Press Releases :: May 11, 2007

Miller Releases Committee Report on Purdue Investigation, Requests New Results

(Washington, DC) – Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Brad Miller (D-NC) today released a letter to the President of Purdue University regarding the school’s internal investigation into allegations of research misconduct by Professor Rusi Taleyarkhan.

In its own report into the university’s investigation, the Subcommittee found the school failed to properly and fully investigate the incident.

“Dr. Taleyarkhan’s claim to have achieved fusion on a tabletop in a laboratory, if true, would hold the prospect of limitless, cheap energy without environmental consequence,” Miller wrote in a letter to Purdue University President Dr. Martin C. Jischke. “In short, Dr. Taleyarkhan’s claim would not simply be a significant scientific achievement, but a transformational event in human history.”

Chairman Miller wrote to Dr. Jischke in March alerting him that the Subcommittee would be looking into the matter.

Attached is a report on the Subcommittee’s subsequent investigation – prepared by Subcommittee staff. The University has begun another investigation into the matter. The Subcommittee is requesting a copy of the forthcoming result of that report, which is due to be completed in approximately three months.

“Purdue is a premier research and educational institution. One of its goals it to teach the importance of scientific integrity to its students and future scientists,” said Miller. “I sincerely hope that the next inquiry will be conducted in a manner worthy of such a great institution.”

To read the complete letter from Chairman Miller to Dr. Jischke, follow this link.

To read the Subcommittee staff report, follow this link.

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