The Indiana University Council for Regional Engagement and Economic Development, or CREED, held its first meeting of the 2017-18 academic year Sept. 13 on the IUPUI campus.
David Gard provided updates from the university, including the opening of the $45 million Arts and Sciences building at IU Northwest; partnerships in the first Internet of Things laboratory at Launch Fishers and The Union 525 in downtown Indianapolis; and the new names of the School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering and the School of Art, Architecture and Design.
Tom Guevara, director of the IU Public Policy Institute, provided highlights from its 25-year history. The institute offers unbiased research on public policy issues, enabling decision-makers to create policies that work well for their regions. Its clients include state and local government, federal agencies, and not-for-profit agencies, although occasionally it has commercial clients.
Guevara said the Public Policy Institute will expand throughout the state, making use of multiple channels to share information with regional campuses about its work. It will celebrate its 25th year with a symposium on the implementation of practices outlined in the Thriving Communities, Thriving State program.
Keith Belton, director of the Manufacturing Policy Initiative, spoke about its focus on public policies affecting the U.S. manufacturing sector. The initiative is part of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Belton said Indiana leads the nation in the manufacturing sector’s share of employment and GDP. The sector’s real output in the nation has increased over the past 30 years, not including recessions, but employment in the sector has declined.
The Manufacturing Policy Initiative focuses on productivity, workforce, trade and national security. Its target audiences include policymakers, manufacturers, and researchers and analysts. Among other work, it is encouraging the creation of a course in manufacturing policy in Bloomington in the fall 2018 semester.
Carrie Docherty, interim associate dean for community and global engagement at the School of Public Health, said the school tracks faculty engagements with industry and communities. Faculty have established more than 500 partnerships; 40 percent are in Indiana, 40 percent are in other states and 20 percent are international. An internal database was launched so that visitors can learn about work being conducted by IU faculty and staff in these partnerships.
Among the school’s state initiatives are area health education centers, which are funded by a federal program that serves medically underserved states. Other initiatives include the Indiana Prevention Resource Center to address addictive behaviors and the Lawrence County Domestic Violence Coalition. The school is in the midst of conducting a robust, systemic community health needs assessment.
Docherty said the School of Public Health offers several certificates, courses and webinars — some of which are free — for residents across the state. These online courses are self-guided.
Campus Spotlight — IU Bloomington
Kirk White and Joe Carley from the IU Office of the Vice President for Engagement spoke about the IU Bloomington campus, including the fall 2017 student enrollment, faculty/staff positions and operating budget.
White told the group about the IU Health Bloomington Hospital and Academic Health Center, slated to open in 2020. It will include 620,000 square feet of hospital space and 115,000 square feet of academic space for medicine, dentistry, speech and hearing, nursing, optometry, and social work researchers.
White outlined partnerships with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division and the importance of keeping the relationship strong. He also summarized several collaborations between the university and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Carley outlined the formation of the Applied Research Institute, which has received more than $16 million in funding. Its goal is to coordinate multi-institutional research collaborations among IU, Purdue, NSWC Crane and industry. It will target large, multi-institutional awards and contracts. He also shared focus areas, approaches and methodologies of the Center for Rural Engagement.
RED Fund
CREED approved a $2,500 Regional Economic Development, or RED, Fund grant – matched by $2,500 from IU Northwest’s School of Business and Economics – for a workshop titled “All in the Family: Helping Small Family Businesses in Northwest Indiana Develop a Cost-effective Business Strategy.” The workshop was proposed by Cynthia Roberts, dean of the School of Business and Economics. Participants will receive a step-by-step template to develop and implement a business strategy for their family-run organizations.
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