About Us
Diversity Leadership Team
Patrick J. Wolfe, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity
Prior to his current role as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity, Wolfe served Purdue as the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science and the Miller Family Professor of Statistics and Computer Science with faculty appointments in electrical and computer engineering
A native of the Midwest, Patrick J. Wolfe is a 1998 graduate of the University of Illinois with degrees in electrical engineering and music and holds a 2003 doctorate from the University of Cambridge.
Provost Wolfe specializes in the mathematical foundations of data science.
After teaching at Cambridge and Harvard, he joined the faculty of University College London (UCL) in 2012, where he became the founding executive director of its Big Data Institute. He is currently a trustee and non-executive director of the Alan Turing Institute, the United Kingdom’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence.
He has received research awards from the Royal Society, the Acoustical Society of America, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He was named the inaugural IEEE Distinguished Lecturer in Data Science.
A past recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the White House while at Harvard, Provost Wolfe provides expert advice on applications of data science to a range of national and international entities and organizations.
John F. Gates, PhD
Vice Provost for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
John Gates joined Purdue University in early 2019 and serves as the Vice Provost for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, and as a clinical professor in the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business.
Prior to his appointment at Purdue, Gates had served as the inaugural associate dean in the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. He was responsible for diversity, inclusion and engagement strategy. He also provided leadership in the recruitment and retention of faculty and graduate students from underrepresented minorities and guidance for diversity in curriculum development and programming.
Other prior academic posts include serving as associate dean for administration and finance at Harvard College, Harvard University and special assistant to the president and provost at the University of Vermont, where he focused on strategic initiatives, change management and diversity. He also held a series of positions with increasing responsibility at New York University, culminating with his role as executive director of global operations.
Gates also launched and led his own consulting firm, Criticality Management Consulting, where he advised corporate clients on a range of workforce issues.
A native of Gary, Indiana, Gates received a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s degree from New York University and a Ph.D. from the University of London.
