Theresa C. Carter

Theresa Carter was appointed to the Board of Trustees in July 2020. She is a distinguished military graduate of Purdue’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program and went on to serve 31 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, retiring at the rank of Major General in 2016. She currently leads TC3 Solutions LLC, an independent consulting practice providing strategic leadership and management advisory services to the Department of Defense and corporate clients.

During her Air Force career, Carter commanded a squadron, group, two wings and a center. She culminated her career by leading the Air Force’s largest/most complex reorganization since 1992, consolidating installation support activities at ten intermediate commands and creating the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center where she served as its first commander. She was the first female civil engineering officer promoted to brigadier general and first to serve as the Air Force Civil Engineer, the career field’s highest-ranking officer.

Carter was named a Distinguished Engineering Alumna by the Purdue College of Engineering in 2013, inducted into the Purdue ROTC Hall of Fame in 2011 and earned the School of Industrial Engineering’s Outstanding Industrial Engineer award in 2010. She has also served on Purdue’s Industrial Engineering Advisory Council and the Board of Directors for the Purdue Alumni Association and previously served on the Board of Advisors for United Water Federal Services. She returns to campus frequently to speak with engineering and AFROTC students and served as the commencement speaker for Purdue’s 2018 Winter Commencement ceremonies.

Carter earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering (BSIE) from Purdue in 1985. She also holds a Master of Science (Industrial Engineering) from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Science (National Resource Strategy) from National Defense University and is a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) Candidate at Drexel University with anticipated completion in 2021. In addition, she is licensed as a professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.