$75 million investment will expand engineering academic programs at IU Bloomington
Earlier this week, Indiana University Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President, Rahul Shrivastav, made an exciting announcement during the State of the Campus. IU Bloomington is propelling human-centered engineering into a new era with a $75 million investment that will support new, cutting-edge academic programs, top-notch faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to the increasingly critical field.
As part of the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, IU Bloomington will launch new degree programs in emerging areas like computer engineering, robotics, bioengineering, nanoengineering and microelectronics, and electrical engineering. These new academic programs, which will be offered in addition to the existing degrees in intelligent systems engineering, with some launching as early as next year.
"The significant investment we are making to expand our engineering offerings will prepare our students for high-paying jobs while also creating talent pipelines that fuel innovation and drive economic growth," IU President Pamela Whitten said. "IU continues to be at the forefront of evolving to meet the needs of today’s students and our state.”
With a focus on hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and industry partnerships, these new academic programs will play a pivotal role in advancing student success and cutting-edge research across IU Bloomington.
These new academic programs are pending approval from the IU Board of Trustees and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
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Learn more about the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering
State Update
The fourteenth week of session marked significant milestones as Thursday was the final day for House bills to be heard in Senate committeesand Senate bills to be heard in House committees. Bills that did not receive a hearing or pass a committee are no longer eligible to move forward. By the middle of next week, IU State Relations will know which bills passed through the chamber opposite their origination and are still eligible to become law.
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Federal Update
This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional, Executive, and Judicial Branch activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
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Economic Engagement Update
Physician in new School of Medicine leadership role will serve as a scientific lead for IU LAB
Dr. D. Wade Clapp, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and physician-in-chief at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, has been named the inaugural senior associate dean for entrepreneurial research and commercialization for the IU School of Medicine. In this role, he will serve as a scientific lead for Indiana University Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, known as IU LAB.
Clapp will begin in this role effectively immediately, while continuing to serve as chair of the Department of Pediatrics. He will work closely with faculty in the IU School of Medicine, the associate vice president for innovation and commercialization, and the president and CEO of IU LAB. Clapp’s role is critical to the success of the IU School of Medicine Strategic Plan, which seeks to accelerate discovery and clinical translation.
He will focus on speeding up the translation of IU School of Medicine discoveries into commercial products and ventures. He will enhance infrastructure for generating intellectual property, collaborating directly with faculty to develop best practices for increasing disclosures and patents, and foster closer partnerships between academic researchers and industry leaders.
Working closely with David Rosenberg, president and CEO of IU LAB, Clapp will play a pivotal role in establishing research priorities; developing strategies; and uniting IU researchers, entrepreneurs and industry partners to ensure the continued success and growth of IU LAB as a key strategic priority for the university.
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Indiana University South Bend students providing free tax preparation assistance for the community
Indiana University South Bend students are gaining valuable real-world professional experience while helping the Michiana community by participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, offering free tax preparation services to low- and moderate-income individuals and families. VITA is a grant-based Internal Revenue Service (IRS) initiative designed to support free tax preparation services through various partner organizations.
The students, many of whom are enrolled in accounting or finance programs at IU South Bend, are providing assistance at various locations throughout the Michiana area as part of the program sponsored by Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc. They have been working diligently to prepare tax returns, ensuring that taxpayers receive all eligible credits and deductions.
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IU in the News
IU leads Indiana’s universities in top 10, top 20 US News rankings; O’Neill retains No. 2 spot
Indiana University remains the state’s leader in top-ranked graduate programs and specialties, with the most top 10 and top 20 placements in the 2025-26 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Seventeen IU graduate programs and specialty areas ranked among the nation’s top 10, with 35 ranked in the top 20. TheO’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs’Master of Public Affairs program in Bloomingtonretains its No. 2 overall placement.
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From city hall to the classroom: Indiana mayors teach the art of public service
The next generation is eager to take on the mantle of leadership and shape the future of their communities. To better equip students with the knowledge, confidence and skills to be decision-makers and public servants, the Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs launched two new programs.
With the introduction of community and organizational leadership studies on the Indianapolis campus and the leadership and advocacy minor on the Bloomington campus, Indiana mayors return to the classroom to teach students about civic leadership through “The Call to Public Service,” a course that’s offered in both programs.
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IU Southeast MBA students win CFA Institute Research Challenge
IU Southeast MBA students Brennan Dennis, Keith Asplund, and Elsa Summerville recently placed first in the local CFA Institute Research Challenge, hosted by the CFA Society Louisville The team faced off against UofL, Northern Kentucky University, Centre College, University of Pikeville, and Midway University. This is IU Southeast’s sixth win since 2013 and fourth consecutive win.
The IU Southeast team wrote the top-ranked paper and secured the overall competition win in the final round against Centre College, which was based 100% on the presentation.
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IU scientists co-author study that reveals how a virus builds its protective shell
A research team led byMarc Morais, Professor ofMolecular and Cellular Biochemistryin the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, have uncovered exciting new details about how a tiny virus builds its protective outer shell.
This discovery could help fight infections, particularly as certain bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. For example, some bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus (staph) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) have become harder to treat with traditional antibiotics, creating a growing need for alternative treatments. Phi29 is a type of bacteriophage, a virus that targets bacteria. Thus, researchers are exploring how bacteriophages, including phi29, could be used to target disease-causing bacteria and serve as treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.
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AI, literature help future health professionals understand nuances of addiction
How can artificial intelligence and fiction help future health care workers better understand the complexities of addiction? This question is addressed in a course called Addiction Narratives, taught byEmily Beckmanin theSchool of Liberal Artsat Indiana University Indianapolis.
At the forefront of medicine,IU Indianapoliswas one of the first universities in the country to offer a medical humanities program, which was what brought Beckman to Indiana. As associate professor and director of the Medical Humanities and Health Studies Program, she is dedicated to helping tomorrow’s medical professionals foster better relationships with their patients by implementing the humanities into their scientific and clinical studies.
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