Jischke emphasizes need
for education, fulfillment
By Matt Poston
Staff
Writer
For a man who got his start working with Froot
Loops and olive loaves, Purdue president Martin Jischke has come a long
way from working in his father's grocery store.
President Jischke, who gave the 18th annual Hawkins
Memorial Lecture in Heat Transfer on Wednesday, spoke to a gathering
of students, faculty and members of the Purdue community.
In his lecture titled "If You Can't Stand the Heat,
Don't Transfer to the President's Office," Jischke outlined his career
path from working in the meat department of his father's grocery store
to becoming a professor of heat transfer and fluid mechanics at Oklahoma
University, and then becoming president of Purdue.
During his speech, Jischke used examples from his
own experiences to emphasize the importance of higher education and
personal fulfillment.
One of the examples Jischke shared took place in
his father's grocery store when Jischke was 10. He noticed a man who
was able to carry more than his weight in meat and was amazed by the
man's feat. The man took the young Jischke aside and told him that carrying
meat is backbreaking work and urged Jischke to get an education.
In Jischke's lecture he conveyed his advice to
the audience, especially the students who were in attendance.
"I believe strongly that a well-rounded education
means getting involved outside of class," Jischke said.
Jischke also voiced his largest concern for the
students under his administration while they attend Purdue.
"My biggest worry for students is that some of
them are trying to figure out with such precision what to do next in
life that they ignore their broader interests," he said. "You'll eventually
come upon what you want to do."
Stephen Myers, a senior in the Schools of Engineering,
said that he enjoyed president Jischke's lecture.
"It was really neat to see the president's views
and where he's come from. I had no idea he came from such humble beginnings,"
Myers said.
Agustin Hernandez, a graduate student, also thought
highly of Jischke's presentation. He said the school at which he did
his undergraduate work never gave students the opportunity to hear from
their president first hand.
The Hawkins Memorial Lecture in Heat Transfer was
established in 1984 to honor the memory of George Hawkins, former dean
and professor of Purdue, who established Purdue's place among the nation's
universities as a leader in heat transfer research.
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