Advancing Indiana’s leadership in the life sciences
Indiana University and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute announced this week that they are creating a joint center of excellence that will use innovative technology, engineering and research to advance personalized treatments for some of the world’s most prevalent and challenging diseases.
The Joint Center of Excellence for Point of Care Precision Medicine will build on the research and clinical strength of the IU School of Medicine and the translational expertise of the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, advancing innovation and treatments in four disease areas: diabetes and metabolism, pediatric rare diseases, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The center will develop new and leverage existing technologies to enhance disease diagnostic accuracy and improve treatment outcomes targeted to each unique patient at their point of care, ultimately leading to a more efficient health care system that puts patients at the forefront.
“Indiana University researchers are making major advancements in life sciences and health care that are addressing pressing health care challenges by uncovering new therapies and treatments,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “Converging with strategic partners like the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute elevates our ability to push boundaries and translate research into solutions that improve lives.”
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IU awards its millionth degree
Indiana University has achieved a significant milestone, officially awarding 1 million degrees to students across the globe. The millionth degree was conferred among a batch of degrees earned during the summer 2024 term.
IU has one of the largest alumni bases of any university in the country. Of the 790,033 living graduates, 411,047 of them live in Indiana.
“This milestone is a testament to the power of an IU degree: IU alumni are changing the world every day,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “This achievement also showcases IU’s enduring commitment to student success. We provide a wide array of programs and support that empower our students to succeed on campus and long after they earn their degrees.
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State Update
Indiana University continues to leverage its educational and creative resources and expertise to meet the most critical challenges facing Hoosier communities. The latest State Update spotlights how IU is working with state and local leaders to prepare a new generation of Hoosier teachers, lawyers and nurses and improve the teaching and learning environments across all its campuses.
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Federal Update
This month’s Federal Update includes updates on IU’s leadership in ensuring trusted and reliable artificial intelligence, preparing students for global careers and working with partners around the nation to provide solutions to our nation’s greatest challenges.
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Economic Engagement Update
New IU facilities signal arrival of new opportunities for Kokomo and South Bend
Last week Indiana University celebrated the grand openings of two major new facilities on its campuses in Kokomo and South Bend that are widely expected to deliver major economic and health benefits to their local communities.
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, campus, community and state leaders dedicated IU Kokomo’s new collaborative learning space, Innovation Hall, which was funded in part by a $1.5 million grant from the first round of funding from the Indiana READI program and matching funds from IU. The facility includes a new multicultural center, a media lab/eSports arena, a technology studio, dedicated space for the KEY Center for Innovation and a business analytics lab, as well as professional offices and other training and gathering spaces for students.
IU Kokomo Chancellor Mark Canada called Innovation Hall a turning point for the campus.
“For the last decade, we have been steadily rising as a destination campus, thanks to our new designation as a public liberal arts college, our growth in athletics, and, of course, the KEY, our campus-wide experiential learning initiative,” he said. “Innovation Hall allows us to take our work and our reputation to an even higher level. We have state-of-the-art learning spaces specifically designed for dynamic, hands-on, transformative learning … This is a place where things will be happening, both for our students and for members of the community.”
The same day, university and community members heralded the arrival of the new 20,000 square-foot Dwyer Healthcare Simulation Center at IU South Bend. The new high-tech center, which features classrooms, nursing simulation rooms, labs, state-of-the-art medical equipment and a career center will allow students to participate in real-life simulations of the types of scenarios they will face in their future careers in nursing, radiography and medical imaging.
IU South Bend Chancellor Susan Elrod said that not only do IU students benefit from this solid training, but the entire community will also experience the impact.
“Let this number sink in,” she said. “Ninety percent of our health sciences graduates stay and work at medical facilities in this region. This is another example of how IU South Bend is meeting its mission to serve the communities of North Central Indiana.”
