Purdue announces plans to climb computer science rankings
Purdue University announced plans Friday to significantly expand its computing faculty and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in semiconductor and AI-powered robotics research.
The campaign, called Purdue Computes, aims to propel the university’s computer science department to a “top 10 national ranking before the end of this decade,” according to a university press release.
Purdue plans to add 50 new faculty members to its computer science and computer engineering departments over the next five years, as well as 50 new faculty with expertise in AI, robotics and manufacturing to support a new Institute of Physical AI, to be launched this fall.
Purdue also plans to invest $100 million in new equipment and facilities to support semiconductor R&D, upgrading the 20-year old Birck Nanotechnology Center.
Purdue is currently searching for its next computer science head, who will take a “strong and growing department to the very top ranks.”
The university’s graduate and undergraduate computer science programs are currently ranked 20th and 16th respectively in the latest U.S. News and Reports ranking.
“Purdue has generated enormous upward momentum while simultaneously tripling its undergraduate enrollments in computer science,” Patrick Wolfe, Purdue’s provost, said in a press release. “With additional investment and a focus on exceptionally high-quality faculty, this momentum will accelerate further.”
