2024 State of the University address

State of the University address

Thank you, Danielle (DeSawal), for that introduction. I am grateful to you and your University Faculty Council co-chairs Phil Goff and Greg Dam for your dedicated service. As a longtime faculty member, I appreciate the dedication of all UFC members to shared governance. This dedication embodies our mutual belief in the power of collaboration and the understanding that it takes a community to strengthen an institution as large and complex as Indiana University.

And welcome to the faculty and staff members, students, colleagues, and community leaders who have joined us in person and online for the 2024 State of the University address.

Elevating Indiana University through the IU 2030 strategic plan

Let me begin by saying that the state of Indiana University is strong, and its future is bright and full of promise. We are dedicated to making this future even brighter for our students, our state, and higher education.

When I became president of IU, I put forth an agenda to propel IU to new heights in student success, research, and service to our great state. With a sincere commitment to this vision, I contemplated how to lead the extraordinary students, faculty, and staff of IU to succeed in these three goals. I realized that I needed to hear directly from citizens throughout our state… so I made it a priority to visit all of Indiana’s 92 counties. Having done so, I highly recommend this to all who call Indiana home.

During these trips, I enjoyed some amazing food—from savoring the world-famous fried chicken at the family-owned Brau Haus in historic Oldenburg to indulging in a top-of-the-line steak at Third and Main Restaurant in vibrant Aurora.

But the real highlight was meeting so many kind and thoughtful people and hearing firsthand how IU is making a difference in Hoosiers' everyday lives. Doing so only increased my love for this great university.

I met with Franklin School Corporation leaders in Johnson County to discuss expanding IU Columbus’ seamless admissions program to boost the area’s college-going rate. In Owen County, I spoke with senior executives at Boston Scientific’s principal manufacturing facility, which seeks innovators and problem-solvers to advance cutting-edge biomedical technologies. In Michigan City, I discussed community-centered economic inclusion with Mayor Angela Deuitch, an IU Northwest alumna. In Scott County, I met with IU Southeast alumna Jaime Toppe, whose work on “Forward Together,” a revitalization study with the New Albany campus, aims to grow high-wage jobs, increase affordable housing, and support small business development. In Jay County, I met with Rusty Inman, who helped create a partnership to sustain quality industrial maintenance training at the John Jay Center for Learning. I toured Woodlawn Hospital in Fulton County, where IU Kokomo graduate Paula McKinney is building and retaining a resilient workforce of highly trained healthcare professionals.

These initiatives underscore IU's relevance and commitment to partnerships that improve the quality of life in the Hoosier state. They highlight the university's role in fostering college readiness, driving economic development, and enhancing public health. By being actively involved in these conversations and projects, IU ensures that its educational and research efforts are aligned with the needs and aspirations of Indiana's communities.

The conversations I had with Hoosiers from all walks of life and different backgrounds confirmed for me that the progress we are making toward our ambitious IU 2030 Strategic Plan is not just helping our students but is leading to a stronger, more vibrant, and more prosperous Indiana.

IU 2030, of course, is our comprehensive initiative launched in April 2023 to guide the university’s development and growth over the next decade. It is built around three foundational pillars:

1. Enhancing student success and opportunity, including ensuring affordability and providing a student experience that prepares graduates for success at IU and beyond,
2. Fostering transformative research and creativity that can improve communities and change lives,
3. And a commitment to service, engagement, partnership, and collaboration that strengthens the vitality of Indiana, the nation, and the world.

As evidenced by the dashboards launched over the summer, all campuses have made progress toward their goals, with more than 432 initiatives supporting IU 2030 launched or completed in the first year.

However, in my first three-and-a-half years at Indiana University, I have discovered that our community is so much more than metrics. Across the state, I have witnessed the dedication and passion of our students, faculty, and staff who are committed to IU’s future and work tirelessly to enhance it. This experience has deepened my love for Indiana University and the state we serve.

Therefore, it is with great pride that I base today’s State of the University address on the theme of why I love Indiana University.

Fostering student success

Of course, one of the main reasons I love IU is its outstanding students. Their dedication, creativity, and leadership are truly inspiring and are at the heart of what makes IU exceptional.

