Birck Builds the Future: Celebrating Twenty Years at Purdue University, 2005–2025(Founders Series)

Birck Builds the Future: Celebrating Twenty Years at Purdue University, 2005–2025 commemorates the vision, innovation, and enduring impact of the Birck Nanotechnology Center. This richly detailed volume traces Birck's journey from a bold idea—sparked by the urgent need for state-of-the-art facilities to support cutting-edge nanoscale research—to its emergence as a global leader in semiconductors and quantum research. The book highlights the center's founding under Purdue's then-president Martin Jischke and its role as the anchor of Discovery Park, a hub designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the fields of engineering, science, pharmacy, and agriculture. Featuring contributions from early visionaries, faculty, staff, and students, the narrative blends personal reflections, historical milestones, and technological breakthroughs. It also chronicles the tenures of Birck's five directors—Jim Cooper, Richard Schwartz, Tim Sands, Ali Shakouri, and Zhihong Chen—capturing how each leader shaped the center's evolution. Replete with vivid photographs and architectural insights, the book celebrates two decades of transformative research, education, and industry partnership. As Birck enters its third decade—propelled by a $100 million renovation supported by the Purdue Board of Trustees, Purdue President Mung Chiang, Lilly Endowment Inc., and CHIPS Act funding—it stands as a cornerstone of the university's innovation ecosystem, preparing the next generation of researchers and shaping the future of nanotechnology.

About the Author :
Zhihong Chen is the Reilly Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University and the Mary Jo and Robert L. Kirk Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center. Prior to joining Purdue in 2010, she was a research staff member and manager at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. Her research focuses on novel materials and devices for beyond-CMOS technologies. An IEEE Fellow, she is recognized for her contributions to the understanding and applications of low-dimensional nanomaterials. She has contributed extensively to the IEEE community through her leadership roles in major conferences, service on the editorial boards of leading journals, and as chair and member of award committees. She also directed a multiuniversity research center on two-dimensional materials and devices funded by NIST and the Semiconductor Research Corporation. Chen has published ninety-seven journal articles and sixty conference papers, holds thirteen U.S. patents, and her work has been cited more than 20,100 times in professional publications. Angie Lipp Klink has authored fifteen books, several about the history and people of Purdue University, including Purdue's Female Founders: The Untold History of Trailblazing Women Faculty and The Deans' Bible: Five Purdue Women and Their Quest for Equality. She is an independent scholar, essayist, scriptwriter, and advertising copywriter. Klink has written for the American Writers Museum, Ms. magazine, and Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History magazine. She has received sixty-one American Advertising Federation ADDY Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement honor. Klink is a recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in Historic Preservation Medal, the organization's most prestigious award honoring historic preservation and the commitment to research and writing. A proud alumna, Klink holds a BA in communication from Purdue University. Learn more at www.angieklink.com.