Boasting 350,000 living alumni, Purdue Since its inception in 1869, Purdue has plants for feeding an ever-increasing global University graduates have been to the attained widespread fame for the quality population. moon, to the highest levels of business and of learning, research and engagement in a As one of the 25 largest colleges and government, and to Sweden to receive the number of fields. Once known primarily as universities in the United States, Purdue leaves Nobel Prize. an engineering and agriculture school, the its mark on the world — and beyond — on The Indiana link in a nationwide chain University now offers nearly 6,700 courses in a daily basis. Long known as the “mother of 68 land-grant colleges and universities, more than 200 specializations in agriculture; of astronauts,” the University boasts 22 Purdue owes its origin to the Morrill Act, signed consumer and family sciences; education; graduates — 20 men and two women — who by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 to promote engineering; liberal arts; management; have been selected to participate in the NASA establishment of schools to teach agriculture pharmacy, nursing, and health sciences; space program. From the 1960s to today, and the “mechanic arts.” science; technology; and veterinary medicine. from the Mercury Program to today’s fleet An act of generosity by Lafayette Students pursue advanced degrees through of space shuttles, Purdue alumni have flown businessman John Purdue secured the Indiana the Graduate School and the Krannert on more than one-third of all manned U.S. land-grant college for Lafayette. Purdue Graduate School of Management. space flights. Neil Armstrong, the first person pledged money and land for the school. In Purdue has one of the largest enrollments to walk on the moon, and Gene Cernan, the return, the institution was named for him, of women and minority students in engineering last person to leave it, both call Purdue alma and he remained a trustee until his death in in the country, and the School of Veterinary mater. In addition to the astronauts, scores 1876. Medicine is one of only 27 nationwide. of scientists, engineers and other personnel Classes began in 1874 with a total of In addition to charting new paths through who help support the space program have 39 students and six faculty members. Since its instruction, Purdue also pushes back the graduated from Purdue. then, enrollment has grown to more than frontiers of research, from unraveling the From the steam era to the space age, 69,000 on five campuses and a faculty and molecular structure of viruses to designing Purdue has forged a proud tradition of staff totaling approximately 16,700. Nearly a self-supporting food system for space education, research and service to the state, 39,000 students are enrolled at Purdue’s main colonies to genetically engineering crops and the United States and the world — a tradition campus in West Lafayette, Ind. that gets stronger every day. West Lafayette, the location of Purdue’s main campus, is the twin city of Lafayette, the county seat of Tippecanoe County. On the banks of the Wabash River, surrounded by rich, green farmlands, the cities are located 65 miles northwest of Indianapolis and 126 miles southeast of Chicago. With a population in excess of 140,000, Tippecanoe County is one of the largest communities in northwestern Indiana, accessible from U.S. Highways 52 and 231, Interstate 65 and State Roads 25, 26, 38 and 43. Major bus lines and Amtrak trains stop daily. The Purdue University Airport is the second-busiest airport in the state of Indiana. Lafayette-West Lafayette is a regional hub for restaurants, shops, museums and entertainment. The community offers 26 movie theatres, daily and weekly newspapers, 12 radio stations, a television station and cable system, more than 60 churches of all major denominations, an art museum, a historical museum and 1,600 acres of public parks. Nearby points of historic and scenic interest include Fort Ouiatenon, on the National Register of Historic Places; Battle Ground, where William Henry Harrison fought the Battle of Tippecanoe; and the Museum at Prophetstown and developing project of Prophetstown State Park, dedicated to the preservation of Woodland Native American agricultural and environmental heritage. Lafayette also is home to the Long Center for the Performing Arts, Clegg Botanical Gardens and Columbian Park Zoo. Located on the eastern side of the Wabash River, Lafayette shares the 13-mile long Wabash Heritage Trail with West Lafayette. Nearby Battle Ground, located northwest of West Lafayette, boasts Wolf Park, where people can see live wolves, coyotes and foxes in their natural habitat. Not only are there places to go in Lafayette-West Lafayette, but there also are plenty of things to do. The area plays hosts to numerous community events throughout the year, including the Taste of Tippecanoe, ‘Round the Fountain Art Fair, Hot Summer Nights, Riverfront Jazz & Blues Festival, Global Fest, Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, Christmas