Three international conferences this month at Purdue University will focus on innovative concepts for air conditioning, refrigeration and high-performance buildings. More than 700 people are expected to attend the 15th International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference, the 22nd International Compressor Engineering Conference and the third International High Performance Buildings Conference from July 14-17.

Professor Rebecca Kramer and her students are working to develop a fabrication technique that might be used to produce "soft machines" made of elastic materials and liquid metals for potential applications in robotics, medical devices and consumer electronics.

A group of Purdue University engineering and technology students won kudos in a competition to convert an ordinary sedan into an ultra-efficient hybrid-electric vehicle.

A Purdue engineering alumnus and longtime university supporter hopes to inspire others with his gift to the School of Mechanical Engineering and the nation's largest university propulsion laboratory.

Charles Krousgrill and Jeffrey Rhoads, who developed a new approach to more effectively teach large numbers of engineering students are recommending that the approach be considered for adoption by universities globally. The system, called the Purdue Mechanics Freeform Classroom, allows students to interact with each other and faculty online while accessing hundreds of instructional videos and animations.