Purdue’s Cordova Leads University Into Firm Embrace of Diversity: Dr. France Cordova is by no means the first college president to declare increasing the presence of women and minorities on campus as a top priority. Nor will Cordova be the last. However, several of her initiatives thus far suggest she is aggressively guiding Purdue University into a firmer embrace of diversity while building on its stellar reputation as a world-class engineering institution.