Trustees approve professorships, endowed positions, program transfer, posthumous degree, resolutions

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (Dec. 8) approved the appointments of a distinguished professor and a named professor, and endowed titles for the director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (PI4D) and the head volleyball coach.

The board also approved the transfer of the Industrial Engineering Technology Program within Purdue Polytechnic Institute, a posthumous degree, and resolutions of appreciation for the dean of Purdue Libraries and university donors. 

Carol B. Post was named Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and Pedro Irazoqui as the Reilly Professor of Biomedical Engineering.

Post is an internationally recognized leader in the regulation and function of protein-protein interactions associated with cell signaling and viruses. She was cited in the recommendation to the board for her exceptional record of scientific research and its impact in such critical areas as cancer biology, therapeutics, and infectious and immune diseases. Post was recognized in 2009 with the Lions Club Award for Outstanding Achievements in Cancer Research, the Chaney Faculty Scholar Award from the College of Pharmacy in 2013, and the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentor in 2016.

Irazoqui was recommended for the professorship based on his pioneering work in the development of implantable devices for electroceutical treatment of epilepsy, inflammation, urinary incontinence, glaucoma and other applications. He established the Center for Implantable Devices, receiving support from federal agencies and industry. Irazoqui is also a leader in education, drawing from his research experience in his course on bioelectricity, taught as an online edX course in 2015 with more than 6,000 students from around the world. 

Richard J. Kuhn, the Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor in Science, leads PI4D as the inaugural director. The position will now be known as the Krenicki Family Directorship in Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease. John and Donna Krenicki gave a gift to the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience in 2016 and recently made an additional $2 million commitment to name the directorship. The title honors their generosity and continued support of life sciences initiatives.

Dave Shondell has led the Purdue volleyball team for the past 15 years, holding the position that will now be known as the Art and Connie Euler Head Volleyball Coach. The title honors the generosity of the Eulers, who made a leadership gift to establish the endowed position. In October they made an additional leadership gift to create the Art and Connie Euler Volleyball Excellence Endowment Fund to support initiatives that are not included in the budget but will directly impact the volleyball program.

The board ratified a title redesignation for Gerry McCartney, the university’s top IT administrator. McCartney, who also is the Oesterle Professor of Information Technology, will hold the title of executive vice president and chief information officer. McCartney’s enhanced role will be to develop a more organized, strategic approach to online and digital offerings for the entire Purdue system and establish metrics for all online programs. As part of that approach, McCartney will lead the establishment of a business model to provide incentives for program launch and growth, recommend methods to resolve duplicate offerings and respond to new opportunities, and identify market needs.

The board also ratified the previously announced appointment of Jay Akridge as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity.

Trustees approved a request from Purdue Polytechnic Institute to move the Industrial Engineering Technology program from the Department of Technology Leadership and Innovation to the School of Engineering Technology, effective Jan. 1. The program includes supply chain management technology and industrial engineering technology majors, and the transfer was requested in order to better align programs. No new resources are required for the change.

The board approved a posthumous non-thesis master’s degree to Ean Seals, who died on Aug. 19. Deceased students who have earned at least 85 percent of their credit-hour requirements and satisfied most of the requirements for a major may be nominated for a posthumous degree.

James L. Mullins was honored with a resolution of appreciation by the board for his leadership as dean of Purdue Libraries. His leadership brought Purdue to the forefront of library innovation and transformed the way Purdue educates and serves its students by championing the active-learning concept. Mullins played an integral role in the conception of the Wilmeth Active Learning Center. He was appointed as dean in 2004 and will step down at the end of 2017.

Sources: Carol Post, cbp@purdue.edu

Pedro Irazoqui, pip@purdue.edu

Dave Shondell, dave@purdue.edu

Richard Kuhn, kuhnr@purdue.edu

Gerry McCartney, mccart@purdue.edu

James L. Mullins, jmullins@purdue.edu

Jay Akridge, 765-494-9709, akridge@purdue.edu