A top ISU administrator will leave Ames at the end of February to work under former ISU President Martin Jischke in the executive office at Purdue University.Rab Mukerjea, assistant to the president for budget analysis and planning, will reunite with Jischke, president of Purdue, in West Lafayette, Ind., March 1.Mukerjea said he will work closely with Jischke as the director of strategic planning and assessment, where his duties will be similar to his work at Iowa State.”It’s working with President Jischke and several areas of the university on the development of the strategic plan,” he said. “Assessment involves developing a method for measuring progress, which every institution has its own way of doing.”Mukerjea said he looks forward to working with Jischke again, as well as taking on a new challenge.”It’s a challenging position, and it’s an honor to be selected for this position,” he said. “I always admired [Jischke’s] leadership, and I believe we worked well together. I look forward to that opportunity again.”Jischke said he also is excited about the new addition to his staff.”We had an absolutely wonderful working relationship,” he said. “I admire his ability, his talents and his terrific work ethic. He is a person of the highest integrity, and a person on whom I relied heavily at Iowa State.”Mukerjea came to Iowa State in 1969 as a faculty member in architecture. He held positions as assistant dean and interim dean of the College of Design before he moved to the president’s office in 1995.Interim President Richard Seagrave said Mukerjea’s contributions will be missed at Iowa State.”He’s been a very valuable and crucial member of the president’s staff, as he’s been responsible for strategic planning and budget management,” he said. “He’s one of those rare types of people who’s extremely good at the details while keeping the big picture in focus.”The open position at Purdue was nationally advertised, and Jischke said Mukerjea’s qualifications were “far and away superior to any other candidate.””[Mukerjea] has enormous experience, both as a member of the university’s academic community and with his use of strategic planning to improve the university,” Jischke said.As he wraps up his final months at Iowa State, Mukerjea said his 30 years as an ISU faculty member and administrator are laced with fond memories.”I had a long and rewarding career at Iowa State,” he said. “I will miss a lot of the people I have met, and I would like to maintain contact with the university.”