The Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce held its September Membership Luncheon on Tuesday at Innsbrook Country Club in Merrillville. Chamber members were treated to a delicious lunch as they gathered to network, connect with new members, and listen to a great update by Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon.
Crossroads Chamber President and CEO Sue Reed was at the door greeting members as they walked in to take their seats.
“Today we have about 140 people here with us,” said Reed. “They have an opportunity to reacquaint with some of the members that they’re already familiar with and have a chance to meet our newest members.”
Reed was excited to have a Chancellor Keon speaking at the event to share an update about Purdue Northwest.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for everybody to learn,” said Reed, “Hearing what the future is for Purdue Northwest will be great.”
The businesses and organizations among the chamber's membership were excited to hear the update because many of the university's future graduates will be joining the Northwest Indiana workforce in the near future.
“Purdue Northwest has a lot of high-quality programs,” said Reed. "They are helping provide a skilled workforce for the membership that we represent. By hearing Chancellor Keon today, they get to learn more about the programs and offerings, and how that supports the economy, attracts new businesses to the area, as well as retaining the workforce we have.”
Chancellor Keon took to the stage after the members’ networking session to demonstrate the great new programs and developments happening at both the Westville and Hammond Campuses. Recent additions include new buildings being constructed and the university’s athletics program distinction as a NCAA Division II school. Chancellor Keon also showed that the school has grown from two smaller campuses to the fifth-largest university in the state, with a high percentage of young, full-time students.
"One of the things we want you to leave with today is how unique and different we are from any time in the past," said Keon, who highlighted the success of Purdue University Northwest's Engineering and Business Programs, which are ranked 26th and 151st, respectively, in a recent edition of U.S. News & World Report.
“We were never in the rankings before but in our first year as Purdue University Northwest we’ve made it into a group that’s between 125 and 165,” Keon said. “You’ll see that we’re making enormous progress. In particular, among all engineering universities that were accredited and that do not offer an engineering doctoral degree, we’re ranked 26th in the nation.”
"Keeping in mind that there are 5,000 business schools in the United States, if you look at number 151 you'll see that there are 10 universities that are ranked at that level as tied," added Keon. "So we’re tied with Ball State, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri St. Louis, Kent State, and several others. We are very excited about the future of Purdue University Northwest and we want you to know we’re here to serve Northwest Indiana."
To get out into the community and build new bridges and connections for the university with the Crossroads Chamber represented a couple great reasons for Chancellor Keon to give Tuesday's update.
“There are several positive aspects to [doing events like this,]” said Keon. “One is to let people know who we are and what we’re about, but two is to build relationships with the business community - particularly at the chamber - because so many of our students get engaged with some sort of practical application during their education. Frequently, that comes in the form of being an intern or doing some other work for a business.”
For more information on the events and programs offered by Purdue University Northwest, click here.