So many of them demonstrate their leadership abilities by supporting fellow students and working to improve the quality of life for members of Hoosier communities. For example, Kaitlyn Roberts, a third-year medical student at IU School of Medicine-Fort Wayne, volunteers at Circles of Allen County, where she advocates for impoverished people and helps them find resources to improve their situations. Owen Baxter, a Kelley School of Business senior in Bloomington, founded the Sustainable Finance Club to help fellow students explore the financial system’s role in mitigating climate change. Nicole Cremasco, a senior at IU Indianapolis, serves as president of Jagathon, which has raised over $3.8 million for pediatric research at Riley Hospital for Children over the last 24 years. Nicole and her colleagues are working hard on the planning and fundraising for Jagathon 2025, to be held on February 22nd.

These are just three examples of the remarkable leadership exhibited by IU students, and there are countless others among our student body of nearly 90,000. In the past year, we have made significant strides in creating new opportunities for all of them to succeed under the first pillar of IU 2030.

Enrollment is up overall this fall, demonstrating that students and families continue to see the value and impact of an IU degree. IU Bloomington set an enrollment record for the fourth consecutive year, with 48,424 students. Enrollment also increased at IU Indianapolis, IU East, IU Kokomo, and IU South Bend.

I am proud to note that our student body is more diverse than ever, with a record number of students of color university-wide. This fall, 27,087 students of color are enrolled on our campuses, comprising 30.6 percent of the overall student body.

Our commitment to keeping an IU education affordable remains steadfast. We can all be proud that 55 percent of IU undergraduates across all campuses graduate with no student loan debt.

Our generous donors are helping ensure that an IU education remains affordable. Fundraising has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, reaching $274.7 million in Fiscal Year 2024. This included a 23 percent increase in support for student access and affordability. We are deeply grateful to our donors for their generous support, which fuels success across all three pillars of IU 2030. A major focus of our next capital campaign will be raising funds to support undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships, underscoring our commitment to ensuring that a world-class IU education remains accessible to all.

We have also launched several new innovative degree programs across the state, including a forward-thinking Community and Organizational Leadership Studies program in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Indianapolis. This program will empower students to become leaders in any sector. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education recently approved a new Bachelor of Science in Music Business that leverages the expertise of both the Kelley School of Business and the Jacobs School of Music. We also have new degrees in the pipeline in microelectronics and nanotechnology, information science, public policy, design leadership, and other emerging fields.

We are also making it easier and faster for IU students to stay on track for on-time graduation by launching one of the nation’s most comprehensive online student success tools in collaboration with technology partner Stellic. This fall, we launched features of our online platform at IU Fort Wayne, IU East, and IU Columbus, allowing students to track their progress, plan coursework, and register for classes. These features will be rolled out on the remaining regional campuses in Spring 2025 and at IU Bloomington and IU Indianapolis in Fall 2025.

We continue to make progress in improving undergraduate academic advising, including assigning each student a designated academic advisor—a practice endorsed by the literature on student retention and success. 94.7 percent of students are now assigned an advisor, up from 72.1 percent in Spring 2024.

Last year, IU was awarded nearly $1 million by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education through its 2023 College Success Program grant. This grant, which allowed us to expand student success coaches for 21st Century Scholars across all campuses, was renewed for a second year, bringing the total to just under $2 million in funding. In the first year, six IU campuses saw an increase in bachelor’s degrees earned, and six campuses plus IU Online saw improved retention of first-year scholars. With an anticipated rise in the number of 21st Century Scholars, we must continue to enhance our support for these students once they arrive on our campuses.

Because we know that students who earn multiple Ds or Fs or withdraw from multiple courses early in their college careers are far more likely to leave the institution…and that high DFW rates disproportionately affect first-generation and underrepresented minority students, we have worked to decrease DFW rates across IU in high-enrollment, lower division, 100—and 200-level courses. Since 2021, DFW rates have fallen four percentage points at IU Bloomington, 2.2 percentage points at IU Indianapolis, and 2.4 percent across the regional campuses combined. At IU Bloomington, 15 faculty have participated in the Crimson Course Transformation initiative, which focuses on adopting pedagogical techniques that bolster student success in difficult gateway classes. Similar efforts are now underway across the university.

