An insider’s look at a university collection so valuable, the professor who built it once stole it back.
The earliest herbarium—a collection of plant samples preserved for scientific study—dates to 16th-century Italy, when the Bologna physician and botanist Luca Ghini (1490–1556) sought to make plant material available to his students in winter when the plants were dead or dormant.
The specimens were flattened between two pieces of paper to remove moisture. Once dried, they were mounted on paper sheets with notations on the plant’s name, where the plant was gathered, and any distinctive features. The pages were bound into volumes to enable transport from one location to another, thus making plant material from faraway places available indefinitely.
The Stewarts at Westwood
Robert Bruce Stewart (HDR M’68), known as R.B., joined the Purdue University staff as controller in 1925. At that time, Purdue enrolled 3,000 students, the physical plant was worth $3 million, and the endowment totaled $340,000.
Stewart, who went on to become the university’s first vice president and treasurer, is credited by many with influencing the character and growth of Purdue University. He spent 36 years building the university both fiscally and physically.
Geochemist Marissa Tremblay ’12 analyzes Antarctic rocks to unravel Earth’s climate chronology and predict the planet’s future environment
A geologic field excursion to Death Valley during spring break her first year at Barnard set Marissa Tremblay ’12 on course to becoming a scientist. She entered college intending to pursue a law degree, but stepping foot on that vast, desolate desert landscape marked with sand dunes ignited a curiosity to uncover the stories in stones.
50 Years of Wolf Park
Founded by Purdue ethologist Erich Klinghammer in 1972, Wolf Park began as an experiment to study wolf behavior. The pioneering research conducted there over the past 50 years contributed to a better understanding of the apex predator and facilitated its reintroduction into the wild.
Twenty Years After 9/11 Longhorn Reflects on the Unexpected Detour—and the Subsequent Broadway Show—that Altered His Life’s Trajectory
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Kevin Tuerff and his then-partner, also named Kevin, were on an Air France flight bound for New York City. The couple had just wrapped up a European vacation and they were eager to get home. A sudden drop in elevation over the Atlantic Ocean was the first sign that something was amiss. Then came an announcement from the cockpit.
Trevion Williams isn’t your average athlete. The six-foot-nine, 280-pound sophomore forward stands out for more than his size. While most college students are strolling campus in sweatpants and hoodies, Williams sports a style all his own. He loves to dress up, wearing tailored pants, pastel shirts, and bowties.
Amber Johnson Purdue’s first black woman to earn computer science PhD
When Amber Johnson (PhD S’19) walked across the stage at Elliott Hall of Music, she knew she was making history as the first black woman to earn a doctorate in computer science at Purdue University.
“It’s cool that my graduation coincides with the 150th anniversary of Purdue,” Johnson says. “With Purdue having the first department of computer science, this moment has a lot of symbolism. It means a lot for the world. It shows that computer science is for everybody and anybody.”
Junior Kylie Hase persevered on the pitch, even when she wasn’t accepted
Kylie Hase doesn’t know how to take it down a notch. Growing up in Orland Park, Illinois, she started playing soccer at 3 years old in a church league. Her mother tells Hase she fielded concerns from other moms because Hase was very aggressive running around the field.
“I was competitive right from the start,” says the junior studying law and society in the College of Liberal Arts.
How Roger Follmer built a champion tennis program at WashU
Coaching at a division iii school puts the focus on the student part of student-athlete. Washington University in St. Louis doesn’t have scholarship money available to recruit top-tier athletes. Coaching tennis adds another layer of complication. It’s mainly an individual sport, and it’s not uncommon for college student-athletes to have little to no experience playing on a team.
Ryan Cline’s resiliency, patience pay off in his senior year
A lot of people might have given up. They might have transferred. They might have allowed their frustrations to get the best of them. They might have lost their patience. Not Ryan Cline. He knew his time would come.
As a senior at Carmel High School, Cline led his team to a state championship. He was in the running for Indiana Mr. Basketball, an honor bestowed on the top high school basketball player in the state. He came in second to Caleb Swanigan. The two became teammates at Purdue, where Swanigan dominated the court. Then Cline found himself in the shadow of a strong group of seniors. For his first three years, Cline didn’t see much playing time.
Redshirt senior Sherridan Atkinson found a home at Holloway
After two seasons at Long Beach State, outside hitter Sherridan Atkinson was looking for a new collegiate home. She blanketed Division I coaches with the same generic email, ending each one with a school-specific shoutout — “Fight on Trojans!” or “Go Boilers!” Dave Shondell, Purdue’s head volleyball coach, was one of the first to respond.
“I had no idea where Indiana was on the map,” Atkinson says. “I didn’t know anything about Purdue. I was a very sheltered Californian.”
Walk-on guard keeps rising to her ambitions, lifting others along the way
Abby Abel has always chased big dreams. After participating in a Purdue youth basketball camp at age 9, she decided she was going to play for the Boilermakers one day. She continued attending camps each summer; by her junior year of high school, she was a pretty good player, though not good enough to catch the eye of recruiters.
Relentless drive for perfection fuels linebacker Markus Bailey
Markus Bailey was 6 years old when his world came crashing down. The eldest of two sons has nothing but fond memories of those prior early years. His parents, Demarko and Amy Bailey, were still in high school when Markus was born. He recalls a loving home anchored by hardworking parents who were putting themselves through community college while raising him and his younger brother, Isaac.
