About the Hosts

The Krannert School of Management offers internationally ranked programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, executive MBA, and doctoral levels. The school is particularly known for its strength in the areas of operations management and quantitative analysis, which fits with its vision as “a premier institution for management and economics education, scholarly research, and the development of career opportunities for those interested in becoming leaders of technology-driven enterprises.”

In 2003, the Krannert School dedicated Jerry S. Rawls Hall, a privately funded, award-winning building that became the third facility in the Krannert complex. Richard A. Cosier serves as dean of the Krannert School and Leeds Professor of Management.

The James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship has as its mission to assume a leadership role in preparing the next generation of American citizens. Part of Purdue’s College of Education, the center provides programming to help educators integrate citizenship education across the K-12 curriculum.

This engagement takes the form of teacher institutes, direct student programming, curriculum development, and research –– all focused on improving citizenship education. Each year, Ackerman Center programming impacts thousands of students and hundreds of teachers across Indiana, and across the nation. Phillip J. VanFossen serves as the director of the center and as the James F. Ackerman Professor of Social Studies Education.