Parker Hannifin Corporation has announced a gift valued at $2.5 million to Purdue University to establish the Parker Wing within the university’s new Agricultural & Biological Engineering facility. The gift will also provide financial support for the installation of upgraded equipment at a new state-of-the-art Parker Motion and Control Lab.
“Parker is excited to support Purdue University and the remarkable students of the Agricultural & Biological Engineering program,” says Jennifer Parmentier, President - Motion Systems Group for Parker. “For the hundreds of students who use the lab each day, this investment will create exciting research opportunities and provide exposure to modern motion and control technologies, which will be invaluable as they graduate and begin their careers.”
The gift comes in the form of a $1.5 million donation from The Parker Hannifin Foundation and $1 million in new equipment for the motion and control lab from Parker’s Motion Systems and Fluid Connectors Groups. These are being contributed across a 5-year period aligned with the Agricultural & Biological Engineering program’s ongoing expansion and facilities renovation plans.
“This contribution to establish the new Parker Motion and Control Lab aligns well with our purpose,” says Andy Ross, President - Fluid Connectors Group for Parker. “Improved access to innovative products and systems will better position Purdue graduates to deliver engineering breakthroughs that help make the world a better place.”
Launched in 1993, Parker’s Motion and Control Lab Schools program aims to enhance engineering education and introduce the company’s technologies to students. The labs represent a way for Parker to take an active role in the education of young professionals and signify the important partnership between Parker and partner universities. To date Parker has committed to a lasting partnership with 11 universities across the United States, each of which provide excellent engineering programs in a variety of disciplines to prepare future professionals for success.
“We highly value our long-term relationship with Parker, and greatly appreciate their investment in our students and in our mission to educate the next generation of engineers,” says Nate Mosier, Head of the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Purdue. “These new teaching laboratories will enable us to provide hands-on experiences with state-of-the-art technologies to better equip our students for making significant impacts in industry.”
