Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Libraries professor’s learning community brings students, faculty, and executives together for an immersive learning experience

February 7th, 2025

On January 30, Libraries Associate Professor Michael Witt, alongside Engineering Education Professor Sean Brophy, and their Engineering in the World of Data learning community enjoyed a discussion with Will Sheley, Purdue alumnus and former senior vice president of Visa and JPMorgan, as part of the Executive in Residence (EiR) program. This program is part of Residence Academic Initiatives, a subset of University Residences. 

The Engineering in the World of Data learning community, now in its eighth year, offers a unique opportunity for 100 first-year engineering students and faculty to live together in Shreve Hall and take five courses as a cohort. The EiR program invites prominent executives and Purdue alumni to live on campus for a week. Students interact with executives in various mentorship settings, enabling executives to give back to their alma mater and forge meaningful professional connections with students.

Witt meets with the executives before their discussion with his learning community to craft scenario-based learning opportunities for his students. At this session, Sheley gave a chalk talk and engaged in a corporate earnings challenge involving the students picking an industry—operating at a $10 billion a year revenue scale—and having them identify opportunities to increase earnings by 17 percent next year. Data was provided as an example from one of the companies where Sheley previously worked. After the session ended, Witt, Sheley, and the students enjoyed an informal dinner at Wiley Dining Court. 

About the program

Witt carefully selects the most relevant executives for each session from a list provided to him each semester. He then meets with the incoming executive to collaborate on learning outcomes and scenario-based learning, typically as a challenge for his students based on their professional practice and experience. He assigns two students to host the executive, participate in the call, meet the executive when they arrive on campus, and escort them to other parts of their itinerary.

“The learning objectives are customized for each executive, but I always prompt them to talk about their leadership style and give examples of it. Then, I always ask students to reflect on their own ideas about what their style may be, compare it with the executive’s, and ask questions,” Witt said. This process empowers students to recognize and develop their own leadership styles, fostering personal growth and confidence.

Witt selects 12–20 students from his learning community to participate in each session. After introductions, students are split into gold and black teams. The executive then presents the scenario, and the teams work together to address it and pitch their solutions to the executive, gaining feedback and eventually learning how the problem was solved in the executive’s career. At the conclusion, the session adjourns for an informal dinner, providing a relaxed setting for students to network and build connections.

Witt has hosted other sessions this year with a diverse range of executives, including NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, AT&T’s former distinguished network architect Margaret Chiosi, and Accenture’s managing director of the communications and media industry in the northeast market unit Todd Montabana.

Visit the EiR website to learn more about Will Sheley, and follow the learning community’s Instagram to stay updated on their latest activities.