Robert "Bob" Davis

2014 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee

Education

B.S. '68, Chemical Engineering, Purdue University
MBA '74, University of Chicago

Professional Career

Davis began his professional career in 1968 as a field engineer with the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company. After earning his MBA with honors, he started a career with Air Products and Chemicals as a sales engineer. Over the next 33 years he rose through the ranks to direct several cutting-edge businesses while maintaining close recruiting and advising relationships with Purdue.

In 2007, Davis retired from Air Products and Chemicals to become the Assistant Head of the School of Engineering Education at Purdue, and later the General Manager of Purdue Engineering Consulting, LLC (Now the Purdue Enterprise Company, LLC). During his tenure at Purdue, he has instigated many changes to improve student services, increase course offerings, and help to build stronger faculty-industry relationships.

Davis now serves as Managing Director of the Purdue Enterprise Company, LLC and the Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship at Purdue.

Co-op Advocate

Throughout his career, Davis has been a strong advocate for experiential education and the industry-academia interface. He has worked closely with faculty and administration to revise programs and create strategic plans, as well as mentored and recruited countless students to pursue opportunities that apply their education in real-world environments.