INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University is making history today as Indiana University Indianapolis takes its next step forward in building one of the nation’s premier public urban research universities with the formal transition from IUPUI to IU Indianapolis.
“For more than a century, Indiana University’s presence in Indianapolis has grown and evolved to address the city’s and our state’s ever-changing needs,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “At IU Indianapolis, we are forging dynamic partnerships with leading regional enterprises to provide our students with invaluable hands-on learning opportunities. Simultaneously, we’re channeling resources into research poised to catalyze groundbreaking scientific advancements.
“My deepest appreciation goes to our dedicated faculty, students, staff and community partners. Their collective efforts are vital to achieving our bold vision of building the nation’s best urban research university in our capital city.”
With more than 20,000 students, more than 400 academic programs and about 50 research centers and institutes, IU Indianapolis is uniquely positioned near some of the state’s and region’s leading companies. This proximity provides natural opportunities for partnerships with business and government that offer valuable experiences for students and boost the economic vitality of Indiana.
“The official launch of IU Indianapolis represents a new era for higher education in Indianapolis,” said Latha Ramchand, IU Indianapolis’ inaugural chancellor. “With student success as our north star, our dedicated faculty and staff will create an environment that puts education, innovation and community at the forefront. This incredibly powerful combination will help us serve as an anchor institution to our city, state and region as we prepare our students to meet challenges yet to be imagined.”
The city of Indianapolis will mark July 1, 2024, as “IU Indianapolis Day,” following an official proclamation from Mayor Joe Hogsett. The proclamation recognizes IU Indianapolis for serving as “a hub for academic exploration and innovation, providing a highly educated workforce that drives progress for both the city and state.”
“These key partnerships throughout the city enhance our students’ experience, while connecting them with an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and opportunity,” said Quinn Buckner, chair of the IU Board of Trustees. “Add that to the cutting-edge innovations from faculty improving health outcomes and advancing technological improvements, IU Indianapolis’ impact is immeasurable.”
The IU Board of Trustees recently approved construction of a $110 million athletics facility on campus, suitable for hosting significant indoor sporting and athletics events for both the community and the university, including the IU Indianapolis Jaguars teams.
IU’s presence in Indianapolis dates back to the late 19th century, when the institution first began offering classes to Hoosiers in the state capital. The campus has since expanded and evolved, setting the stage for this next chapter of IU Indianapolis.
Making an impact across the nation and at home
IU is investing in Indianapolis as part of Whitten’s vision for the campus to become one of the nation’s premier urban research universities. As part of a more than $250 million investment in biosciences, IU has established two new research institutes in Indianapolis: the Convergent Bioscience and Technology Institute and the Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing. Both will bring new faculty to Indianapolis while also adding lab and research space. The institutes will be located in the new IU Indianapolis Science Laboratory Building, a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research facility to be constructed as part of the campus’s Science and Technology Corridor. Poised to help IU meet the bold goals outlined in the IU 2030 strategic plan, the space will foster collaboration across the life sciences and a broad portfolio of research. It is scheduled to open in 2026.
As the home of the nation’s largest medical school; top-ranked programs in business, computing, law, arts and humanities, nursing, and education; and the world’s first school of philanthropy, IU Indianapolis is addressing many of the world’s most pressing problems. Faculty are at the forefront of Alzheimer’s disease research at the IU School of Medicine, which is home to the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center — one of the oldest centers in the United States solely committed to Alzheimer’s research — and the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, which includes blood, tissue and DNA samples used in Alzheimer’s research across the globe.
Faculty in the Herron School of Art and Design collaborated to create a new form of art therapy that uses technology to help ALS patients express themselves. Herron faculty are also creating public sculptures across the region and the nation that advance contemporary art while connecting with the history of art. Anthropology faculty in the School of Liberal Arts are cataloging and analyzing historical discoveries as urban archaeology helps preserve history in the heart of Indianapolis.
“The beginning of IU Indianapolis is a fresh start, and we’re also building on real strengths,” said Philip Goff, president of the IU Indianapolis Faculty Council and professor of American studies in the School of Liberal Arts. “The faculty are dedicated to the success of our students, to strengthening our research and also to building up and supporting the city of Indianapolis. I am looking forward to a bright future.”
Researchers in emerging fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning in Indianapolis are using AI to detect the root cause of diseases, while others are working to improve maternal and child health outcomes through initiatives supporting housing equity for pregnant women. Daily research made possible by the campus’s proximity to an urban environment creates opportunities like the Diabetes Impact Project, or DIP-IN. Led by the Fairbanks School of Public Health in partnership with Eli Lilly and Co., this project is working hand-in-hand with three Indianapolis communities to reduce rates of diabetes.
The Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering — the nation’s first school of informatics — is advancing interdisciplinary research at the forefront of bioinformatics and engineering for health and well-being through its Department of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics. Renowned expert Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb will serve as the inaugural chair of the new Department of Computer Science in the Luddy School in Indianapolis beginning this fall. The computer science program was established in 2023, and students enrolled in the program will gain an accessible, interdisciplinary and hands-on education in the field, with the opportunity to pursue concentrations in rapidly growing, high-demand areas such as cybersecurity, software engineering and computer networks.
Building the workforce of tomorrow
IU Indianapolis is committed to increasing access to higher education for local students. An expansion of its seamless admissions program automatically admits Indianapolis Public School high school students with a 3.0 GPA. A recently announced dual admission program between Ivy Tech and IU Indianapolis empowers students to attain both associate and bachelor’s degrees.
IU Indianapolis is solving the state’s nursing shortage by expanding enrollment across both the undergraduate and graduate levels, hiring more full-time faculty and creating a robust, one-year mentoring program to help first-time educators transition to the classroom.
Nearly 90 percent of IU Indianapolis four-year degree recipients live and work in the state after graduating. This creates a unique opportunity to deliver the future workforce needed by local, state and regional economies. For example, a co-op partnership with Eli Lilly and Co. gives undergraduate students in the Kelley School of Business, the School of Health and Human Sciences, and the Luddy School hands-on training while they work a semester or more at Lilly for credit. The IU McKinney School of Law’s Rural Justice Initiative offers students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in rural counties across Indiana during the summer. Still other students play pivotal roles in helping organizations position downtown Indianapolis as an ecosystem of innovation, including an IU Indianapolis master’s student who is 16 Tech Innovation District’s inaugural innovation and entrepreneur intern.
“I am proud to be a part of IU Indianapolis as we start this next chapter,” said Nolan Campbell, an accounting and finance student at the IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. “I chose Kelley in Indianapolis because of the proximity to downtown and the doors it opens with internships and real-world experiences, and the launch of IU Indy will only open more opportunities for students in the years to come.”
