Today’s top 5 from Purdue University

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“Purdue News Now”

New initiatives are underway to reduce food waste on campus, and Purdue looks to add another chapter to its storied history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this month. Trevor Peters has all the latest headlines in this week’s “Purdue News Now.”
 
Plus, check out five good stories below you may have missed.

Building the first highway segment in the U.S. that can charge electric vehicles big and small as they drive

Construction is in progress on a quarter-mile test bed on U.S. Highway 231/U.S. Highway 52 in West Lafayette that Purdue University engineers and the Indiana Department of Transportation will use for testing how well a patent-pending system can provide power to a heavy-duty electric truck traveling at highway speeds. The hope is to electrify a section of an Indiana interstate in the next four to five years.

Media contact: Kayla Albert, wiles5@purdue.edu

Purdue plans groundbreaking for Earhart Terminal, inaugural flight of commercial air service

Purdue University will hold a groundbreaking for its new Amelia Earhart Terminal and celebrate the return of commercial flight to Purdue University Airport and Greater Lafayette with a ceremonial first flight on May 14. Purdue and Surf Air Mobility Inc. agreed last December to begin scheduled commuter air service between West Lafayette/Purdue University Airport (LAF) and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Service begins May 15, marking the return of commercial air service for the first time since 2004 to LAF, Indiana’s second-busiest airport in terms of total annual aircraft operations and home to Purdue’s renowned School of Aviation and Transportation Technology.

Media contact: Tim Doty, doty2@purdue.edu

NSF director Panchanathan, U.S. Sen. Young tout value of university-private sector partnerships to grow national, economic security

The director of the National Science Foundation and the senior U.S. senator from Indiana spent April 25 at Purdue University touring a state-of-the-art research facility, meeting with leading researchers and students, and capping the visit with a Presidential Lecture Series conversation with Purdue President Mung Chiang. Sethuraman Panchanathan, who has led the NSF since 2020, and U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., highlighted the essential role that universities like Purdue are playing to help expand the bridge between fundamental and applied research. They also stressed how public-private partnerships are advancing and securing this nation’s innovation ecosystem, helping ensure the U.S. remains competitive in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and other major industry sectors driven by science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Media contact: Phillip Fiorini, pfiorini@purdue.edu

Purdue to open Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center in Indianapolis

Leveraging Purdue’s internationally recognized expertise in audiology and auditory neuroscience and AI-driven data analytics, Purdue University announced plans for the new Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center in Indianapolis on Wednesday (May 1). The community-facing center will address the urgent need for accessible precision audiology, especially among underserved populations in Indiana.

Media contact: Derek Schultz, dcschultz@purdue.edu

AP Video — Bridging the digital divide for broadband access

Roberto Gallardo, the vice president for engagement at Purdue University, explains what the digital divide is and why it is important. Gallardo says the digital divide is a concept that refers to the gap between people who have access to quality broadband internet and those who do not. Gallardo says that broadband technology is critical for unlocking opportunities in rural and urban communities in an increasingly digital world.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

MORE: Recent AP video stories 

The AP Newsroom (for AP members) and Purdue News YouTube channel (for all reporters) provide comments from Purdue experts on timely topics.

Wirelessly charging electric vehicles on highways
Breaking down the FTC’s noncompetes ruling
Expert tips for springtime lawn care

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.