Indiana banking on appeal of free one-year college certificates
In Indiana, people who don’t have college degrees can get the training to become welders, electricians, medical assistants, web programmers, or truck drivers—for free.
Higher Ed
Articles
Ivy Tech spent years trying to improve rock bottom graduation rates—and it’s working
Over the last decade, Ivy Tech Community College, which serves about 74,000 students across the state, has made steady gains in completion rates.
Rate of Indiana high school students headed to college drops to 53%
The college-going rate has dropped 6 percentage points over the last year—12 percentage points lower than five years ago—with widening gaps for students of color and students from low-income families.
2022 Innovation Issue: Universities and affiliates lead energy research
Across the state, enthusiasm for sustainable energy is growing. And the state’s universities are leading the way with cutting-edge research and development projects related to solar, autonomous vehicles, nuclear power and more.
Thad Matta to return to Butler University to coach men’s basketball
Matta, who took Ohio State University to two Final Fours, coached Butler in the 2000-2001 season and also played at Butler. He replaces LaVall Jordan, whom the school fired on Friday.
Public can visit IU’s Mies van der Rohe building, 70 years later than planned
In 1952, an IU fraternity hired Mies, a pioneer of modernist architecture, to design a residence building near the intersection of 3rd Street and Indiana Avenue south of Dunn’s Woods. The project didn’t move forward, but IU resurfaced the plans decades later for its architecture school.
Biden to nominate ex-IUPUI chancellor Paydar for education department job
Nasser Paydar, who retired from IUPUI on March 1, is set to be nominated by President Joe Biden for assistant secretary for postsecondary education in the Department of Education, the White House announced last week.
Ivy Tech exec tapped as state’s next higher education commissioner
Chris Lowery succeeds Teresa Lubbers, who in November announced plans to step down at the conclusion of the 2022 legislative session.
Q&A with Danny Milisavljevic, a Purdue University astronomer
Milisavljevic, 42, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Purdue University, orchestrated a proposal for the James Webb Space Telescope, which launched in late December as the high-powered successor to the legendary Hubble Space Telescope.
IUPUI lands $3.7M grant for cybersecurity degree programs
IUPUI is among eight universities to receive the latest round of funding from the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, which aims to increase the nation’s supply of trained cybersecurity professionals.
Public access counselor: IU violated Open Door Law with McRobbie contract
In a nine-page advisory opinion issued Monday, Indiana Public Access Counselor Luke Britt agreed with the complaint filed by Steve Sanders, who is a tenured IU Maurer School of Law professor.
State higher education chief Teresa Lubbers stepping down
Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers plans to leave her position at the end of the 2022 legislative session, ending a nearly 13-year run in the job, the governor’s office announced Tuesday morning.
IBJ Podcast: Driverless race cars to compete in first-ever challenge at Speedway
The Indy Lights-style cars will be outfitted with sophisticated sensors to recognize their (quickly changing) surroundings. The cars then will rely on their programming to navigate the oval at speeds expected to reach 100 miles per hour.
You don’t need to be a coder to be part of upcoming 5G sports hackathon
About 300 techies, designers and other young specialists are expected to descend on Butler University next week to participate in the AT&T 5G Sports Hackathon, with $100,000 in prize money up for grabs.
Q&A: Franklin College President Kerry Prather projects more growth, bigger fundraising
Prather became acting president in January 2020, shortly after the board of trustees terminated the employment of the college’s previous president, Thomas Minar. In March, the board announced that Prather will continue to lead the institution until at least July 2024.
IU to pay McRobbie additional $582,000 for consulting services
Documents obtained from IU by a law professor indicate trustees initially approached then-IU President Michael McRobbie about extending his contract six months in case a search for a new president lasted beyond his retirement date.
IBJ Podcast: Pete the Planner explains how to pay (and how not to pay) for college
Host Mason King talks with Peter “Pete the Planner” Dunn this week about when parents need to start saving, what savings vehicles to use and whether parents should go into debt to fund their kids’ education.
Move over 5G — 6G is coming and Purdue is looking to lead the way
Purdue and the Purdue Research Foundation this week launched the “Lab to Life” digital innovation platform—which it’s calling L2L—in Purdue Discovery Park District, next to the school’s campus in West Lafayette.
Butler to start construction on esports center after pandemic delay
Officials, who have not put a price tag on the project, say it will be finished in time for the 2022 fall semester.
Purdue, foundation to build hypersonic technologies center at West Lafayette’s Aerospace District
Purdue did not release a cost for the center, which will be administered by a new not-for-profit consortium that includes Rolls-Royce North America. The project comes on top of two other new aerospace projects the school announced in recent days.