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Beyond resilience and a growth mindset, a common thread among successful CEOs, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders is a top-tier qualification from powerhouses like Purdue University.
Consistently ranked among the top 10 public universities in the US, Purdue is known for its commitment to academic excellence and large-scale impact. Two of its colleges rank among the nation’s top four and the university as a whole boasts a reputation for producing the most STEM graduates.
Especially effective when it comes to ensuring career readiness is the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) — Purdue’s largest academic unit and the nation’s premier ECE department. It stands out for its ability to produce graduates with the knowledge and expertise required to make groundbreaking advancements in technology.
The Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering is the biggest ECE department in the nation, with over 120 faculty members. Source: Purdue University
For example, in 1992, Dr. Ming Yee (Minerva) Yeung graduated from Purdue with a degree that would set her on a path to becoming a leading expert in multimedia signal processing and artificial intelligence. But her journey began with a leap into the unknown: arriving as a Chu Foundation Scholar with little background in engineering or software. Dr. Yeung recalls how ECE professors played a pivotal role in her progression.
“They were demanding yet taught with patience and dedication to bring those who did not have the right foundation up to tackle a challenging curriculum,” she reflects. “They pushed us to stretch ourselves and excel. Many of them remained as my colleagues and mentors up to this day.”
With this solid foundation, Dr. Yeung went on to make remarkable contributions in fields like content-based multimedia retrieval, digital watermarking, and media security. Her career saw her holding leadership roles at IBM and Google, where she led advancements in multimedia technology, and she even founded her own company, IvyCube Inc. For Dr. Yeung, Purdue ECE was transformative, both professionally and personally, instilling a commitment to open doors for others. “Purdue ECE provided me with the foundation for upward mobility,” she adds. “I am confident it will continue to educate many economically disadvantaged students to fulfil their aspirations.”
Such outcomes are typical of those who predominantly learned beyond textbooks. ECE professors encourage their students to explore, innovate, and apply knowledge through cutting-edge research and collaborative projects. This dynamic environment allows them to tackle complex problems, experiment with new ideas, and develop practical solutions that create a tangible impact. Rita S. Lane, a 1991 ECE graduate, also reaped the benefits of this hands-on approach.
Lane, who later became Vice President of Operations at Apple Inc., was instrumental in the launch of iconic products like the iPad and MacBook. Before Apple, she held senior positions at Motorola and IBM, overseeing global supply chain and manufacturing operations. Reflecting on her Purdue experience, she notes, “Purdue taught me to think and to question. That’s fundamental. Purdue professors don’t just want you to learn it — they want you to prove it.”
Purdue ECE is at the forefront of defining and advancing the next frontier as new technologies are developed and existing ones are enhanced. Source: Purdue University
1983 graduate Kirk Law recalls applying knowledge by serving as a teacher’s assistant while pursuing his master’s degree. In the process, he discovered a love for leadership and mentoring.
“Tutoring, explaining, and mentoring students in their studies exposed how much I enjoyed what I was taught and the joy of helping to share knowledge with others,” says Law, who is currently Chief Development Officer for Product and Engineering at Cohesity, where he oversees the company’s global product development and engineering teams.
“Seeing others light up when I explained something and they ‘got it’ was a wonderful feeling. Purdue was a great environment to emphasise the joy of learning and knowledge sharing.”
This level of immersion often nurtures students to be confident and encourages them to pursue their passions without hesitation. That’s precisely what 2007 graduate Akshay D. Kothari is doing as the Chief Operating Officer at Notion.
“Purdue has incredible academic programmes, but it also has these amazing labs and it’s very entrepreneurial,” he says. “There were so many other things that happened around the core programme. I had so many amazing experiences that made me much more confident in the professional world.”
Other notable alumni who credit their success to ECE include Lila Ibrahim, Chief Operating Officer at Google DeepMind; Dr Qian Lin, Fellow and VP, Chief Technologist for Machine Learning and Vision Systems at Hewlett Packard; Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios at Microsoft; and Michael Harris, VP of Technology at Amazon.
To follow in their footsteps, learn more about Purdue University’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering today.
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