Purdue Day of Giving Gift Establishes a New Endowment for the EAPS Department

04-27-2018

The Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences is excited to announce that a new award has been established in honor of EAPS faculty member Dr. Jay Melosh. 

Lee Harwell Jr., Elise Klein, and their daughter, Megan Harwell, a current Physics and Planetary Sciences student, have established The H. Jay Melosh Planetary Science Engagement Fund.  The endowment will aid both undergraduate and graduate students with their expenses in attending academic conferences. 

Dr. Melosh came to Purdue University as a University Distinguished Professor in 2009 from the University of Arizona.  His research focuses on the ramifications of impact cratering, planetary tectonics, and the physics of earthquakes and landslides.  He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2003. 

“I am both honored and humbled to have this donation named after me,” Dr. Melosh said.  “Undergraduate students are the lifeblood of our department and it is essential that, in a first-class research department, our students have the opportunity to engage with other researchers both in our nation and abroad.  This generous gift will ensure that our talented undergraduates will be able to make their work known to the broader world outside Purdue.”

The Department cannot thank Elise, Lee, and Megan enough for their generosity and their vision in establishing this endowment.  This engagement fund will open doors to a number of opportunities to both EAPS undergraduate and graduate students.  The experience they will gain at an academic conference will prepare them for greater success as they go on to pursue their careers in science.