Purdue Northwest earns key designation for research universities
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Purdue University Northwest has been named an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University.
Purdue Northwest joins Indiana University and Purdue’s flagship West Lafayette campus in earning the designation awarded by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.
The designation recognizes public research universities for their “collaboration with public and private sector partners to support economic development, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, talent and workforce development, and community development.”
“What has long made Purdue Northwest a unique and leading university in our region is its commitment to serve Northwest Indiana and support its growth as a prime destination to work and live,” Chancellor Thomas Keon said in a news release. “Purdue Northwest’s high-quality resources help catalyze initiatives with community partners that meet that goal. The university plays a leading part in charting a path forward for our neighboring communities.”
Purdue Northwest, with campuses in Hammond and Westville, earned the designation following a review of the university’s work in economic development and community engagement.
University officials attributed Purdue Northwest’s strengths to its Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center, its applied doctoral programs, its staff’s involvement in regional boards, its status as an a Hispanic-Serving Institution and its investments in research which totaled more than $30 million over the last three years.
A recent third-party economic impact study found Purdue Northwest contributes nearly $746 million to total income in northwest Indiana. The university supports nearly 10,500 jobs, comprising one out of every 36 northwest Indiana jobs.
“This IEP designation exemplifies that the changing nature of higher education, as institutions like ours move beyond a focus on solely academic outcomes to strengthening their communities and local economies,” said Matthew Wells, associate vice chancellor for external engagement and development. “The resources invested by PNW into economic development translate into improving our region’s quality of life and demonstrate the institution’s ongoing commitment to community impact.”