Racing advocate and Purdue Global advisory board member Michael Good looks to increase student opportunities, experiences

SPEEDWAY, Ind. - Michael Good is glad to be back home again in Indiana.

Good, a member of Purdue Global's School of Business and Information Technology Advisory Board, recently was named president of Performance Racing Industry (PRI) following a four-year period of working for a Cincinnati-area automotive components manufacturer.

His ties to the automotive sector run deep, as his father worked at General Motors, opening the door to his automotive and racing passion.

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"Being able to work in an industry that also encompasses my passions is truly the culmination of a dream and not something that is taken for granted. Being able to do that here in Indiana is just icing on the cake," said Good from PRI's office on Speedway's Main Street, just a few hundred yards from the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Good's role as PRI president involves him connecting, protecting and advocating for the racing industry, which is growing through key areas like innovation and technological advancements.

It's the same philosophy he lived as a working adult student going back to school while balancing work and family. And he's giving back to Purdue Global - Purdue's online university for working adults - through his work on the School of Business and Information Technology Advisory Board, encouraging students to align careers with their passions to advance to that next level.

The importance of friendships and giving back

Good has served on the advisory board since February 2019, answering a call from longtime friend and former instructor Jeff Buck.

Buck, who currently serves as dean and vice president of Purdue Global's School of Business and Information Technology, met Good while both were at Anderson University - Buck in administration and Good working on his MBA.

Buck made it a priority to learn all the students' names in the program, which impressed Good. And Buck asked if Good would be interested in teaching the MBA program's Marketing Strategies and Business Plan Development classes. "Dr. Buck has been a tremendous influence and example of what it means to positively impact the lives of those around you. He embodies that," Good said.

"That being said, when he first reached out, I was not interested," recalled Good. "He let a little time go by, and then he would ask again. Eventually I said I would give it a shot. I'm so glad I did it. It was just a phenomenal experience, so much so that it's probably something I'll try to get back into later."

Good served as an adjunct instructor at Anderson from 2013-17.

Following graduation, the two kept in touch, including Buck's request for Good to serve on the advisory board.

"He's done a really good job of leading the advisory board and giving the group a collective voice of input and change," Good said. "He's shared ideas related to certain degrees they're looking at or student experiences, especially what can we be doing to connect students in ways that are nontraditional, because it's a nontraditional approach to education. We also work to make students feel like they're part of the Purdue community."

The advisory board meets quarterly, which gives Good a chance to engage with and learn from others with diverse business and tech backgrounds to help create an education that will have a lasting impact for students. Members like Good provide industry insights and assist with the school's strategic planning.

He is one of 18 board members who support Purdue Global's offering of undergraduate and graduate online business degrees and information technology degrees in cybersecurity, analytics, accounting, finance, and management and leadership.

"We work to ensure that we are being bold in how we are thinking about attracting and engaging students within the program," Good said. "Purdue Global has set itself apart by offering educational tracks that are directly aligned to the needs of today's workforce and, more importantly, tomorrow's workforce. Purdue Global is playing a significant role in building the business leaders of tomorrow."

Buck is grateful for Good's contributions.

"Michael is a well-respected professional and is known for being a strong strategic thinker," Buck said. "He has a strong business acumen and the ability to think strategically, with the skill of being a visionary. His contributions ensure that students are receiving the education that is relevant and will benefit them in their careers. I knew he would bring great insight to the board."

A future for the racing industry and Purdue Global

Good said working in the racing industry is an amazing experience - and to do that in the "Racing Capital of the World" is simply mind-blowing.

"The energy in Speedway and the larger community is awe-inspiring," said Good, who has attended more than 20 Indy 500s over the years. "Seeing how IMS, the community and the entire city come together to pull this off year after year is a good reminder that the famous quote 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts' rings true."

Good, in his Purdue Global role, also continues a long tradition of Purdue-related supporters, advisors, alumni, faculty and students who have been integral to the Indianapolis 500 and the racing industry for more than 100 years. And he envisions an even larger opportunity for Purdue Global students and alumni to become involved with the racing industry in the future.

Racing is, at its core, all about data, he said. And being able to analyze data and make necessary adjustments is where Purdue Global's analytics and information technology programs directly align with the racing industry's innovations and needs.

The racing industry is broad; it spans far wider than just the Indy 500, with a variety of offerings and experiences ranging from local tracks and drag strips sprinkled across the U.S. to major speedways and road course tracks, Good said. There are lots of people involved, ranging from individual enthusiasts who "track" their cars on weekends to organized sanctioning bodies like SCCA and IMSA, NHRA, NASCAR, and, of course, IndyCar, as well as international racing groups.

All of those racing teams, companies and manufacturers need graduates in fields such as finance, accounting, human resources, project management and more - all business degree areas as well as information technology degree areas offered by Purdue Global.

"With the continued advancement in technologies - from AI to alternative fuel technology to autonomous driving - the racing industry will only continue to impact our lives in ways the average consumer may never realize," he said. "Education will feed this and be the primary driver of our ability to succeed. It is foundational to everything we do."

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue's online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.

Writer/Media contact: Matthew Oates, [email protected], 765-496-6160, @mo_oates

Sources: Michael Good, Jeff Buck

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