At age 60, Purdue Calumet is advancing NW Indiana as a community asset

Purdue University Calumet is 60-years-old, a milestone we celebrate this fall.

But perhaps more important than what has been accomplished during our first 60 years is the direction Purdue Calumet is going today.

For the most part, our first six decades were spent educating students via programs we developed in response to northwest Indiana needs and desires. In doing so, Purdue Calumet gained respect as an emerging community asset.

While today we continue to develop academic programs-we're introducing four new engineering degrees this fall, including one in civil engineering-Purdue Calumet also is growing into an agent for regional economic development. Here's what I mean.

• Our graduates are applying their Purdue degree to challenging jobs and careers as educated, talented professionals;
• Our faculty are sharing and applying their scholarly expertise as consultants to business & industry in ways that solve problems and address challenges;
• Our students are taking advantage of opportunities to complement classroom and laboratory learning in experiential ways as interns and research assistants for established and emerging employers;
• Our alumni are hiring our students and other graduates, as well as advising us on program-related matters as members of our academic advisory committees;
• Our university is partnering with new and established employers through our Entrepreneurship Center, Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana and numerous other relationships that are helping attract and cultivate cutting edge, 21st century jobs;
• Our university also has developed a Water Institute, an Energy Efficiency and Reliability Center, a Center for Computational Analysis, an Institute for Science and Technology Education and a Center for Evidence-Based Nursing Practice to establish Purdue Calumet as a leader in addressing important northwest Indiana needs and concerns;

Through the years, our role as a higher education provider has been one that we have pursued with enthusiasm. Sixty years since our genesis, that role has transformed into significant opportunities to advance our region. At Purdue Calumet, we feel it is the responsible thing to do to realize and fulfill those opportunities.

Sincerely,

Howard Cohen
Chancellor