Purdue University is a public land-grant and university system with worldwide academic and research recognition. It was founded in 1869 in West Lafayette, Indiana, and named after John Purdue, a Lafayette businessman who donated the land on which it resides. The university is part of the Big Ten Conference and is known for excellent and affordable education. West Lafayette is the main campus in the Purdue University system. Four other campuses are located in the state of Indiana.
The university main campus offers more than 200 undergraduate majors and more than 69 master and doctoral programs. Purdue is organized in 13 colleges and schools: College of Agriculture, College of Education, College of Engineering, Exploratory Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, Krannert School of Management, College of Pharmacy, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, College of Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Honors College and The Graduate School. Purdue has 18 intercollegiate sport teams and more than 900 student organizations.
As of 2017, 41,573 students were enrolled at Purdue University. Undergraduate students, graduate students and students pursuing professional degrees represent 75%, 23% and 2% of the total student population, respectively. Among public universities in the United States, Purdue University has the fourth largest international student population. It ranks eighth overall.
Purdue University is ranked 56th in the Academic Ranking of National Universities of 2018 (U.S. News & World Report), 8th in the engineering undergraduate programs and 12th for the most innovative schools. In agriculture, Purdue University ranked 8th out of 300 universities worldwide (2017) and 1st in undergraduate (tied) and graduate Agricultural and Biological Engineering programs in the country (2018). According to the Center for World University Rankings, Purdue University is one of the top 50 universities. Purdue University is known as the "cradle of astronauts," as 22 astronauts are alumni of Purdue. These include Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan, the first and the last men on the moon. Four Purdue professors have won Nobel prizes, two in chemistry and two in subjects related to climate change. Nine other professors affiliated with Purdue have won the Nobel prize. Two Purdue professors and one Purdue alumnus have won the World Food Prize.
Purdue University is a top public research institution, offering higher education at its highest proven value. Committed to affordability, the University has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels. Dedicated to student success, Purdue is changing the student experience with a greater focus on faculty-student interaction and the creative use of technology. Focused on pursuing scientific discoveries and engineered solutions, Purdue has streamlined pathways for faculty and student innovators who have a vision for moving the world forward.
University research strengths/areas of expertise related to activities in Consortium
- Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Plant phenotyping
Digital Agriculture
Veterinary Medicine
Animal Sciences
Environmental Health
Climate Change
Plant Biology and Plant Health
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Post-harvest Science
Food Science
Agricultural Economics
Consortium subgroup projects
- Cacao for Peace - An Analysis of the Productive Chain of Cacao in Colombia
- USDA Colfuturo Cacao for Peace Fellowships
University webpage and other relevant links
- Purdue University
- Colombia Purdue Initiative
- Colombia Student Association at Purdue
- Farmer to Farmer Colombia
Coordinating Council Members
Director, Colombian Partnerships and Engagement Office
Managing Director, Strategic Initiatives