Learn more about IU Kokomo’s Innovation Hall
Learn more about the Dwyer Healthcare Simulation Center at IU South Bend
Accelerating the development of southern Indiana’s microelectronics sector
Last week, Bloomington-based Regional Opportunity Initiatives announced it has received a three-year, nearly $9.6 million contract from the Department of Defense for a multilayered initiative to advance microelectronics education and workforce training opportunities across the Indiana Uplands. ROI will work with postsecondary colleges and universities, including IU, as well as other partners to promote microelectronics-related careers, accelerate students and workers into and through training and development pipelines, and inspire the next generation of industrial skilled professionals.
The award to ROI comes as Indiana University continues to move forward a series of major initiatives to advance IU’s and Indiana’s leadership in microelectronics research and workforce development. These projects are part of IU’s historic commitment to invest at least $111 million over the next several years to advance IU’s and Indiana’s national leadership and impact in microelectronics and nanotechnology.
Read how IU is contributing to regional momentum around microelectronics
Insights from the Indiana Business Research Center at IU
September brings the annual Leadership Exchange to Boston for an immersive experience in innovation districts. A thousand miles may separate Indianapolis from Boston, but the desire to learn and grow is bringing them together. In a special issue of the Indiana Business Review, a publication of the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, David Adams, former commissioner of the state’s Department of Workforce Development, focuses on the history and growth of districts focused on bringing people and companies together in a work/life community, while Phil Powell, clinical associate professor of business economics and executive director of the IBRC, provides the receipts on the Indianapolis economy versus the Boston economy.
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IU students address a major challenge in rural Washington County
Earlier this summer, a group of students from Indiana University’s Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, in partnership with IU’s Center on Rural Engagement, spent time developing a comprehensive plan to improve volunteer fire services across Washington County, Ind., where a dwindling number of volunteer firefighters has left the community grappling to meet its firefighting needs effectively. The students’ recommendations and case studies will serve as resources for further strategic development of essential fire service throughout the region.
“I think that anything we do to support these small towns and these counties to maintain their autonomy, but also to find prosperity, is really a net benefit for the state, said Seth Hinshaw, a 32-year-old O'Neill Online Master of Public Affairs student who took a brief pause from his high-demand roles as senior associate commissioner and chief financial officer for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to participate in the voluntary community project.
Learn more about the Washington County initiative
IU in the News
Enrollment up at IU campuses; Bloomington sets record for overall enrollment
Enrollment is up at Indiana University campuses across the state as IU welcomes 24,489 new undergraduate and graduate students this fall. Beginner student enrollment is up by 3.5% university-wide with 15,574 students. Nearly 90,000 students are enrolled at IU this year, an increase of 2% from last year.
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Kelley School partners with Major League Baseball Players Association for graduate education program
The IU Kelley School of Business has teamed up with the Major League Baseball Players Association to offer current and former players a chance to pursue a graduate education in preparation for careers when their playing days are over. This partnership is modeled after the Kelley School’s agreements with the unions representing players in the National Football League, Major League Soccer, the Women’s National Basketball Association and throughout professional rugby.
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New playbook addresses shortage of mental and behavioral health workers in Indiana
A collaborative project aims to combat untreated mental illness in Indiana by identifying opportunities and recommendations to strengthen the state’s pipeline of licensed mental and behavioral health professionals. As of 2024, 92 out of 92 counties in Indiana were federally designated as mental health care workforce shortage areas.
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IU Indianapolis professor named inaugural leader of Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing
Indiana University researcher Stephen Boehm has been named the inaugural executive director of the Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing at IU Indianapolis, part of IU’s $250 million investment to advance scientific discoveries aimed at curing and treating diseases and improving human health.
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50 years of the cure: Celebrating pioneering IU research and the cure for testicular cancer
In 1974, an innovative young oncologist at Indiana University had an idea for a new drug therapy regimen for testicular cancer. Over the past 50 years, that idea has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and is widely considered among the greatest achievements in medicine.
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