‘Shining Jewel’ at Purdue Touts Impact
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPurdue University's Discovery Park in West Lafayette says its $200 million in new facilities and technology are “transforming” how researchers and students address global issues. The interdisciplinary research hub recently surpassed the $1 billion mark in sponsored research, private gifts and endowments it has generated. One of Discovery Park's main goals is to solve the country's “innovation deficit” and Executive Director Alan Rebar says up to 10 jobs are created for every $1 million in funding Discovery Park helps bring about for research. Purdue has released a video created with the help of a Chicago-based studio to highlight the hub's contributions. January 19, 2015
News Release
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (January 13, 2015) – Purdue's Discovery Park, which reached the $1 billion milestone this year for the amount of generated sponsored research, private gifts and endowments, is releasing a new video highlighting its role in fostering interdisciplinary research and connecting faculty with research partners.
The Discovery Park Office of Engagement and the Purdue Office for Research and Partnerships teamed with Purdue Marketing and Media to produce and the develop the creative concept of the video, titled “Purdue's Discovery Park: Where Connections Are Made.”
The three-minute video features an action-sketch storyline with graphic visualization from Chicago-based Ink Factory Studio, showcasing Discovery Park's mission to advance interdisciplinary research on campus.
“Discovery Park started as an experiment but has now shown that it could be a shining jewel for Purdue,” Suresh Garimella, Purdue executive vice president for research and partnerships, says in the video.
Leading Purdue faculty members discuss how Discovery Park is advancing global efforts in areas ranging from energy, cancer treatment, nanotechnology, drug discovery and the environment to health care, life sciences, and innovative learning in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Discovery Park is a wonderful connector,” says Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science.
Launched on campus in 2001, Discovery Park has created nearly 150,000 square feet of new research laboratory space and 100,000 square feet of office and meeting space in $200 million worth of new facilities, and another $34 million in new laboratory and research equipment.
The new research and office buildings are the Birck Nanotechnology Center, Bindley Bioscience Center, Mann Hall, Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Hall for Discovery and Learning Research, along with two that opened to researchers this fall – the Drug Discovery Facility and the Bindley Multidisciplinary Cancer Research Facility.
“The great thing about Discovery Park is when you bring together all of these faculty and students from different backgrounds, they are able to dream a little bit… what actually is happening in the world today,” says Alan Rebar, executive director of Discovery Park and senior associate vice president for research at Purdue.
Used for tour groups, industry visits, marketing materials and promotional events, the video also shows how $200 million worth of new facilities, laboratories and equipment is transforming how Purdue researchers and students are addressing some of the world's biggest problems.
With a $26 million lead grant from the Lilly Endowment, significant funding was received to help Purdue launch the Birck Nanotechnology Center, Bindley Bioscience Center, Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship and the e-Enterprise Center during Discovery Park's first phase in 2001-02. Formation of the Discovery Learning Research Center came shortly thereafter.
Through a second Lilly Endowment grant totaling $25 million in January 2005, Purdue nearly doubled Discovery Park's size, adding the Cyber Center, Energy Center, Center for Environment and Oncological Sciences Center. In addition, Purdue committed to raising $3 million for an endowment for additional financial support for these centers.
Source: Purdue University