 2019 featured Purdue's year-long celebration of its sesquicentennial, highlighting 150 years of giant leaps. The problem is, relativity theory and quantum don't reconcile very well. The centerpiece of the year-long celebration was the Ideas Festival, a series of public events addressing some of the world's biggest issues and opportunities. Renowned speakers included Condoleezza Rice, Dan Coates, Walter Isaacson, Gene Krantz, Steve Wozniak and Purdue alumnus Chesley Sully Sullenberger. Purdue marked another major milestone during the sesquicentennial, the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's historic 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. Globally and locally Purdue was in the spotlight, including at Exploration Acres, the southwest Indiana's largest corn maze. Innovations by Purdue researchers were highlighted as part of the 150th celebration, including these specially designed space pants, which reduce pain suffered by those with peripheral artery disease. Adapted from one's original use by astronauts, these pants aim to reduce leg pain through peak therapy. The Purdue Engineering Initiative is just lunar spice. As part of its goal to deliver solutions to the toughest challenges, Purdue announced creation of the CIS Lunar Initiative to boost economic prospects involving the Earth and the Moon. Purdue was cited for its excellence in creating new businesses by being ranked the number six institution globally for startup companies by the Wall Street Journal. Leaping enrollment again pushed the student population to record levels, and the academic credentials of the 8,000 incoming students rose once again from previous years. More than 7,000 incoming students jumped into their Boilermaker experience as part of the Boiler Gold Rush and Boiler Gold Rush International Orientation Programs. The All-American marching band celebrated its 100th appearance at the Indianapolis 500 with its signature rendition of Back Home Again in Indiana. The Black Cultural Center's Purdue Express helped the BCC celebrate its 50th anniversary, which was capped by a cultural arts festival. Fostering access, the Purdue Board of Trustees added an eighth year to the tuition freeze that began in 2012. The Wall Street Journal ranked Purdue as the nation's seventh best value public university. The campus continues to grow and modernize as the trustees approved construction of a $40 million Purdue Data Science Building. The funding will come entirely from private donations. The College of Veterinary Medicine will be building a $108 million veterinary teaching hospital, which will include larger state-of-the-art facilities and services than the current hospital. This is exactly the sort of investment we hoped and dreamed for. Collaboration between Purdue and the Sweden-based SOB Global Defense and Security Company has resulted in SOB's plans to open a $37 million facility in Purdue's new aerospace district. I'm talking about the collaboration between our two largest principal STEM colleges. A partnership with the Lilly Endowment resulted in a $40 million grant for the Purdue Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Complex. This $140 million project will boost space for Purdue's STEM students. Two new buildings will connect project-based collaborative opportunities. The nuclear reactor under Purdue's Engineering Mall now features digital technology, making it the first such reactor in the United States. This will result in transformative nuclear engineering education and will be used to test the strengths and vulnerabilities of the new technology. Another partnership between Purdue and Harley-Davidson brought a new experience for longtime motorcyclist President Mitch Daniels. He and company executives test drove new, all-electric motorcycles. Harley-Davidson officials also used the visit to recruit students for internships and career opportunities. Purdue men's basketball fell just short of its first Final Four appearance since 1980, but a robot designed by the Purdue robotics team did make it to the Final Four in the Bot Shot competition. Purdue's robot and those from three other schools competed in an old-fashioned game of course. Back to the men's team, they clinched a share of the regular season Big Ten Championship, the boiler's 24th title and the most in Big Ten history. Coach Matt Painter was named national coach of the year and Big Ten coach of the year. In the NCAA tourney, Purdue lost to eventual champion Virginia in overtime 80 to 75. The boilers avenged that loss nine months later at Mackie, burying the Cavaliers 69 to 40. The football team never recovered from a slew of key injuries. The boilers were forced to use 30 first-year players, including 13 who started at least once. They finished with four wins and eight losses. In the future, the fan experience will get an upgrade with the addition of a new, larger video board. It will be more than four times the size of the old one. It's tourney time in Texas! Purdue volleyball made it to the sweet 16, but lost to number one seed Baylor in four sets. Junior Katelyn Newton put down a match high 19 kills in the effort. It's Brendan Johnson celebrating! The third time was a charm for a brand-free winner Brendan Johnson from the Motorsports Club of IUPUI. After finishing second twice, Johnson won Purdue's 60-second running of the greatest spectacle in college racing. For the second year in a row, Purdue University Motorsports showcased driverless autonomous go-karts as part of the EV Grand Prix on a makeshift track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Just in time for commencement, another small step to transform the campus took place with the opening of a new gateway near the Memorial Union. This is one of several new gateways outlined in Purdue's 50-year master plan. During six West Lafayette Spring commencement ceremonies, more than 7,100 students launched their journey to careers to build a better world. Homecoming weekend saw another ceremony with a successful conclusion to Purdue's largest-ever fundraising campaign, EverTrue. The seven-year effort resulted in nearly $210,000, giving more than $2.5 billion, half a billion above the initial goal. More fundraising records were shattered with $41.5 million raised during the sixth Purdue Day of Giving and more than half a billion dollars generated for Purdue research. Purdue's 150th celebration culminated with a bang with many of the 26 Purdue astronaut alumni returning to campus to a hero's welcome during homecoming. The Christmas season at Purdue wouldn't be complete without the annual Purdue Musical Organization Christmas Show. This was the 86th season for this magical musical event.