Catalyzing transformative research and creative activity

Yet another reason I love IU is its steadfast commitment to multidisciplinary research that addresses society’s most critical needs.

Under the second pillar of IU 2030, we have committed to expanding the scope and global reach of the university’s research enterprise, with significant growth in external funding to pursue groundbreaking research and awe-inspiring cultural and creative endeavors that improve the world.

I am proud to note that IU’s research and development expenditures have increased year-over-year… from $761 million in 2021… to $980 million in 2024. This represents an increase of more than 28 percent since 2021. At this pace, we expect to exceed R&D expenditures of $1 billion soon, which will be another powerful indicator of the degree to which Indiana University is the state’s research powerhouse.

Our outstanding faculty continue to receive recognition and funding from federal agencies for their research that improves people’s lives. To cite two recent examples… Marta Venier, a professor In the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Bloomington, recently received a $7.2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue researching persistent organic pollutants, including "forever chemicals" in the Great Lakes region. Jill Inderstrodt, an assistant professor at the Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, recently received a $1.9 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control to lead a multidisciplinary team from the Fairbanks School and the Regenstrief Institute to improve the health and care of people with congenital heart defects.

IU also stands as a beacon of excellence in the arts and humanities, with its faculty training students at the highest levels and fostering remarkable achievements. The Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater exemplified this through a recent world-premiere performance with the Metropolitan Opera. Last month, the Jacobs School and the Met co-produced a groundbreaking opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon, which will open the Met’s 2025-26 season. I thoroughly enjoyed the production at Bloomington’s Musical Arts Center. It was stunning to realize that all the performers were students, as the performances were of a quality one might expect to see at the Met in New York City. This production was another example of how extraordinary talents are nurtured within our community.

In addition to the federal funding I mentioned a moment ago, IU continues to invest its resources and state allocations to support and advance our research enterprise.

Last year, IU announced a $111 million investment to enhance its leadership in microelectronics and nanotechnology, boosting the industry in Indiana and the U.S. This includes launching the Center for Reliable and Trusted Electronics, or IU CREATE, which focuses on designing and testing microelectronics for extreme environments. Last month, IU received $4 million from Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI, to advance its microelectronics research.

We are also investing over $250 million to fuel IU’s growth as a powerhouse in advancing biosciences, biomedical engineering, and health and wellness research.
This includes investing $47.4 million over the next five years at IU Bloomington to recruit new faculty members in fields related to biosciences, biotechnology, and human health. We have established two new multidisciplinary research centers at IU Indianapolis as part of this investment. In May, we appointed James Lin, a leading biomedical researcher and innovator, as the first executive director of the Convergent Bioscience and Technology Institute. In August, IU researcher Steven Boehm was appointed as the inaugural executive director of the Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing. Faculty recruitment for both institutes is ongoing.

We also recently announced the establishment of the Joint Center of Excellence for Point of Care Precision Medicine in Indianapolis in partnership with the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. The center will build on the IU School of Medicine’s research and clinical strength and the IBRI's translational expertise to advance innovation and treatments in four disease areas: diabetes and metabolism, pediatric rare diseases, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Thanks to the leadership of the Indiana General Assembly, IU is investing $60 million to significantly expand and renovate research facilities and up to $10 million to attract new STEM faculty—all at IU Indianapolis. 

The Faculty 100 hiring initiative is an ambitious investment in the Bloomington campus. It is aligned primarily with the areas of research focus identified in the IU Bloomington strategic plan, particularly key science and technology areas where enrollment has been increasing. Last year, in year two of the program, we had 940 applications across multiple searches in ten interdisciplinary areas. This year, we have had more than 2,000 applications for positions across 12 areas. So far, we have hired 24 outstanding faculty members in cybersecurity, microelectronics, applied quantum information science, physics, biology, intelligent systems engineering, and other disciplines. One of these new hires, Ankit Shah, is an assistant professor of operations and decision technologies at the Kelley School, where his research focuses on how we identify and counter cybersecurity threats through AI and machine learning technologies.

Through the Presidential Diversity Hiring Initiative, we pledged to invest $30 million over seven years to accelerate our university-wide efforts to hire faculty with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We have hired 118 new faculty members from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education and spent more than $52.6 million, exceeding our seven-year goal in less than two years. Their colleagues describe these new faculty as rising stars in their fields and magnets for vitally important federal research grants. They are world-renowned creative writers, physician-scientists, and researchers in fields that range from pediatrics to indigenous archaeology, chemistry, and history… and have served as faculty and administrators at institutions including the Mayo Clinic, the University of Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame.

The IU School of Medicine, the nation’s largest medical school, is renowned for its research programs in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular health, and cancer… and continues to grow its research enterprise. For Fiscal Year 2023, the school's researchers received more than $243 million in total funding from the National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research. Over the past five years, this has increased by over $54 million, or 28 percent. This makes the school #13 in NIH funding among all public medical schools in the country—a record best for the school. It is also impressive progress toward the school’s goal of being ranked in the top 10 public university medical schools in NIH funding.

This dedication to excellence in research is matched by IU’s commitment to service to the state of Indiana… which brings me to the next reason I love Indiana University.

Service to the state

I love IU because of its capacity for—and commitment to—even greater engagement and service to the Hoosier state.

We are Indiana’s flagship public university, and we have the reach and the resolve to help our state achieve its full potential. Under IU 2030's third pillar, we are focused on strengthening the state’s cultural and economic vitality and improving the lives of Hoosiers. 

One initiative that stands out in this regard is IU Innovates, our university-wide initiative to support students and faculty in creating and growing startup ventures. Headquartered on the Bloomington campus but serving entrepreneurs across the university, IU Innovates accelerates entrepreneurship and innovation. The demand for IU Innovates' services is high. One hundred fifty-six student entrepreneurs expressed interest in pre-incubation programming this fall, nearly quadrupling our goal. Of those, 90 students are now participating in pre-incubation activities. Alumnus Alan Dabbiere recently gave IU a $1 million unrestricted gift, which we used to establish a new Founders-in-Residence program. This program expands our team of entrepreneurs by hiring recent alumni as near-peer mentors for current and aspiring IU student entrepreneurs.

With a $16 million grant from the Indiana-based Lilly Endowment, several IU Bloomington schools and offices are partnering with the city of Bloomington and community organizations to redevelop the Bloomington Trades District. This district is envisioned as a high-activity innovation center with office, restaurant, and housing developments focused on tech employment.

As part of this grant, IU is leading a Corporate Recruitment Working Group of staff and faculty experts to help attract new businesses to Bloomington. Partnering with IU Innovates, the Trades District will create additional on-ramps for startups for faculty and recent alumni. We are also developing internships and networking opportunities for IU students with companies in the Trades District and adding public art designed by IU faculty, students, and local community members through the Trades Arts Pathway Initiative.

IU’s extensive efforts to improve Hoosier health are a major way we serve the state's citizens. In December 2021, we received a grant from IU Health to increase the enrollment of incoming undergraduate nursing students in Indianapolis by 50 percent by Fall 2025. The baseline enrollment was 140. This fall, incoming undergraduate nursing enrollment at IU Indianapolis is 247, a 76 percent increase… and the campus achieved the goal one year early! Across all IU campuses, 2,737 undergraduate nursing students are enrolled this fall.

We are also increasing rural partnerships statewide through IU’s Center for Rural Engagement, which connects the research, teaching, and service of IU Bloomington faculty, staff, and students with rural Indiana's opportunities and assets to support thriving communities. Since its creation in 2018, the center has launched 344 projects in 81 Indiana counties, mobilized more than 4,000 students to help Hoosier communities, and engaged over 53,000 Indiana residents in more than 90 communities.
A project from this past summer in Dubois County, Indiana, stands out. Jessica Pineyard, a graduate student at the IU Bloomington School of Public Health, conducted a community mental health needs assessment that uncovered some stark realities facing rural areas—provider shortages, geographic isolation, and compounding barriers that make equitable healthcare a significant challenge.

Strengthening our rural communities also serves IU students and their families. Almost 40 percent of IU’s regional campus students are from rural areas. Rural students comprise more than 60 percent of the student bodies at IU East and IU Southeast and over 73 percent at IU Kokomo.

