Martin Jischke: Interview with Purdue University's president on the school's $100 million discovery park and more.

• Position: CEO Profile

Martin Jischke became Purdue University's 10th president in August 2000 and quickly made an impression on the university and the Indiana business community. He set fund-raising records as president of Iowa State University and has embarked on the most ambitious capital campaign in Purdue history. He sat down with Gerry Dick to discuss his lofty vision for Purdue and how the university will play a key role in the future of the Indiana economy.

Gerry Dick: President Jischke, this is really a far-reaching, comprehensive vision, perhaps the boldest strategic plan ever adopted at Purdue University. What is the goal?

Martin Jischke: This culminates three years' worth of work at the university, particularly an intensive amount of work this last year. We want to be a pre-eminent university. We want to get better in everything we do. We particularly want to clear our strengths in basic and applied sciences and engineering, and we want to be more engaged, especially here in Indiana. The implications for Indiana are pretty profound. It is not only about giving students a better education. They are the primary beneficiaries. But the state of Indiana is directly a beneficiary of this plan. And we are going to be expanding, building our research capacities, and doing that in a way that aligns with what people in Indiana say are the big opportunities in the future: advanced manufacturing, life sciences, information technology, entrepreneurship. And we want to play a bigger role in economic development. And we think the university is a decisive player. We want to produce more of these very, very well-educated, technology-rich gradu ates. We want to place more of them here in Indiana. We want to use the university's capacities, research and otherwise, to help existing businesses grow and prosper, and we want to use that research to build new enterprises here in Indiana so that Indiana's economy continues to diversify, continues to build on the rich technology base that we have at Purdue.

Gerry Dick: How is Purdue uniquely positioned to do those kinds of things?

Martin Jischke: I'm biased now. You have to understand that I feel very strongly about Purdue as a university and its capacities. I think we have incredible opportunity as a university to play a unique role here in Indiana. Not alone. Others have to play in this, other universities have much to contribute, but in a partnership with the private sector and government, I believe Purdue particularly has...