Serving Our Communities in Ways That Inspire Others

As the leaves turn color and hot summer days turn into cooler days, they remind us that we are in the midst of continuous change. Change, like the changing color of leaves, can be good. And as fall morphs into winter and the leaves disappear, the trees that stand tall, weathering the cold and snow, remind us that during change, we anchor to that which never changes. At IU Indianapolis, as I continue to learn, I know that some things should never change. Our core values are anchored to our fundamental humanity: respect for all, integrity and excellence in everything we do, and a mindset of humility and service. Ours is a can-do culture and we are committed to serving our communities in ways that inspire others.

Take, for instance, the work being done at the IU Indianapolis Translating Research into Practice (TRIP) Center where we celebrate scholars who translate their research into practice that then helps our communities. In reading about the history of TRIP, one is struck by the way we developed programs – always in collaboration with our communities and with the goal of translating research into real impact for those we serve. Did you know, for instance, that:

• Dr. Barbara Pierce’s research on mental health and the role of mental health services led to the award of a $5.7M grant thanks to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was then used to work with three school districts in our communities to improve mental health support for our children.
• Professor Sophia Wang’s work in collaboration with Professor Veronica Derriks led to a grant that educates members of minority communities on the importance of early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease.
• The work of Professors Garcia Wilburn and Devon Hansel who study adolescent behavior that led to a partnership with the Hope Academy Recovery High School, which allows us to improve our understanding of adolescents’ experiences and the barriers they face with respect to substance use disorder.  All of this helps create solutions for the adolescents in our communities and neighborhoods.

Not only does this work create real impact, but it also brings scholars from different disciplines together to address our biggest challenges like addiction, substance use, and health challenges. If this is the first time you are reading about TRIP, I encourage you to learn more about their work. Also, be sure to mark your calendars for their monthly conversation meetings, which are great opportunities to learn more about how your work can make a difference in our communities. The next one is scheduled for November 15, 2024, and you can register on the TRIP website.

At IU Indianapolis we take our locational endowment and our role as a steward of place very willingly and joyfully—our faculty celebrate this and our community benefits from this.

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor