippi
to help people recover from the devastation
of Hurricane Katrina.
Students and professors from the School
of Nursing began a three-year commitment
to assist struggling health clinics in the area.
>> One forty-eight over eighty-two.
>> The Nursing School's new Doctor
of Nursing Practice Degree Program got a boost
with a $2.5 million grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust.
>> To reduce our nation's dependence
on foreign energy sources.
>> Purdue grabbed national headlines in August
when an energy summit was held on campus co-sponsored
by the University and Indiana Senator Richard Lugar.
The summit emphasized the importance
of finding alternative energy sources.
>> This is what Truman does.
>> History Professor Randy Roberts was named the 2006
Indiana Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council
for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Roberts is the ninth Purdue professor to be
so honored in the past 20 years.
[ Cheering crowd ]
For the ninth time under Coach Joe Tiller,
the Purdue football team returned to a post-season bowl
in 2006 playing Maryland in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.
Several costly mistakes resulted
in the Boilermakers losing 24 to 7.
They ended the season with a record of 8 and 6.
[ Chanting crowd ]
Prior to the game, fans
on the official Purdue Alumni Association Tour had a great
time getting ready for the bowl game in the Florida warmth.
[ Band playing ]
More than 800 alumni and friends enjoyed food and festivities
at the PAA Pre-game Tailgate.
The party included face painting for the kids and appearances
by the Boilermaker Special, Purdue Pete, the cheerleaders
and the marching band.
The Purdue Alumni Association sponsored pre-game tailgates
prior to each of the 2006 away games including this one
at Notre Dame.
>> This is Boilermaker country.
>> Be sure and check when out
if your Fall 2007 plans include a Purdue away game.
Former Purdue women's baseball star, Sharon Versyp,
returned to campus in 2006 to take
over coaching duties for the women's team.
Versyp returned to her alma mater after one year
as the head coach at Indiana University.
[ Cheering crowd ]
For the 2005-2006 season the Boilermakers advanced
to the Sweet 16 where they defeated UCLA before falling 70
to 68 to number one seed North Carolina.
The 2006 volleyball team got a boost from a new court
and some new talent to reach the Sweet 16
for the second straight year.
[ Cheering crowd ]
But the Boilermakers lost that showdown against Penn State.
The new court
in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility was dedicated
in October.
>> We are dedicating this beautiful Belin Court
and after three quarters of a million dollars in renovations,
this athletic facility features not only a new shock absorbing
floor, but new bleachers.
>> The women's soccer team capped off another successful
season with their fourth NCAA appearance
in the last five years, but they lost to Marquette.
A new $7 million home
for Purdue's tennis teams opened at the of December.
When the teams aren't using the 60,000-square foot Dennis J.
and Mary Lou Schwartz Tennis Center, the six indoor
and six outdoor courts are available for use by the public.
[ Cheering crowd ]
The men's basketball team under second year coach, Matt Painter,
was off to a great start to the 2006-2007 season
with an undefeated 12-win record at home.
[ Cheering crowd ]
With three of its best players on the bench with injuries,
the 2005-2006 team struggled to finish
with nine wins and 19 losses.
[ Cheering crowd ]
Purdue began the fall semester
with a record number of students.
Nearly 70,000 enrolled system wide
and 39,228 at West Lafayette.
These numbers include Purdue's largest freshman class
and its most diverse student population ever.
A new Purdue tradition called Crossing the Tracks welcomed
freshmen to campus in August.
This yearly event created by Purdue Student Government
and the Purdue Alumni Association takes place
between Stanley Coulter Hall
and Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry.
The tradition took shape because of a leadership gift
from alumni Jim and Janet Rush,
[phonetic] who crossed the tracks themselves during
the dedication.
The Boilermakers Special got another nighttime workout during
the Fifth Annual Night Train Homecoming Parade.
The parade weaved through campus ending at Slater Hill
with a fireworks display.
[ Fireworks ]
Other events leading
up to homecoming included a campus-wide blood drive
and a pep rally that featured the marching band
and Coach Tiller firing up the fans.
[ Crowd cheering ]
The pep rally was capped off by the crowning
of Homecoming Queen Gillian Marovich [phonetic]
and Homecoming King J.J. Kent [phonetic].
President Jischke and his wife, Patti, again led fans
from Engineering Mall
to the stadium following a morning homecoming celebration
that included fun activities and information for all.
[ Singing ]
The Purdue Black Alumni Organization kicked off
homecoming with many new events including an old school/new
school party.
This celebration included an exciting Step show performance
by the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho [phonetic] Epsilon
Gamma Chapter.
After the show, the party featured dancing
to a Dee Jay's tunes.
The Latino Cultural Center showed off its new facility
during a homecoming pre-game tailgate party.
