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Anderson has new Purdue degree program

ANDERSON, Ind. — Business, education and civic leaders on Wednesday buzzed about the possibilities arising from a new Purdue University degree program to be offered in Anderson. Possibilities like a “flying Jeep.”

That’s one of the big ideas that Purdue President France A. Córdova said captured her imagination when she heard engineers at XADS talk about it. Transforming such big ideas into reality is at the heart of a new bachelor of science in engineering technology program that she announced at Purdue College of Technology, Anderson.

“I have a vision for this turning into our magic carpet,” Córdova quipped of the flying Jeep concept that XADS and other companies are developing. The Defense Department imagines a vehicle that performs like a Jeep but can ferry four Marines and their gear with vertical takeoffs and landings.

Córdova highlighted XADS’s work and that of other Flagship Enterprise Park partners and innovators as she announced Purdue will offer specialized engineering technology degree programs catered to local industries in Anderson, Kokomo, Richmond and South Bend.

“It’s probably the most exciting thing I’ve seen since I came here,” said Barb Alder, director of Purdue College of Technology, Anderson.

Each campus will offer courses “determined by the work force and the economic needs of the region they serve,” Córdova said. Students will be able to graduate with a concentration in their specialized course of study, often one designed with instruction tailored for local industries.

Duane Dunlap, professor and associate dean of statewide technology, said that 80 percent of engineering students in Anderson, Kokomo, Richmond and South Bend remain in the communities where they are educated, reinforcing the need for courses relevant to the area economy.

♦ In Anderson, the concentration will be on manufacturing and food processing.

♦ In Kokomo, alternative energy.

♦ In South Bend, nanotechnology.

♦ In Richmond, the concentration is to be determined.

“When I was a kid in high school, I used to read Dick Tracy and he had that watch that did everything,” Córdova said. She imagined how cool it would be to have devices like that.

Then the world came to know cell phones, iPhones and the applications that they run, Córdova said. With engineering technology education, the dreams of engineers can be transformed into “unbelievable futures, and they can happen in your lifetime.”

Where engineers generally focus on new theories and principles, the engineering technology program is geared toward teaching students how to apply ideas, theories and innovations in products and processes.

Purdue’s program provides students with experience in computer graphics, computer and information technology, electrical engineering technology, industrial technology, mechanical engineering technology and organizational leadership.

Anderson University President James Edwards said that as host of Purdue’s local offerings, collaboration has never been more important, “We’re especially grateful that you’ve turned your attention to Anderson,” he told Córdova.

Despite economic challenges, Edwards said, “These are the kind of times that bring out the best in us.”

While Purdue engineering know-how reaches to outer space, it also has down-to-earth applications. Tomatoes, for instance.

Red Gold director of human resources Timothy K. Ingle said many workers have taken courses at Purdue’s Anderson campus. He said, “250 college graduates work for Red Gold … 47 graduates earned degrees while working at Red Gold in the last eight years.”

Those people work in areas such as industrial maintenance, production, quality control and in leadership positions.

Ingle said Purdue’s program will be good for Madison County because food processing represents a stable industry that is growing.

The program also will allow Ivy Tech students to transfer up to 62 credit hours, said Ivy Tech Provost Donald S. Doucette. “This is a wonderful example from our perspective of what a partnership should be,” he said. Ivy Tech also will offer an associate program that replicates the first two years of Purdue’s new program.

Córdova said she sensed a vibrant spirit of discovery and entrepreneurship locally. “We’re here in Anderson to visit several companies that are using advanced technology every day.”

In Anderson, Córdova visited Bright Automotive, Altairnano, Nestlé and Anderson Tool and Engineering — companies that she said were “advancing the frontiers of technology.”

 
 Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com