Purdue trustees ratify faculty position; approve new degree program, resolutions of appreciation and work related to new Daniels School building

The newly ratified faculty naming is Rong Huang as the Evanson-McCoy Professor.

Huang has been a professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology in Purdue’s College of Pharmacy since 2017. Her research focuses on drug discovery, epigenetics and medicinal chemistry, and chemical biology. Huang’s lab applies an interdisciplinary approach to understand the molecular mechanisms of methyltransferases and acetyltransferases, design and synthesize selective and potent inhibitors to manipulate the epigenetic pathways, and develop novel and targeted epigenetic drugs. Her awards and honors include the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award; from Purdue, the Bravo Award, Showalter Faculty Scholar Award and two Seed for Success Awards; the Victor A. Yanchick Young Investigator; and an International Chemical Biology Society 2016 Young Chemical Biologist Award nominee. She is a member of Purdue’s Institute for Cancer Research, the Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery and the Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science Program. Huang also served on the American Chemical Society’s Medicinal Chemistry Division Long Range Planning Committee and is currently an editorial board member of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

In other action, trustees approved a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program at Purdue Northwest beginning in fall 2024. This program will provide an advanced career path for students in the bachelor’s degree program in social work. There is a significant national and statewide demand for social services, social workers and other mental health professionals at this advanced level. The MSW program will address this need by preparing students for eventual state licensure and advanced positions in social work. Practitioners will be trained to work in on-demand fields, including but not limited to child welfare agencies, de-addiction centers, schools, domestic violence centers and community mental health centers.

Trustees also approved resolutions of appreciation for friends of the university who recently contributed $1 million or more to Purdue. Those are:

• Lilly Endowment Inc., to support Purdue University and the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business. At $100 million, this is the largest gift in Purdue’s history.
• Lilly Endowment Inc., to support collaborative efforts with community partners.
• Donna and James Lambrechts, to support the College of Liberal Arts and the Lyles School of Civil Engineering.
• Marcia and Laurence Whiteley, to support the College of Veterinary Medicine.
• An anonymous gift, to support the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business.
• An anonymous gift, to support the College of Engineering.

Additionally, trustees approved an $8 million project to demolish the parking garage at the corner of Sheetz and Wood streets. Demolition will begin in July with completion planned by April 2027. Jay Wasson, vice president for physical facilities and chief public safety officer, said the 276-unit garage is at the end of its useful life, explaining Wood Street Parking Garage can absorb the loss of these spaces. Starting demolition sooner also helps coordinate utilities work for the five-story Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business building.

Following demolition, the site will be converted to a courtyard, which will provide dock access to Hawkins Hall, the Krannert Building and Young Hall. Wasson said the new courtyard, which is consistent with the 2018 Giant Leaps campus master plan, will be available for a variety of campus activities and programs.

Existing pedestrian subwalks connecting the parking garage to surrounding buildings, including the Purdue Memorial Union, will be kept or rebuilt as necessary, Wasson said. 

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, with 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap, including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes, at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.