2024 in Review: A Year of Growth and Innovation

As 2024 draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on an extraordinary year made possible by you. Starting July 1, 2024, we started writing a new chapter in our history as IU Indianapolis. Thanks to you, this new chapter is being defined by innovation, collaboration, and our community’s shared commitment to building a brighter future.

Since coming to IU Indianapolis in February 2024, thanks to the hard work of several faculty and staff, we launched new partnerships, including our seamless admissions initiative, the collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to establish a new co-op program to strengthen workforce development in central Indiana and a dual admission program with Ivy Tech, eliminating barriers, hence improve access for transfer students,

Innovation was a central theme throughout 2024, with initiatives such as an interactive map highlighting Frederick Douglass’ enduring legacy, the creation of commemorative eclipse posters by Herron School of Art + Design students, and the designation of the video game preservation lab as a museum-status collection. The announcement of the James T. Morris Arena, a state-of-the-art multipurpose athletics center set to energize downtown Indianapolis, further exemplified our commitment to transformative spaces. Meanwhile, the debut of Lexia: An AI Opera combined artificial intelligence with the arts, highlighting the culture of innovation that our faculty is known for.   

We appointed inaugural leaders for the Convergent Bio Science and Technology Institute, and the Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing. These investments are intended to support the work of our faculty in improving health outcomes. The recently announced $138 million gift from the Lilly Endowment is a testament to the trust that the community has in the work we do that will improve health outcomes for our citizens.

As we close out the year, two significant scholarship announcements underscore the generosity and commitment of our supporters. Thanks to a $2.8 million gift from IU alumni Lacy M. Johnson and his wife Patricia, the Lacy and Patricia Johnson Scholars Scholarship will provide financial assistance to Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) students accepted to IU Indianapolis, offering five IPS graduates up to $5,000 annually. Additionally, a $1 million endowment created by Kent Hawryluk in honor of a beloved former dean, Simon J. Rhodes, will provide ongoing support for students in the School of Science.

Thanks to your work, we have experienced a lot of momentum and a whole lot of change in a short period of time on campus. While I celebrate these accomplishments, I also want to acknowledge the very real fatigue that comes with them. We are accomplishing more with less, even as we become more agile in the process. Ongoing conversations with deans about the challenges and opportunities within each school and college have been very helpful, and I’ve also been meeting with students and speaking to classes to better understand their experiences. My goal is to find meaningful ways to support our students, staff, and faculty, and to listen deeply so we can transform challenges into solutions together.

In all this, I want you to know that the work you do and the impact you have on our community is truly inspirational. Our community and our city appreciate you, and I, for one, am deeply grateful.

To everyone who made this inaugural year memorable: thank you. As we look toward 2025, let’s continue to celebrate all we’ve accomplished and embrace the possibilities the new year holds. Wishing you all happy holidays and a joyous New Year!

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor