Purdue University Polytechnic Institute receives $10 million gift

Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute will rename its School of Construction Management Technology to the Bowen School of Construction following a significant $10 million gift from the Bowen family. The university’s Board of Trustees approved the name change on Friday, December 12, 2025. In addition to the name change, the funding will allow for the expansion of the construction program, faculty recruitment, lab space and equipment upgrades, as well as the establishment of the Bowen School of Construction Endowment.

According to an article on Purdue University’s website, Mark Zimpfer, who serves as the head of the Bowen School of Construction, was quoted as saying of these changes, “The construction industry is changing rapidly, and our programs must change with it. This gift allows us to deepen our partnerships with industry, expand real-world learning experiences for students and ensure our curriculum reflects current and emerging practices. It is a transformational investment in our students, faculty and future workforce. We are grateful, humbled and energized.”

The Bowen family acknowledged Zimpfer, saying, “Mark, you’ve been a huge part of this, and I want to personally thank you for all your efforts to help us get this first big phase completed. Now the fun really starts. It’ll be exciting to see how we can help scale and grow one of the best programs in the world.”

Robert L. Bowen, Terry L. Bowen, Doug Bowen III, and Julie Bowen came together to make this gift for the university. Bob Bowen, who is an alumnus of Purdue University, received his degree in civil engineering in 1962 and went on to found Bowen Engineering in 1967. His son, Doug, also a Purdue University alumnus, is now the president and CEO of the company. 

The Bowen family provided the university with this gift in order to help bolster the construction workforce in Indianapolis and in West Lafayette, expand construction education, and create strong industry partnerships. Among the initiatives and improvements that will utilize the Bowen family’s gift are the purchasing of new lab equipment and software, establishing enhanced experiential learning activities, hiring a professor of practice with significant industry experience, and enhancing the construction programs’ curriculum. Additionally, the gift will establish the Bowen School of Construction Endowment, which will support a variety of initiatives like site visits, fieldwork, student competitions, study abroad opportunities, faculty industry externships, and internship coordination.

Daniel Castro, the dean of the Polytechnic Institute, said, “This investment directly supports what Purdue Polytechnic does best: preparing students to be industry ready Day 1. Through hands-on learning, deep industry partnerships and applied research, our construction management students graduate with the skills, experience and confidence employers are looking for. We appreciate the Bowen family’s commitment to accelerate that mission and expands our impact in Indianapolis and beyond.”

For more information about Purdue University, visit the school’s website.