Purdue Applied Research Institute, university host chief of naval operations

The Purdue Applied Research Institute and Purdue University hosted Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti to view up close how work aligns with her priorities for the Navy.

Purdue President Mung Chiang welcomed Franchetti, the Navy’s senior officer charged with the service’s strategic direction and operating efficiency. She met academic leadership for tours through several facilities that included the UAS Research and Test Facility for unmanned autonomous systems research, the Hypersonics and Applied Research Facility to review its additive manufacturing capabilities and wind tunnels, and the Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research for the latest on steel-composite structures. Franchetti also met with the 120 midshipmen of Purdue’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, thanking them for their choice to serve the Navy.

CNO Franchetti and her team meet with Purdue leaders, on left from bottom: Karen Plaut, executive vice president for research; Purdue President Mung Chiang; Ian Hyatt, chief of staff; and Mark Lewis president and CEO of the Purdue Applied Research Institute.**

CNO Franchetti addresses Purdue’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen.**

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Navy Lt. Alex Kraft (Purdue alum, NROTC 2019) demonstrates a naval ship simulator for CNO Franchetti. **

CNO Franchetti presents Emily Gervais, who is scheduled to graduate in 2025, with the Chief of Naval Operations Distinguished Midshipmen Graduate Award. **

**All photos courtesy of Purdue University/Kelsey Lefever