Parade, and Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. West Lafayette has experienced a recent renaissance of sorts in an area called “The Levee,” located just across the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge from Riehle Plaza and downtown Lafayette. More than $100 million worth of construction has gone into developing Wabash Landing. The result is numerous restaurants, shops and apartments that have made the location a new focal point for residents and students. A diverse mixture of night spots, shopping centers, art museums and restaurants give Lafayette-West Lafayette a distinct and unique flavor. Boasting the convenience of a modern city and friendly “down-home” residents, Lafayette-West Lafayette is one of America’s most-livable communities. DR. FRANCE A. CÓRDOVA An internationally recognized astrophysi- After earning her doctorate in physics cist, France Córdova was chosen this past from Cal Tech in 1979, Córdova spent the spring as the 11th president of Purdue Uni- next decade at Los Alamos National Labora- versity by a unanimous vote by its Board of tory as a member of the Space Astronomy Trustees. and Astrophysics Group. She then joined Córdova, 59, had served at the Univer- Penn State University to head the Department sity of California, Riverside since 2002 as of Astronomy and Astrophysics. its chancellor, coming from the University of In 1993, she began work at NASA, serv- California at Santa Barbara where she had ing as the primary scientific adviser to the been vice chancellor for research and a pro- NASA administrator and the principal inter- fessor of physics for six years. Before that, she face between NASA headquarters and the was the first woman and youngest person to broader scientific community. During this hold the position of NASA chief scientist, time, she served on the National Science and working on projects that included the Hubble Technology Council’s Fundamental Science Space Telescope. Committee. J. Timothy McGinley, chairman of Purdue’s Córdova’s scientific contributions have Board of Trustees, announced Córdova’s se- been in the areas of observational and ex- lection following a seven-month search for a perimental astrophysics, multi-spectral re- successor to Martin C. Jischke, who retired search on X-ray and gamma ray sources, this summer after serving as Purdue president and space-borne instrumentation. Her multi- since Aug. 14, 2000. spectral approach uses telescopes on the “Our trustees interviewed several very out- ground and in space to approach a more sociations and currently serves on the boards standing candidates who would have been comprehensive understanding of cosmic of directors for the American Council on excellent presidents, but France Córdova is sources of radiation. Education and the National Association of the right person at the right time for Purdue,” She has published more than 150 scien- State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. McGinley said. “The breadth of her exper- tific papers and reports and has a current In 1997, she was awarded an honorary doc- tise, as we might expect from a astrophysicist, experiment flying on the European Space torate by Loyola Marymount University, Los enables me to make a powerful statement. Agency’s X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission. Angeles. Dr. France Córdova’s resume is truly out of She is the winner of NASA’s highest honor, The oldest of 12 children, Córdova was this world. She has distinguished herself as the Distinguished Service Medal, and was born in Paris and spent a few years in Ger- a scientist, an administrator and a creative recognized as a 2000 Kilby Laureate for many, where her father served as the Chief writer. She is truly a Renaissance person.” “contributions to society through science, of Missions for CARE, a U. S. relief organiza- Córdova said she and Purdue are on the technology, innovation, invention and edu- tion. She graduated from high school in La same trajectory. cation.” Puente, Calif., east of Los Angeles. “I will never forget the day Purdue alum- She was the award-winning author in An avid sports enthusiast, she enjoys run- nus Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969 of a short work of fiction, “The Women ning, canoeing, hiking and cross-country ski- 1969,” Córdova said, recalling it was the of Santo Domingo,” based on her anthropo- ing. Córdova met her husband, Christian J. same year she graduated cum laude with a logic field work in a Zapotec Indian pueblo Foster, a science educator, while rock climb- degree in English from Stanford University in Oaxaca, Mexico, and a Zapotec Indian ing outside Los Alamos, N.M. They have two and a Ph.D. in Physics from the California cookbook. For that, she won a guest editor- college-age children. Institute of Technology. “It eventually drew ship with Mademoiselle magazine and the me to the California Institute of Technology, opportunity to write a feature travel article on where I began exploring the mysteries of Israel.