Stories of IU resilience, resonance, and readiness

Through Binary Heart, student entrepreneurs are helping close the digital divide by collecting and redistributing technology. They also gain valuable skills in hardware repair, data security, and systems administration.

Don Knauss, a first-generation college student who worked at steel mills to pay for tuition, has never forgotten what access to education made possible. Now, he and his wife, Ellie, are making it possible for others.

Since 1968, the Groups Scholars Program has turned first-generation students into Indiana leaders. Now, Samuel Young III— who once sat in a scholar’s seat—is steering the program into its next chapter.

As a student, Dawn Michele Whitehead, BA’97, MS’03, PhD’07, greatly benefited from the time faculty and alumni invested in her. Now the Hudson & Holland scholar turned IUAA Board president feels it’s her responsibility to pay it forward. Her mission: to enable IU students to have the greatest impact possible on the state, the nation, and the world.

IU chemist Richard DiMarchi revolutionized diabetes and obesity care through groundbreaking peptide research that helped shape today’s GLP-1 therapies. His discoveries continue to improve lives while inspiring the next generation of scientific innovators.

IU’s Cancer Drug Discovery and Development Accelerator helps researchers move promising cancer therapies from the lab to patients faster. By combining scientific expertise with industry partnerships, IU is advancing lifesaving treatments and fueling biotech innovation.

Across IU’s regional campuses, student researchers are shaping the future of cancer treatment, improving cybersecurity, safeguarding Indiana’s ecology, memorializing Hoosier history, and more. Their discoveries strengthen communities while preparing them to lead the way to a better tomorrow.

IU Indianapolis partners with local industry to provide students with unique opportunities to gain professional experience early in their educational journeys through co-ops and internships. These experiences prepare students for in-demand careers while helping Indiana employers meet growing workforce demands.

Whether they’re creating partnerships with local school districts or offering accelerated degrees, IU’s regional campuses are working hard to alleviate labor shortages and prepare students for high-demand careers in healthcare and education.

Some of IU’s top muscoskeletal researchers are partnering with orthopedic industry leaders to create the Indiana Musculoskeletal Health Partnership for the Advancement of Care & Treatment (IMPACT). Together, they will advance the orthopedic discoveries that protect Hoosiers’ mobility and make our state healthier.