IU Indianapolis

My deep affection for Indiana University is fueled by the incredible initiatives and successes that continuously elevate this esteemed institution. One of the most exciting and impactful developments is the historic launch of IU Indianapolis, which embodies all three pillars of the IU 2030 Strategic Plan.

The Indiana General Assembly’s 2023 investment funding to assist with the transition to IU Indianapolis was a testament to the faith our state has in our mission.

By any measure, the launch of IU Indianapolis has been a resounding success.

Applications from first-year beginner students at IU Indianapolis were up, yielding a nine percent increase in the incoming freshman class. Overall, the campus now serves 20,586 students.

Through a new seamless admissions program with Indianapolis Public Schools, we automatically admit seniors who graduated from IPS high schools with a 3.0 GPA or higher. We nearly doubled the number of students who enrolled this year from the four IPS schools in our original pilot program for this fall—Crispus Attucks, George Washington, Shortridge, and Arsenal Tech.[1] We now have ten additional schools in the Indianapolis Metropolitan area that have signed with us for seamless admissions, with more on the way.

The IU School of Science—which offered mostly Purdue degrees before this year—is now part of IU Indianapolis. 

We launched a new Department of Computer Science in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering—the nation’s first school of informatics. We received many applications for the school’s new undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. At the bachelor’s level, we have a 49 percent increase in enrolled students compared to when the program was in the Purdue School of Science.

Our new Pathway to Medicine program provides conditional admission to the IU School of Medicine for qualified freshmen directly admitted to the IU School of Science. This program makes the dream of becoming a physician more attainable and accessible to Indiana students. It is one of the ways IU invests in growing healthcare talent at a time of significant need for more Hoosier physicians to study and practice across our state. This new program is proving to be incredibly popular with students. The School of Science received 124 completed, high-quality applications for 20 spots in the program for this fall.

We are also enormously proud of the new co-op partnership with Eli Lilly and Company, which will connect undergraduates from several schools and degree programs with opportunities at Lilly. Our goal is to expand and replicate this program with other companies.

Conclusion

As you have heard this morning, the state of Indiana University is incredibly strong across all campuses. We have made remarkable progress over the past year through the 2030 Strategic Plan in enhancing student success, driving transformative research, and deepening our commitment to service across the state. But this is just the beginning. In the months ahead, we will unveil exciting new initiatives in basic research, economic development, and health sciences, all of which will have a far-reaching impact on Indiana and beyond.

As you have also heard today, my love for Indiana University runs deep.
Our beautiful campuses are among the most picturesque in the nation, with historic buildings and lush green spaces.

Our students serve their peers and work to improve the quality of life in Indiana and around the world.

Our faculty are dedicated to academic and research excellence, consistently pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation.

Our world-class galleries and performance spaces across the state contribute to Indiana’s cultural vitality and showcase the incredible talents of our students and faculty. The contributions of our creative writers enrich our literary landscape and highlight the diverse voices and stories that emerge from our university community. 
Our longstanding traditions create a sense of continuity and pride in the IU community.

We are an agile university that understands the need to pivot and address critical societal challenges, such as environmental change and public health crises.

But, for alumni and fans across the state and nation, there may be no more exciting demonstration of our agility and ability to implement change quickly than the 11-1 Hoosier football team making the College Football Playoffs! This historic season has united our community and showcased the spirit and determination that define IU.

After thousands of miles traveled on Indiana’s interstates and backroads, and after many cups of coffee and a few pork tenderloin sandwiches shared in the company of friendly Hoosiers, I am more confident than ever of Indiana University’s potential to bring on tomorrow. This confidence is shared by Indiana’s leaders, federal funding agencies, community partners, and our alumni and friends, who understand that investing in IU is investing in the future of our state and the world.

Together, we will propel IU to even greater heights, enriching lives and communities across Indiana and around the globe, taking on big challenges, pushing boundaries, and seizing opportunities. 

For as much as we all cherish Indiana University, we also recognize that its most exciting and impactful days are still ahead.

Thank you very much.

Footnotes:

[1] 44 students in Fall 2023 to 81 this year.