Purdue Industrial Engineering history and contributions:


IE emerging from the School of Practical Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, and the Department of General Engineering.


Lillian Gilbreth became the first female engineering professor at Purdue. Lillian and her husband Frank Gilbreth contributed to the IE profession as pioneers in motion study and human factors.


School of Industrial Engineering and Management is founded at Purdue.


First industrial engineering bachelor program is established at Purdue.


First industrial engineering graduate program is created at Purdue.


The School of Industrial Engineering is founded. New building from Heavilon Hall to Grissom Hall. The entire IE program is established in this building.


Purdue IE made international impact through the research on manufacturing with working computer-aided process planning.


Professor Alan Pritsker led IE Purdue to the “Golden Age of Simulation” with several books and papers in computer Monte Carlo simulation.


The Computer Integrated Design, Manufacturing, and Automation Center is created achieving IE Purdue prestige in computer manufacturing.


IE School Director James Solberg fosters new research in Intelligent Manufacturing System through a $17.5 million over five years and $80 million over the program life time NSF funding. Purdue in the late 80’s began its impact on Health Care such as Professor Alan Pritsker contribution the United Network of Organ Sharing.


IE Purdue second largest enrollment in the nation.


U.S. News rank IE Purdue as #2 in the nation remaining on the Top of the Academic programs in the following years.


Purdue continues its impact in academic and research in many areas such as manufacturing, operations research, human factors, and production system.


IE Purdue is addressing the world’s most important problems. IE rethink philosophy is propelling IE Purdue to be at the frontier of our career, developing new concepts and solutions in health care, system of systems, advanced manufacturing, energy, global sustainability, and information technology.

Rethink IE

How Purdue IE is making an impact today and creating a new future