R. Neal Houze

2010 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee

Career Highlights

- PhD 1968, University of Houston
- MS 1966, University of Houston
- BS 1960, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Professor of Chemical Engineering
- Cooperative Education Faculty Coordinator in the School of Chemical Engineering (1973-1982)
- Director of the Purdue University Cooperative Education Program (1982-2002)
- Cooperative Education Faculty Coordinator in the School of Chemical Engineering (2005-2007)

Biography

Cooperative Education at Purdue University evolved under the guidance of Neal Houze, who served the program for 34 years. After earning his PhD from the University of Houston, Dr. Houze joined the Purdue faculty in 1969 and continues to serve as a professor in the School of Chemical Engineering. He was coordinator of the co-op Program in the School of Chemical Engineering as recently as 2007.

Professor Houze first became involved with the co-op Program in 1973 when he began a 10-year stint as coordinator of the co-op Program in the School of Chemical Engineering. In 1982, he was named Director of the co-op Program or the Schools of Engineering, and in 1984 Professor Houze was named Director of Purdue University’s Cooperative Education Program. In this position, he influenced and impacted thousands of students and cultivated relationships with just as many corporate partners.

In 1989, Professor Houze was honored with the Alvah K. Borman Award by the Cooperative Education Division of the American Society for Engineering Education. He has played a prominent role in cooperative education at the national level, serving as chairman (1984-85), archivist (1986-2002), executive board member (1993-2002) and awards committee chair (1995-2002) of the Cooperative Education Division of the American Society for Engineering Education. Professor Houze also served as the founder, organizer and moderator of the Cooperative Education Leadership Forum from 1987 through 1996, and he has either authored or co-authored numerous published papers on the subject of cooperative education.

In his positions of leadership, Professor Houze worked tirelessly to strengthen the academic integrity of the co-op Program and helped employers develop quality opportunities for his students, encouraging all students to pursue the career-related work experiences that the program continues to make available to this day.