Dimensions of Discovery: Karen Plaut’s January Introduction

Dear Colleagues,  

In January, Purdue announced a major new academic-industry collaboration focused on pharmaceuticals. Under this agreement, researchers from Eli Lilly and Company, Merck and Purdue will work together to revolutionize pharmaceutical manufacturing.

This prompted me to share some thoughts about the many research collaborations we have at Purdue.

The importance of collaborations and partnerships on delivering meaningful research cannot be overstated. Universities like Purdue operate as hubs of innovation by bringing together different schools of thought, perspectives and approaches to solve real-world problems.

Our varied collaborations are regularly highlighted in Dimensions of Discovery. These include collaborations with industry, national laboratories, governmental bodies, other universities and across Purdue colleges and disciplines.

In addition to the pharmaceutical manufacturing initiative mentioned above, this edition includes news of collaborations focused on semiconductors (SK hynix grant for AI semiconductor facility and R&D center), national defense (PARI students successfully test full-scale, additively manufactured scramjet), and digital forestry (New iForester app puts tree knowledge in the public’s pockets).

Collaborations that have been highlighted in earlier editions focused on addressing global challenges as wide-ranging as environmental safety, personalized medicine for cancer patients, AI-assisted autonomous aviation transportation, wireless vehicle charging, and nuclear energy.

By leveraging each partner’s unique expertise and perspectives, research collaborations can accelerate problem solving and lead to new technologies, products and services that benefit society at large.

Looking to the future, research collaborations will continue to be important for creating meaningful impact, and I encourage researchers to seek out collaborative opportunities.

Thanks,

Karen