Wabash, one of the largest trailer manufacturers in the nation, will spend the next three years collaborating with Purdue on an R&D project resulting in a device that enables trailers to recapture their own electricity from vibrations, heat and airflow.

Why they choose Purdue, how mom Emily has helped support Nina in her journey and their praise for the support of women in engineering at Purdue.

How mother/daughter pair Katherine and Jennifer Rumsey have supported each other and felt supported as women engineers in West Lafayette, and the long history of Purdue providing leadership, development, engagement and connection for women in engineering.

Jie Chen, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering in Indianapolis, focuses his research on dental biomechanics with an emphasis on orthodontics. Chen hopes his methods will help orthodontics to be more effective and efficient. In his energy efficiency research, he hopes to develop tools geared toward small- and medium-sized companies. For Dr. Chen, being under the Purdue umbrella in Indianapolis is important because of the resources provided by Purdue while being in close proximity to the industry in the capital city.

April Savoy, an assistant professor of industrial engineering in Indianapolis, discusses her expertise in industrial engineering, human factors engineering and computer science. With a background researching health information technology, she hopes to improve situational awareness of clinicians and patients and their shared decision-making. Savoy is excited about the increased access to Purdue engineering resources, internship opportunities and the transformations in health care associated with it.

There’s a lot more to the wonder drugs that provide life-changing treatments than the research breakthroughs that enable them. Just because you make something work in a lab doesn’t mean you can produce it at scale, especially given the fact that pharmaceuticals are inherently unstable. After discovery of the novel substance (molecule) comes follow-on steps like manufacturing (at acceptable yields), packaging, quality assurance, storage/preservation, logistics/transportation, and regulatory approval — all obstacles to overcome so the new therapeutic’s benefits can be realized across society, including remote, underserved populations. Elizabeth Topp and Alina Alexeenko discuss the ins and outs of advanced pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing — including in space — and the nexus of Purdue and Indiana as a powerhouse in this strategic economic and social impact sector.

At Purdue, classroom, lab and seminar learning is the springboard for a student's deep dive into their passions. Purdue students are not only excelling in foundational tenets taught in that traditional academic setting — they are spilling out after class to join or start clubs and organizations, collaborating across disciplines with other students and faculty, entering national and international competitions, and hosting national expos in their fields. They are developing professionally by learning hands-on at industry level via internships and experiential co-ops, and launching research and startups to take their pursuits to a whole new level. This episode of Engenuity features two students who are taking part in the intellectual and innovation ferment — in their case, in space and robotics — that is bubbling across the Purdue campus.

Carys, Brian and Ishita love that their majors at Purdue University in Indianapolis empower them to take classes they are truly passionate about.

Explore student life in Indianapolis.