The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation has committed $50 million to Purdue University. (Purdue University photo)
Purdue University is rolling out the black-and-gold carpet to show off its re-envisioned business school.
The business school has been known as the Krannert School of Management since Herman and Elnora Krannert gave the university a generous endowment of $2.7 million for graduate programs in 1962. But surprisingly, this has never been the school's official name.
For the first time, Purdue's business school will have an official name: the Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. School of Business, named after the university's 12th president, former Indiana Governor and President Emeritus Mitch Daniels.
The new dean is a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
“President Emeritus Mitch Daniels is regarded as America's most innovative university president, and his business leadership in the private sector is as outstanding as his public service. It is truly fitting and exciting to have his name endowed with this impactful growth at Purdue University,” Moon Chang, Purdue's 13th president, said in a statement on the university's website.
“With the opening of the Daniels School of Management, Purdue will have a world-class business school that will conduct even more top-notch research and prepare many of the future leaders of our technology-driven, free-market economy.”
The Daniels School is home to both the Krannert Graduate School, named in honor of Herman and Elnora Krannert, and the Bruce White Faculty, named for the recently deceased Bruce White. White was a former member of Purdue's Board of Trustees and a longtime supporter of the university, whose White Family Foundation donated $50 million to the university.
The Daniels School welcomes its new dean, Jim Bullard, a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis who will formally take the helm of the school this fall. “He's a fantastic new hire. He's the longest-serving president of the Federal Reserve Bank and one of the most influential leaders in the country. He's also a truly innovative and deep thinker and a brilliant scholar and economist,” Chiang says.
Image source: Purdue University. Website: https://business.purdue.edu/about/excellence-at-scale.php
Growing the community and strengthening the curriculum
The Daniels School of Business seeks to enroll students who value creativity, have a deep understanding of technology and aspire to lead and inspire others with their strength and determination, the school said in a news release.
The Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. School of Business has declared its commitment to providing a solid core curriculum that is naturally relevant to the ever-changing business environment. The business school's courses are STEM-focused, recognizing how important it is to equip students with the relevant skills needed to analyze data and use it to effectively guide business decisions.
The business school hopes to double its enrollment when it reopens and significantly increase undergraduate enrollment, which has already increased by 33% since 2019. The Daniels School also plans to increase its faculty by 50% and double the size of its facilities through additions and renovations.
Inside Purdue Omba
For those looking for a little more flexibility outside of traditional on-campus learning, the Daniels School's Online MBA program is a great option. Similar to face-to-face learning, Purdue OMBA students learn analysis, strategy, and problem-solving that are essential to leadership. The program is 48 credits and 16 hours of electives. There are three start dates per year and it can be completed over two years. Students can learn at their own pace. Although it's an online MBA, there are plenty of opportunities to connect with peers from different disciplines and cultures. The program is currently accepting 45 students for Spring 2023, 18 for Summer 2023, and 41 for Fall 2023.
“The online MBA coursework has had immediate application in my daily life, and it's great to see what I've learned in class being applied to my work,” OMBA Meredith Simmons said on Purdue's website.
OMBA students also receive personal support from student success coaches and dedicated staff and faculty who hold virtual sessions and office hours. Even in a virtual world, students remain part of the Purdue family and connect with a community of students, faculty and alumni from more than 135 countries.
As for specializations, there are four options that are core to Purdue's identity as a STEM-focused university: Business Analytics, Innovation and Technology Commercialization, Global Supply Chain Management, and Leadership, Negotiation, and Change Management. Purdue's OMBA is currently focusing on a featured course, “Frontiers in the C-Suite,” an elective taught by top industry professionals that gives students a glimpse into the world of the C-Suite. Students get an inside look at what it's like to run an organization locally and globally.
