Circle City celebrates inauguration of Purdue University in Indianapolis

In front of a sizable crowd on Monument Circle, Purdue President Mung Chiang dedicated the new Indianapolis campus, just days ahead of its official launch on Monday, July 1. 

“Today is about creating jobs, workforce and innovation together for our state,” Chiang said. “Today is about Purdue’s commitment as the public land-grant university with excellence at scale, and today is about totality. Just like the solar eclipse, it’s the totality of Purdue to the totality of Indianapolis.

“Today is, ultimately, about the shared future with our new neighbors: the business and civic communities,” Chiang continued. “We explored this opportunity because of you. We arrived at this moment thanks to you. And we will take our next giant leaps together with you.”

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, as well as U.S. Sens. Todd Young and Mike Braun, were among the array of special guest speakers and city and state leaders in attendance for the celebration. The program wrapped up a busy day for Purdue in Indiana’s capital city, which also included the State of the University luncheon, presented by the Boiler Business Exchange, at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. There, Chiang discussed the exciting initiatives Purdue is spearheading across the state, country and world, while bringing attendees up to speed on the university’s accomplishments thus far in 2024.

As Indiana’s only top 10 public university, most trusted university and most innovative university, Purdue will strengthen the Boilermaker impact in Indianapolis, the state’s industrial and technological center, with the launch of its new urban extension campus, Purdue University in Indianapolis.

In the months leading up to this launch, Purdue has made several major Indianapolis announcements. On May 23, at the Indiana Global Economic Summit, Purdue and Elanco Animal Health Inc. announced a new shared-use facility on 3 acres in the One Health Innovation District near the future Elanco global headquarters on the western edge of the White River. The One Health Innovation District will help extend Purdue’s substantial research arm into the heart of Indianapolis, with a focus on understanding of the microbiome, antimicrobial resistance, computational biology, comparative genomics and livestock sustainability, among other research areas. 

That same day, Purdue also announced an innovative partnership with Dallara, the largest multinational Italian race car manufacturer, to house its motorsports engineering program at Dallara’s U.S. headquarters in Speedway. Just steps from the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Boilermaker students will build an all-encompassing understanding of vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, systems engineering, performance engineering and design, applying their proficiency to find real-world solutions. Dallara’s U.S. headquarters will also be home to the Ray Ewry Sports Engineering Center, where Purdue can meet the growing demand for a richer sports experience in Indianapolis, where motorsports and Olympic, professional and collegiate sports all have a major presence and impact.

Purdue University is also continuing its collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company at Indiana’s LEAP Research and Innovation District. In May the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company announced plans to invest another $5.3 billion in its brand-new Boone County manufacturing complex, bringing the total investment to $9 billion. The site is within LEAP, a key part of the Hard-Tech Corridor from Purdue University’s flagship campus in West Lafayette to the heart of downtown Indianapolis.

Purdue has announced several other new presences in Indianapolis, including facilities for the Manufacturing and Materials Research Laboratories at 16 Tech Innovation District. There, the university will accelerate physical, digital and sustainable manufacturing efforts across the state in the city’s destination for innovation and entrepreneurship. Also at 16 Tech, Purdue declared plans for the Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center. The community-facing center will leverage Purdue’s internationally recognized expertise in audiology and auditory neuroscience and AI-driven data analytics to address the urgent need for accessible precision audiology, especially among underserved populations in Indiana.

In the burgeoning Bottleworks District on Massachusetts Avenue, Purdue is partnering with High Alpha to house the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business Executive Education programs as well as some Purdue Innovates programs.

These Indianapolis presences and partnerships with industry leaders, stretching out from the existing Purdue University in Indianapolis campus, will fuel innovation and experiential learning opportunities for Purdue students and faculty across the entire city.

What they’re saying

Eric Holcomb, governor of Indiana: “Boilermakers are known to push boundaries and dream big, and they’re doing it in the Circle City. Purdue is elevating their innovative spirit with top-tier talent and beautifully weaving it into Indiana’s central economic ecosystem, proving that we all can reach for the stars.”

Mike Braun, U.S. senator: “Indianapolis is a small step from West Lafayette, but it’s a giant leap for Purdue. Purdue University in Indianapolis is an exciting new opportunity for the school to expand and serve more students, and this new campus will be an important pipeline for students to get involved with employers in Indianapolis and get started toward great careers here in state. Indiana should be proud to have such an innovative institution like Purdue as our land-grant university, and I look forward to seeing more innovation from the Indianapolis campus.”

Todd Young, U.S. senator: “Purdue University in Indianapolis brings another world-class university to this world-class city. I’m excited for future Purdue students who will have access to the countless new work and learning opportunities in Indianapolis, along with all the amenities our capital city has to offer.”

André Carson, U.S. representative: “The establishment of Purdue University in Indianapolis will have a profound impact on our community, with expanded research capabilities and STEM education. Their commitment to recognizing the historic significance of Indiana Avenue also makes them a strong partner as Indianapolis continues to grow as a world-class city, with world-class educational opportunities. This dedication is a new chapter in the book of our city’s history, and I’m excited to watch Purdue continue to grow and build.”

About Purdue University in Indianapolis

Purdue University in Indianapolis is a new, fully integrated extension of the West Lafayette campus, expanding the academic rigor and accessible excellence that Purdue is known for to central Indiana. As the state’s only top 10 public university, most trusted university and most innovative university, Purdue is focused and committed to strengthening its presence in Indiana’s industrial and technological center. Purdue University in Indianapolis will create an innovative, STEM-based collegiate experience by connecting future-ready Purdue students and faculty in Indianapolis to local businesses to accelerate Indiana’s STEM pipeline and tech ecosystem, fueling impact for our region and the world. Realignment of the existing IUPUI partnership will be completed by the start of the fall semester in 2024. Learn more about Purdue’s latest giant leap at https://www.purdue.edu/campuses/indianapolis/.