Awards

President's Medal for Excellence - 1999

In Honor of Presidency at Purdue

Bloomington, Indiana

Presenter: Myles Brand

Honorary Degree - 1988

D.S.

Doctor of Science

Commencement

Indianapolis, Indiana

Presenter: Thomas Ehrlich

About Steven Beering

Dr. Steven C. Beering served as the President of Purdue University from 1983 to 2000. During his tenure Purdue saw major growth: the addition of 20 major buildings, international enrollment increased threefold, and Purdue expanded its impact on the state's economic development. He privately funded and endowed the Beering Scholarships at Purdue to cover all educational expenses for a bachelor's degree with the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees. Beering led the Vision 21 Campaign which became the largest campaign for a public Indiana university for its time, raising over $300 million.  Dr. Beering served as Dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine and Director of the Indiana University Medical Center from 1974 to 1983. Prior, he served 12 years in the Air Force where he became an adviser to the U.S. surgeon general and a medical consultant to NASA and President Eisenhower. 

Beering served several Indiana civic institutions on their boards including the Indiana State Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum, and his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, as a member of the Board of Trustees where he was later named a lifetime trustee. Beering also served as Chairman of the Purdue Research Foundation. He also continued to serve on a number of corporate boards of directors including Eli Lilly (where he was also lead outside director), ArvinMeritor, NiSource Inc, Guidant Corp., American United Life Insurance Co., and Veridian Corp.

His service continued on many national and state committees, board of directors, and educational policy making groups. He was past president of the Association of American Universities and was co-chairman of the NCAA Presidents' Commission Subcommittee on Gender Equity. He was a member of the National Academy of Science/Institute of Medicine and served on the National Science Foundation Governing Board. Until 2010, he was the Chairman of National Science Board, from 2006, and its director from 2002. He was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Royal Society of Medicine. 

Dr. Beering held B.S. and M.D. from University of Pittsburgh in 1954 and 1958, respectively. For his contributions to the state of Indiana, Beering received the 2013 Living Legend award from the Indiana Historical Society.