‘Totality of Purdue to the totality of Indianapolis’ — Purdue enjoys an impactful week in the capital city

INDIANAPOLIS — From the Indiana Global Economic Summit to the Indianapolis 500, Purdue University increased its growing presence in Indianapolis late last week, taking part in several major events for the capital city.   

At the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, Purdue and Elanco 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. Announced by Purdue President Mung Chiang, alongside Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Elanco CEO Jeffrey Simmons on Thursday (May 23), the cutting-edge facility, designed to deliver and scale up innovation where industry and academia can collaborate, will include office, wet lab and incubator space. The One Health Innovation District will help extend Purdue’s substantial research arm into the heart of Indianapolis, focusing on the understanding of the microbiome, antimicrobial resistance, computational biology, comparative genomics and livestock sustainability, among other research areas.

One hour later and a short drive from downtown, Purdue announced an innovative partnership with Dallara, the largest multinational Italian race car manufacturer, to house its motorsports program at Dallara’s U.S. headquarters in Speedway, just steps away 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, right in the center of the world’s racing capital. The program is the nation’s only ABET-accredited motorsports engineering offering and has created opportunities for students and graduates with racing series and manufacturers across the globe.

Dallara’s U.S. headquarters will also be home to the Ray Ewry Sports Engineering Center (RESEC), where Purdue can meet the growing demand for a richer sports experience for all in Indianapolis, a city in which motorsports and Olympic, professional and collegiate sports all have a major presence and impact. 

Thursday evening, two of the world’s best minds in finance, who are now part of the Purdue University community, joined Chiang for a Presidential Lecture Series fireside chat at the Indiana Statehouse. James “Jim” Bullard, the inaugural Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and David Malpass, the Distinguished Fellow of International Finance in the Daniels School and Inaugural Fellow of Global Business and Infrastructure at Purdue@DC, were featured speakers at the invitation-only event. Bullard was appointed by Purdue last July, while Malpass began his fellowship in January. The conversation focused on interest rates, global finance and Midwest prosperity.

Purdue is the educational partner of Eli Lilly and Company at Indiana’s LEAP Research and Innovation District, where the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company announced on Friday (May 24) it would commit another $5.3 billion to its brand-new Boone County manufacturing complex. Lilly will invest a total of $9 billion in 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 and Lilly will continue to build upon their collaborative scholarship and training program, the Lilly Scholars program, which helps Boilermaker students earn pharmaceutical manufacturing scholarships and unique learning opportunities with Lilly, one of the world’s most innovative pharmaceutical companies. The inaugural Purdue class of Lilly Scholars just completed the 2023-24 academic year. The dynamic program offers 50-100 talented students full tuition with a guaranteed internship at Lilly and a promise of coordinated interaction with company leaders. Participating students will then be provided opportunities to compete for a role at the company following graduation. Lilly is investing $42.5 million into the Lilly Scholars program on top of a $50 million agreement to extend research collaboration between the two entities.

As the Indiana’s only public top 10 university, most trusted university and most innovative university, Purdue is committed to strengthening the Boilermaker impact in Indianapolis, the state’s industrial and technological center, and will officially launch its new urban extension campus, Purdue University in Indianapolis, on July 1.

Purdue University in Indianapolis news 

Purdue, Elanco to develop shared-use facility at new innovation district in Indy
Indianapolis Business Journal

Purdue and Elanco to create 3-acre research facility near former GM stamping plant site
Indianapolis Star

Purdue, Elanco research facility announced at summit
WTHR-TV

Purdue motorsports engineering program partners with race car maker
WISH-TV

Purdue inks deal with Dallara for motorsports engineering program
Inside INdiana Business

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. 

Writer/Media contact: Derek Schultz, dcschultz@purdue.edu