WEST LAFAYETTE — Arvind Raman, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering at Purdue University, on May 18, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and also will serve as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
With Raman’s departure to begin his new role, Mark Lundstrom, chief semiconductor officer and Purdue’s Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been appointed as the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering. Both appointments take effect Monday (June 1).
“We are grateful not only for Arvind’s dedicated leadership of the College of Engineering but also for his commitment to public service,” Purdue Provost Patrick Wolfe said. “We are also thrilled to welcome Mark back for a return appearance as dean.”
Lundstrom previously served as acting dean of engineering from December 2019 to December 2020 and interim dean from July 2022 to February 2023. He earlier served as assistant dean from 1991 to 1994. He is expected to serve as dean until a permanent dean is selected following a national search. The search is expected to commence shortly after a new president is selected by the Purdue Board of Trustees.
Lundstrom, who has been at Purdue since 1980, is a life fellow of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received several awards for his teaching, research and outreach and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2024, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb awarded Lundstrom a Sagamore of the Wabash for his contributions to semiconductors in Indiana.
Raman was named dean in February 2023. Under his leadership, Purdue now grants more engineering degrees annually than any other university; leads in market demand, receiving more applications for engineering majors than any other university; and has reduced the average time to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in engineering to below four years for the first time in the college’s history. Purdue Engineering’s U.S. News & World Report rankings for research and graduate education rose to the top four in the country in 2026 out of nearly 200 ranked engineering colleges, continuously rising in the past three years, and its U.S. News rankings for online MS programs are No. 1 in all the ranked engineering specialties for the first time. The college had record-breaking research expenditures and philanthropic dollars raised under Raman’s leadership.
The College of Engineering’s Vision 2030, which Raman introduced, has Purdue primed to become the most consequential engineering college in the country — as the largest producer of best-prepared engineering talent, establishing preeminence in research impact and partnering to significantly advance the state of Indiana and the nation. The college continues to expand its leadership in tackling top challenges in wide-ranging areas that encompass semiconductors, AI, manufacturing, health, and space.
Raman will follow a distinguished line of Purdue faculty, administrators and alumni who have been called to public service as secretaries, undersecretaries or directors of national agencies, including Elwood Mead (Bureau of Reclamation); Earl Butz, Ted McKinney and Claude Wickard (Department of Agriculture); Rita Colwell (National Science Foundation, NSF); Arden Bement Jr. (NIST and NSF); France A. Córdova (NSF); and Keith Krach (Department of State).
As one of the nation’s longest-running physical science laboratories, NIST conducts research and standards development activities that support innovation in a wide array of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and biotechnology.
