Extending IU’s leadership in addressing college affordability
Earlier this week, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten highlighted IU’s latest major action to further its nationally recognized leadership in ensuring an affordable and accessible world-class education.
In her latest blog, Whitten wrote that all IU campuses (Bloomington, Indianapolis, East, Kokomo, South Bend, Southeast and Northwest) have joined the College Cost Transparency Initiative, a national effort aligned with IU’s comprehensive approach to easing the financial burden on students.
The initiative was recently launched to better meet the needs of students and families so they can make informed decisions about paying for higher education. Schools voluntarily commit to following principles and standards that ensure transparency and clarity regarding financial aid. This involves using standardized, plain language to explain all aid offers. Schools must also show a breakdown of the cost of attendance.
As Whitten noted, IU’s efforts to increase student support and transparency—including a newly created structure to reduce the number of student fees and ensure clarity in fee descriptions that will save IU’s student body $14.5 million annually—come at a time when IU is expanding efforts to serve students in Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars Program. IU serves roughly one-third of all 21st Century Scholars enrolled in college across the state, and with automatic enrollment in the program now in effect, the university anticipates continued growth in the program over the coming years.
The IU State Relations team has reviewed every bill that has been introduced at the Statehouse, and determined if and how the bill could impact the university. This Statehouse Update provides a summary of bills the team is tracking that have had activity up to this point in the second week of session.
On Jan. 7, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Congressional leadership had reached a top-line spending deal to fund the federal government through the rest of FY 2024.
By utilizing the resources of the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering and the school’s dedicated entrepreneurship center, the Shoemaker Innovation Center, IU junior Matt Gacek developed Theia, a groundbreaking AI therapy and personal growth app. The app was so innovative and promising that, in less than six months, it was purchased by Miri, a San Francisco-Bay-Area-based AI-driven health and wellness platform. A self-taught developer studying computer science at IU, Gacek is a 2021 graduate of Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind.
The acquisition of Gacek’s innovation comes as IU accelerates its efforts to unify and strengthen support for student and faculty entrepreneurs through the newly launched IU Innovates initiative. Led by inaugural executive director Julie Heath, former vice president of entrepreneurial ecosystems for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, IU Innovates recently joined forces with the Shoemaker Innovation Center, and it aims to incubate at least 20 new student-led startups in just the first few months of the spring semester.
NBA startup pitch competition will be IU star-studded show
Three IU-affiliated start-up founders have advanced to compete in the NBA All-Star Pitch Competition Finals, which will be held on Feb. 17 at the Indiana Convention Center as part of the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. The event is designed to showcase the next generation of diverse and innovative tech entrepreneurs in the Hoosier state.
With near-perfect residency placement rate, IU School of Medicine leads graduates to further training across U.S.
The IU School of Medicine celebrated a record-setting 99.7% residency placement rate for the Class of 2023, meaning virtually all graduates are now working as physicians in their chosen medical specialties. About one-third are continuing their medical training at IU, while the rest are in residency programs across the United States.
Bioengineers building the intersection of organoids and AI with ‘Brainoware’
Researchers with the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering are developing a new hybrid computing system that combines electronic hardware with brain-like 3D cell cultures, which could improve the performance and efficiency of artificial intelligence technologies.
IU trains physicians to practice in rural and urban areas of critical need
More than 83 million people in the U.S. live in areas without sufficient access to a primary-care physician. IU is addressing this daunting challenge with two unique IU School of Medicine programs designed to train and retain physicians where they are needed most: in medically underserved rural and urban areas.
Stacy Holden, who earned a bachelor’s degree after a 16-year hiatus, said financial aid, admissions and other campus support helped her achieve her goal to graduate.
Jacobs School of Music faculty and alumni earn numerous Grammy Award nominations
Once again, faculty and alumni from the world-renowned IU Jacobs School of Music have received numerous Grammy Award nominations. Faculty nominees include the members of the Grammy-winning Pacifica Quartet, the school’s quartet-in-residence, and trombone professor Denson Paul Pollard, also a Grammy-winning member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