The LCC also held an open house in the spring shortly
after moving into 600 Russell Street.
The celebration included two diverse Latino
dancing performances.
>> How's it going?
>> We're doing real well.
>> Alumni got a chance to gather with fellow Boilers
and get an update on Purdue happenings at hundreds
of alumni club meetings throughout the year including
this one for the club of Northwest Indiana.
>> Good morning, everybody.
>> Alumni were again treated to engaging presentations
at three Autumn Tuesday Speaker Series events sponsored
by the Purdue Alumni Association.
One featured new women's basketball coach, Sharon Versyp.
>> It's just really nice to have people, you know,
really remember you as a student,
remember you as an athlete.
>> And that presents and paints a better picture.
>> In September, PAA staged the first Alumni Leaders Conference
formerly known as the Club Officers Conference.
It brought together alumni leaders from clubs, schools
and colleges to network with current students,
meet other alumni leaders and learn programming ideas
to increase involvement and membership
in their organizations.
As part of the Alumni Leader Conference weekend,
the Purdue Alumni Student Experience, or PACE,
held a networking dinner for students
to interact with alumni.
PACE promotes Purdue pride and tradition.
Since its inception in 2005, PACE has grown
to be the third largest student group on the Purdue campus.
Gala Weekend saw alumni from the Class
of 1956 celebrate their 50th anniversary.
They joined other alumni in marching to John Purdue's grave
to honor the founder of this great institution.
Purdue marked its 200th commencement ceremony
in December.
Purdue Alumni Association President Rich Crews [phonetic]
welcomed the new graduates.
>> I am here today to welcome you
into the Purdue Alumni Association; an extended family
of over 370,000 alumni with representation worldwide.
>> Chicago club is great for young alums.
>> For the year more than 8,500 graduates
from the West Lafayette Campus joined the throng
of Purdue alumni.
They were honored by the Purdue Alumni Association
at two senior send offs; one in May with 2,000 participants
and one in December with 800.
[ Cheering ]
Both featured free food, Purdue memorabilia,
information about PAA and fun activities.
The 2006 Special Boilermaker Award went to Kenneth Coleman
and James Foster [phonetic].
Since 1981 this PAA award has honored significant
contributions to the quality of life and/or the betterment
of the educational experience
for a substantial number of Purdue students.
After serving as Associate Dean of Students for 32 years,
Coleman is now an Academic Advisor
for Undergraduate Studies.
Foster now works in Diversity Education after serving 31 years
in University Housing.
The winners of the 2006 Young Alumni Awards were Marisa Ducka
[phonetic] and Gail Wildbaker [phonetic].
Ducka, who wasn't able to attend the presentation,
helped lead the Purdue Club of Cleveland;
Wildbaker plays a leading role
in the Purdue Club of Northwest Indiana.
Taking a look at regional campuses,
Purdue Calumet celebrated 60 years
of serving Northwest Indiana
with a Diamond Jubilee in September.
The festive evening featured foods representing the heritage
of many of the campuses students.
The campus Choral Group [phonetic] also performed.
[ Singing ]
Proceeds from the fund benefited the Chancellor's Scholars Fund,
which supports full tuition renewable scholarships
for top graduates of Northwest Indiana high schools.
>> Thank you very much.
>> The Eighth Annual Mastodon Roast
at iPfW took place in October.
Chancellor Michael Wartell carved pork for over 400 alumni,
faculty and athletic boosters in attendance.
They celebrated IPFW's admittance
into the Mid-Continent Conference.
>> Probably between now and when you turn it in.
>> Purdue North Central recently opened a Porter County satellite
campus in Valparaiso consisting of two buildings;
one for undergraduates and one for graduate programs.
The campus offers a variety of undergraduate courses,
a Saturday MBA Program
and numerous continuing education courses.
A people mover transportation system opened
at the IUPUI campus in June.
The train transports patients, faculty, staff, students
and the public between Methodist,
IU, and Riley Hospitals.
This light rail transportation operates seven days a week
and will carry an estimated half a million people a year.
>> Your new Alumni Association Director Kirk Cerny.
>> A reception was held in November
to welcome the Purdue Alumni Association's new Executive
Director Kirk Cerny.
He brings more than 12 years of senior level alumni relations
and advancement experience with him.
>> We hope that you've enjoyed this news reel.
A great tradition from the Purdue Alumni Association,
and we look forward to serving you in 2007.
Two-Thousand and Six was a great year for the Alumni Association.
We look forward to your participation
in our club events, our building dedications on campus,
we look forward to you coming back to campus
for athletic contests and just to meet old friends
and to remind yourself of your ties to Purdue University.
Thank you very much.
Have a great year and many thanks.
Hail Purdue.
[ Singing ]