Groundbreaking launches a giant leap in nursing and pharmacy education

Purdue broke ground for the future Nursing and Pharmacy Education Building on Friday (Nov. 10). The facility will advance collaborative, innovative learning for health-care professionals while advancing Purdue’s land-grant mission. 

Located at the corner of Mitch Daniels Boulevard and Russell Street, the building will house the School of Nursing, the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the College of Pharmacy’s administration. 

“This cutting-edge facility will transform education at Indiana’s land-grant institution and address the state’s growing need for highly skilled nurses and pharmacists,” said Purdue President Mung Chiang. “We thank both the Indiana General Assembly and many donors for their support that enabled the most expensive building project at Purdue. The collaboration between pharmacy and nursing also demonstrated the promising direction for synergies in life and health science at our university."

Purdue’s impact on the health of Indiana residents is especially great. Nearly two-thirds of the university’s nursing graduates work within the state while approximately two-thirds of all Indiana pharmacists are Purdue alumni.

“This collaborative effort between the colleges of Health and Human Sciences and Pharmacy will elevate our impact and opportunity,” said Aaron Bowman, interim dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. “Working together, our students and faculty will make exciting discoveries through a focus on interprofessional learning and research.”

The innovative space will allow both academic programs to accommodate more students. The College of Pharmacy continues to graduate the largest class of pharmacists in the state, and the nursing program has more than doubled in size in recent years to help a shortage of nurses in Indiana and beyond.

“The Nursing and Pharmacy Education Building will help us prepare future nurses and pharmacists for long-term success in an ever-changing health-care system,” said Eric Barker, the Jeannie and Jim Chaney Dean of Pharmacy. “Here, we will equip our graduates with the essential skills and knowledge to deliver optimal patient care.”

The building will provide critical space for faculty and students to develop impactful strategies to address such critical issues as substance use, mental health, and health equity. Features will include clinical simulation labs, collaboration spaces, large active-learning classrooms and modern research facilities.