ANDERSON — Purdue Polytechnic Anderson and Purdue University-Fort Wayne will share in a five-year $10 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment to expand the West Lafayette campus’ Data Mine Initiative with the Indiana Digital Crossroads initiative.
Purdue is one of 16 universities, including Anderson University, that are receiving the grants in the final phase of the endowment’s Charting the Future for Indiana's Colleges and Universities.
“This project will bring together world-leading faculty, Indiana’s business leaders and students to find innovative ways to address real-world issues facing workforce development and the economic prosperity of Indiana communities,” said Jay Akridge, Purdue provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity.
Corey Sharp, director of the Anderson campus, said the Digital Crossroads initiative will help students in any major gain real-world experience through complex data projects in industries from medicine to professional sports.
“We recently added Mechanical Engineering Technology and Robotics Engineering Technologies, both will be important to the execution of the Digital Crossroads initiative,” he said. “We will also use this opportunity to increase the capacity of our Computer and Information Technology degree.”
The Data Mine program at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus is training 600 students through partnerships with 26 businesses. That is expected to expand to 1,000 students in the next year.
That, in part, will occur with the addition of high school students.
“We will partner with many of high schools that have aligned dual-credit programs including Anderson Community Schools, Anderson Preparatory Academy, Alexandria Community Schools along with Muncie Community Schools and Daleville Community Schools,” Sharp said. “We also plan to reach out to the Purdue Polytechnic High Schools in Indianapolis.”
In addition to expanding availability by grade level, Sharp said, the grant helps expand the diversity of students able to participate in the initiative.
“Resources are also set aside to help us attract and retain students of color, first-generation college students and students who live in rural communities,” he said. “It is imperative that we increase the pipeline of talent for these high-wage high-demand technology careers.”
Madison County’s students will work primarily with 12 manufacturers and technology companies along the Interstate 69 corridor. Purdue’s organizers also are reaching out to not-for-profits and economic development officials, he said.
“We are currently working with Mursix Corp. in Yorktown and Cummins on a digital thread project that aligns with this grant,” he said. “We are also working with Vancoe Ag Technologies in Greenfield and Hello Nature in Anderson regarding an IoT (Internet of Things) test farm. Both projects are early indicators of how the Digital Crossroads project and Lilly Endowment will impact our location.”
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