Indianapolis, IN
Purdue University expands academic offerings in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Purdue University has completed its inaugural academic year in Indianapolis, underscoring its growing role as a driver of innovation, workforce development and economic growth in Indiana’s capital city.
The 2024-25 academic year marked a strategic expansion for the university, with significant advancements in academic offerings and partnerships with industry leaders. Purdue’s presence in Indianapolis is seen as a critical extension of its mission to create job-ready graduates and serve the state through applied learning and innovation.
Dan Hasler, chief operating officer for Purdue in Indianapolis, said, “In just one year, we’ve seen tremendous momentum in how Purdue is engaging with students, employers and the broader Indianapolis community. This is about creating a new kind of college experience that is both urban and deeply connected to opportunity.”
Purdue plans to launch at least six new undergraduate and graduate programs in the next two years — a 46% and 60% increase, respectively — focused on high-demand sectors such as advanced manufacturing, sports science, construction technology and pharmaceutical engineering.
Expanding industry partnerships
The university has established relationships with 55 companies in the region, offering students access to internships, co-ops, research projects and full-time employment in fields including biosciences, tech, pharmaceuticals and engineering.
This alignment between academic programming and employer needs is part of Purdue’s core strategy for its Indianapolis campus.
“We’re seeing a new type of student applicant — one that covets a Purdue degree but wants a more urban experience that makes it easier to work while they’re in school,” Hasler said. “We believe that by giving students experience with companies in a major city center, those relationships will make them more likely to stay after graduation, which is one of our primary objectives in helping to promote brain gain.”
Rather than centralizing its operations in one location, Purdue has embedded itself throughout Indianapolis, establishing 10 physical sites through partnerships with organizations such as Elanco, Dallara and SpectronRx. These locations span from downtown to the northwest side, weaving Purdue into the city’s innovation and industry corridors.
‘One Purdue’ model
The expansion also deepens the connection between Purdue’s Indianapolis and West Lafayette campuses. More than 30,000 rides were logged this year on the Campus Connect shuttle, linking the two sites and encouraging academic and research collaboration.
Faculty and students benefit from shared programs, including EPICS (a service-learning design initiative), Vertically Integrated Projects and The Data Mine — all of which focus on experiential, interdisciplinary education.
“Indianapolis brings unique opportunities that we can’t replicate and execute in West Lafayette and vice versa, but this is One Purdue,” said David Umulis, Purdue’s senior vice provost for Indianapolis. “Our students and faculty at both locations can take advantage of tremendous experiential learning, connection and research opportunities while truly enjoying the best of both worlds.”
Looking ahead
As Purdue wraps its first year in Indianapolis, university leaders say the expansion is not only a success in terms of logistics, but a model for what urban research universities can accomplish.
With new programs on the horizon and growing support from the Indianapolis community and industry partners, Purdue’s presence in the city is expected to continue expanding. The university’s urban campus is helping to build a strong talent pipeline and stimulate long-term economic development for the region.
“This is more than a campus — it’s a statewide strategy,” Hasler said. “We’re building a future where innovation, education and opportunity intersect to benefit all of Indiana.”
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Democrat Andrea Hunley to seek bid for mayor’s job in 2027
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat representing Indianapolis, has announced her candidacy for a bid to run for mayor of Indianapolis in 2027.
Hunley, who had previously teased a mayoral run, has scheduled a launch event for May 8 as her official kickoff her campaign to lead the city, said her campaign website. The Assistant Minority Leader in the Senate announced in January that she would not seek another term in the Indiana Senate, to which she was elected in 2022.
Hunley’s website says, “Indianapolis is my city. Our city. As someone who knows this city, someone who has served this community as a public school teacher leading our children and supporting families, I am committed to the future of the people of Indianapolis.
“Indianapolis is the economic driver and a key cultural hub for our state. Our city boasts creative entrepreneurs and long-standing local businesses, vibrant neighborhoods and corporate headquarters, community-centered nonprofits and public schools. I aim to champion a better quality of life by listening to and working alongside the people, businesses and neighborhoods that make up our great city.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett has not disclosed if he’s seeking a fourth four-year term.
City-County Council Member Vop Osili in January announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination.
In the same month, Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson announced her intention to seek the Democratic nomination to run for mayor. She’s running this year to continue in the trustee’s job, which she has held since 2019.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who had been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for mayor, announced in January he would seek another four-year term this year for his current job. However, he did not rule out running for the Democratic bid for mayor in 2027.
Indianapolis, IN
Louisville native set to make debut in Indianapolis 500
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – While Louisville is famous for one race in May, a Derby City native is set to make his first appearance in a different iconic May race.
Jacob Abel will be making his first appearance in the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, racing for Abel Motorsports, founded by his father, Bill Abel.
“I am excited and grateful to be able to return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to have a shot at the Indianapolis 500. It’s been a lifelong dream to compete in that race and to have the opportunity to do it with Abel Motorsports and Chevrolet makes it even more special,” Jacob said.
Both Abels, the driver and the team, had breakout years in 2024 with three pole positions and three wins in the INDY NXT drivers’ championship, propelling the 25-year-old driver to the NTT INDYCAR Series the following year.
Practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 begins on Tuesday, May 12 with qualifying being held on May 16 and May 17. The race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway goes green on May 24, coverage begins at 10 a.m.
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.
Indianapolis, IN
IMPD: Man stabbed in downtown Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — A person was stabbed in downtown Indianapolis Sunday evening.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets around 8:28 p.m. to investigate a stabbing. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult male victim with apparent stab wounds.
IMPD has confirmed that the victim was transported from the scene to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.
Investigators believe the stabbing “stemmed from a disturbance between multiple individuals and the victim.”
IMPD has reported that it has not identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest at this point in its investigation of the stabbing. Police have indicated that they are hoping witnesses come forward with information that can help them identify or locate the suspects.
“The officers now are doing a complete investigation,” IMPD Lieutenant Frank Wooten said during a media briefing Sunday night. “They’re going to investigate this to the best of their ability. We’re going to try to locate our suspect, arrest the suspect, prosecute the suspect and hold that suspect accountable for this heinous crime in Indianapolis. This is not an indication of what our city is about. This is not an indication of what we do downtown, and we hold this to be very serious. So, we will hold whoever did this responsible for their actions tonight.”
Sunday night’s stabbing represented a continuation of a violent weekend in downtown Indianapolis.
Early Sunday morning, two men were critically injured in a shooting near a White Castle on South Street. Before that shooting occurred, police arrested two juveniles on gun charges at Monument Circle.
Police also conducted a shooting investigation near the Hilton hotel located at 120 W. Market St. around 4 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in that shooting.
Elsewhere in the city, a person was injured in a shooting in a CVS parking lot on Kentucky Avenue Saturday evening. Another individual was killed in a shooting outside a residence in the 2300 block of South Pennsylvania Street Saturday night.
Public police reporting systems indicate IMPD has investigated nine shootings that caused injuries since midnight Saturday. During that same timeframe, IMPD has investigated six shootings that did not result in any injuries and five stabbings.
Numbers available on shootings and stabbings in IMPD’s public reporting system may not be complete, as some reports on weekend shootings and stabbings may not have been entered yet.
“This is not what we want Indianapolis to be,” Wooten said. “This is not what we expect out of the citizens of Indianapolis. We expect them to be safe, come downtown and have a good time, and be able to go home the same way they came down here. So, we will hold these suspects, once located, accountable for this crime.”
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