Purdue trustees ratify faculty and staff positions, approve contract for new football coach and resolutions of appreciation

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (Feb. 3) ratified two faculty positions and three staff positions and approved the contract for the university’s new football coach and resolutions of appreciation.

The newly ratified positions are Ganesh Subbarayan, who was appointed the James G. Dwyer Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Jessica Gurevitch, who was named a Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Ganesh Subbarayan Download image

Subbarayan uses numerical, analytical and experimental methods to assess the reliability of packaging for microelectronic components. He came to Purdue as an associate professor in 2002 and was promoted to full professor in 2005. From 2014-15, he served as associate head for graduate studies for the School of Mechanical Engineering. He has generated funding for his work from advanced electronics packaging research organizations, including the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), which is a consortium whose members include IBM, Intel, Texas Instruments, the U.S. Army and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, among others. In 2022, the SRC awarded Subbarayan its prestigious Technical Excellence Award, presented annually to “key contributors of innovative technology that significantly enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the semiconductor industry.” In collaboration with SUNY Binghamton, Subbarayan is actively leading the inaugural SRC Center for Heterogeneous Integration Research in Packaging, designed to improve functionality in advanced microchips to achieve higher performance and lower cost. Subbarayan’s pioneering contributions have led to multiple awards for his published academic work, as well as fellowships in the principal professional societies for both mechanical and electrical engineering.

Jessica Gurevitch Download image

Gurevitch joined the Purdue College of Agriculture in January as full professor and head of the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. She comes to Purdue from Stony Brook University, where she was named a distinguished professor in 2018. She is a leading plant ecologist with interests in the environment and ecology, and natural resources and forests. Her current research focuses on the ecological implications, risks and potential benefits of various approaches to climate intervention in order to reduce the impacts of global warming. She has made a unique contribution to ecology with her meta-analysis approach and the development of powerful statistical tools, which allow researchers to use data to look at the “big picture,” and generate insights into complex ecological systems. Her contributions have led to a more comprehensive use of ecological data, which, in turn, has led to new insights into community ecology. Gurevitch has been elected to leadership positions in five different scientific societies and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Ecological Society of America. She has authored, co-authored and co-edited several influential books, including a major textbook on plant ecology and books on meta-analysis in ecology and ecological experimental design and analysis. 

Trustees also approved the ratification of these previously announced staff positions:

* Patrick Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity.

* Karen Plaut, executive vice president for research.

* Alyssa Wilcox, senior vice president for partnerships.

In other action, trustees approved the contract for new head football coach Ryan Walters.

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

* Marcel Sassola III, to support the College of Pharmacy.

* David Julian Haase (estate), to support Purdue Polytechnic Institute.

* Shorty and Ro Whittington, to support the College of Agriculture.

* Gerald and Nanette Lyles, to support the School of Business.

* New Eagle Foundation, to support Intercollegiate Athletics.

* Jean Louise Taaffe, to support the College of Health and Human Sciences.

* James Tarpo Jr., to support the College of Science.

* Three anonymous gifts, to support the School of Business.

* Anonymous, to support the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Division of Financial Aid and Purdue Polytechnic High Schools.

* Anonymous, to support the College of Engineering.

* Anonymous, to support the School of Business and the College of Engineering.

Furthermore, trustees approved renaming the Duke Realty Chair in Finance to the Tom and Patty Hefner Chair in Finance. 

Trustees also approved the Mackey Control Room Upgrade Project that currently serves the game video production for Mackey Arena and Ross-Ade Stadium events. This new control room will allow for Purdue Athletics to connect to several new Daktronics displays and control several different athletic venues from one location. Deliverables include a new camera system, system technical components and processors, and installation and warranty. Cost of the project is $2,886,095.52, with completion expected Aug. 25.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last five years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu.

Sources: Patrick Wolfe

Rob Wynkoop

April Headdy

Ganesh Subbarayan

Jessica Gurevitch