About
At Purdue’s College of Education, we prepare teachers who know their subject matter, understand the myriad ways students learn, and have the skill to help them succeed. Our close-knit community of faculty, staff, and students offers a small college experience with all the perks of a Big Ten environment.
We are thought-leaders with a commitment to rigorous programs and ground-breaking research. We are committed to the education of all.
We are Boilermaker Educators!
For John Purdue, education was the flame that lit the world.
That’s a lofty vision, yet one that equitable access to education can make possible. Through our research, scholarship, and teacher preparation, we work to effect positive change and transform the lives of learners of all ages and ability in a variety on contexts both formal and informal. We support Purdue University’s land grant mission in many ways. For example, providing free consulting help to Indiana school corporations through our involvement in the University Search Team. For over 115 years, we have seen that vision become reality – and realize that even as much is accomplished, there remains much to do.
May 21, 2026
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May 20, 2026
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May 18, 2026
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In 1907, the Indiana legislature adopted a teacher-training law, and acting Purdue President Winthrop E. Stone told the Board of Trustees in 1907, “it is recommended that provision be made for the preparation of such teachers at Purdue University. . . .” The board agreed, and the Department of Education at Purdue was born.
In 1908, George L. Roberts was appointed the sole faculty member and department head of Education in the School of Science. He introduced the first five courses in 1909 and the first bachelor’s degree followed in 1910. By 1918, the curricula included 21 classes and by 1920, the faculty had grown to seven. The department first offered graduate courses in 1929 with the first master’s degree awarded in 1930 and the first doctoral degree in 1939.
In 1989, Education stepped into its own, bidding farewell to its home of 26 years—the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education—to become the School of Education. Purdue University President Steven C. Beering noted, “Creating a separate School of Education underscored Purdue University’s long-standing commitment to the education of teachers—those dedicated men and women who have a profound impact on the young people of today, the leaders of tomorrow.”
The old Education Building was razed in 1990 and replaced two years later with a building that housed the administrative offices of both Education and Liberal Arts, later named Steven C. Beering Hall in honor of Purdue’s ninth president, Steven C. Beering.
In 2005, in alignment with a new university policy, the School of Education became the College of Education.
Phillip J. VanFossen becomes interim dean of the College and coins the phrase “Purdue’s College of Education is ‘quinoa’ in a field of wheat.” The College adopts the tagline, “A small college experience in a Big Ten Environment” and calls its students “Boilermaker Educators.” In April 2026 VanFossen is named Suzi & Dale Gallagher Dean of Education and continues his strong leadership.
1989-1991
1991 – 2001
2001-2003
Interim Dean
2003 – 2007
2007-2009
Interim Dean
2009 – 2018
2018-2022
2026-present
2022-2026
Interim Dean
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