After completing his education in aviation technology, Mark started his business aircraft sales career as a factory marketing representative at Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas.
Orlando Ashford
Thinking big is the philosophical foundation of Orlando Ashford’s career.“I have always been attracted to big opportunities that pose significant mountains to climb,” says Orlando. “My parents always challenged me to think big and expect the best.” It isn’t a surprise that Orlando’s ultimate career aspiration is to be the head of human resources for a Fortune 100 company.
Scott Whitlock
Who knew that a guest lecturer could have so much influence on one career? When the president of Indiana Automation spoke to Scott Whitlock’s student group, the Association of Electrical Technologists (AET), Scott found a business model he was interested in pursuing. He started at Indiana Automation as an electrical engineer after graduation. His experience with automation and software eventually led him to start his own company in 1996.
Michael Pierle II
Michael Pierle has been the project executive for projects that, in all, have a construction value of more than $1 billion. Whether he is working on a new facility, a renovation, or an expansion of existing buildings, Michael’s mantra, and that of his company, is “It’s about the people.” Throughout his life, people have made the difference, especially his family. He also has counted on team members in high school sports, professors at Purdue University, co-workers, and clients at his business.
John P. McDonald
Thanks to a Commodore 64 computer, John McDonald has had an extremely successful career at IBM Corporation. Since that fateful purchase in 1984, John has been interested in a career that involves computers, and Purdue’s College of Technology offered the right mixture of business and technology to help him set a trajectory for success.
External funding for February 2014
During February 2014, the College of Technology received external funding totaling $603,307.50.
Faculty who received funding (all are principal investigators unless otherwise noted) were:
Walsh builds her way to the top
Eva Walsh, who earned a building construction management degree in 2002, shares her career path in the March/April 2014 issue of Purdue Alumnus. She was recently promoted to vice president of construction operations for Payne Family Homes in St. Louis.
"You really get to touch people's lives. You are building something that they've been dreaming of," she says.
Balloon launch creates buzz, provides experience
The latest high-altitude balloon launch by the Association of Mechanical and Electrical Technologists (AMET) placed them in the news again. The balloon traveled more than 300 miles to near Cleveland, Ohio. After several phone calls to residents in the area, the balloon was located. It arrived back at Purdue five days later, where it was opened in front of local media.
Here are the stories they posted about the launch:
Mark Stidham
Within seven years of his Purdue graduation, Mark Stidham had become a vice president for Atwood Automotive in Rockford, Illinois. While in this position, he helped the company acquire
nine product patents, including one assigned solely to him. Each successive promotion, at Atwood and beyond, has built on his early successes.
Timothy Martin
When searching for a degree program as an adult student, Tim had strict beliefs about what the curriculum should offer. He found a perfect match in the College of Technology’s computer technology program.
“Purdue offered a strong curriculum that integrated math, business, and science in the framework of solving technology problems based upon business factors,” according to Tim. Over the years his career has benefited from the skills developed in the CIT program.