Indiana University officially launches Capital Campus in Washington, DC
Indiana University has officially launched its new Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., establishing a permanent presence in the nation’s capital to expand opportunities for students, advance academic research and policy engagement, and deepen IU’s connections with government, policy, nonprofit and industry partners.
Located at 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW near embassies, peer universities and leading global institutions, the eight-story Capital Campus will serve as IU’s hub for academic programming, research collaboration and strategic partnerships in Washington.
By bringing our students, faculty and alumni closer to the institutions and conversations shaping our world, we are opening doors to life-changing experiences, elevating IU research and preparing tomorrow’s leaders to serve with purpose and impact,” said Pamela Whitten, president of Indiana University. “Through the Capital Campus, our students will gain the real-world experience they need to lead in Indiana and beyond.”
The Capital Campus will connect students across disciplines with internships, coursework, immersive learning and alumni networking opportunities throughout Washington. The facility also aims to raise the visibility of IU research and scholarship among Washington stakeholders, including policymakers and business leaders.
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From the Heartland to the Hill: IU regional students explore opportunity in Washington, DC
Learn more about IU’s Capital Campus
IU Bloomington celebrates America 250
IU Bloomington will continue celebrating America’s 250th all of 2026. The campus officially kicked off the celebrations on President’s Day (January 19).
The Lilly Library at IU is hosting an exhibition, “The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, The Moment” through December 18, 2026. It features one of the nation’s remaining copies of the Dunlap Broadside — the first version of the Declaration of Independence that was printed by John Dunlap on the night of July 4, 1776.
IU’s Center on Representative Government hosted a workshop culminating in Indiana teachers creating new lesson materials centered around the 250th anniversary of the United States establishing independence. In addition, IU Libraries have curated America 250 resources from the Education Library.
Finally, a Biochemistry lab at IU Bloomington collects wild brewer’s yeast that was used to flavor a new America 250 beer. Bloomington’s Upland Brewing Company created “Declaration of Fermentation,” a beer crafted from a colonial-era recipe with wild yeast collected from 250-year-old oak trees.
Plan your America 250 tour
Historic treasures safeguarded by IU help Indiana teachers create civics lessons
Check out IU Libraries America 250 resources
Biochemistry lab at IU collects wild brewer’s yeast that flavors new America 250 beer
Learn more about IU Bloomington’s America 250 initiative
State Update
This month’s State Update features: Fairbanks School and Indiana Department of Health launching an academic health department partnership; IU’s K-12 Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program providing another career pathway; Kelley School’s opening their new AI course designed specifically for business professionals to the general public; IU School of Medicine-led project studying the effect of immune cell aging on Parkinson’s risk; and the latest Indy Sports Poll conducted by the IU Indianapolis Sports Innovation Institute showing sports strengthen city pride.
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Federal Update
This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional, Executive Branch, and Judicial Branch of interest in Washington, D.C.
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Previous editions
Economic Engagement Update
New degree and certificate programs approved to meet growing workforce demand, critical shortages
Several new degree and certificate programs at Indiana University campuses across the state will prepare students for high-demand careers in health care, biomedical engineering, data science, global finance and laboratory medicine.
The programs, approved by the IU Board of Trustees during its June meeting, respond to critical workforce shortages and emerging opportunities in bioscience, engineering, artificial intelligence, diagnostic medicine, international trade and data-driven research.
The new degrees await final approval from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
Learn more about IU's new degree and certificate programs
Kelley graduate pitches her phone accessory startup through IU summit
A week after walking the stage in cap and gown during commencement at Indiana University Bloomington, Aspen Villas was standing in front of a crowd once again.
But this time, the newly minted IU Kelley School of Business graduate was front and center to pitch her startup company to IU-affiliated entrepreneurs and investors — including the billionaire co-founder of Broadcast.com — at the IU Founders and Funders Network Venture Summit at the Henke Hall of Champions in Bloomington.
Villas’ pitch at the summit was the culmination of three whirlwind years in which she went from a senior-year liberal arts transfer student to a Master of Science in Management graduate with over $26,000 of seed funding for PilliPop, an accessory that attaches with magnets or adhesives to the back of a phone to discreetly store and carry medications or small daily essentials.
“IU Innovates pushed me a ton,” said Villas, who was one of only eight students affiliated with the university’s startup hub who were chosen to pitch at the event. “None of it would have been possible without the people helping move me forward. I’ve learned so much in just a year of being at IU Innovates. My life would have been totally different without it or IU — definitely not as fulfilling or interesting.”
Learn more about IU Innovates affiliates who presented businesses at the IU Founders and Funders Network Venture Summit
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Learn more about IU Ventures
IU names David Rosenberg inaugural president and CEO of IU Inc.
David Rosenberg has been named the inaugural president and CEO of IU Inc., the Indiana University-affiliated entity that will accelerate IU’s research impact through expanded and enhanced partnerships with industry, startups and government.
IU Inc. was created to serve as the front door for companies and public-sector partners seeking to collaborate with IU’s more than $1 billion research enterprise. In his role as president and CEO, Rosenberg will lead the organization’s work to expand commercialization and activate major industry-research collaborations that translate IU research into new technologies, treatments and solutions that improve lives in Indiana and beyond.
Rosenberg will continue to serve as the inaugural president and CEO of the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, or IU LAB, IU’s flagship academic-industry initiative to advance Indiana’s global leadership in bioscience discovery, commercialization and talent development, in addition to his leadership of IU Inc.
Learn more about David Rosenberg's new role with IU Inc.
Learn more about IU Inc.
Learn more about IU LAB
IU in the News
University operating budget approved for 2026-27
The Indiana University Board of Trustees approved a $4.7 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2027 during its June 12 business meeting.
The budget continues to prioritize functional expenses for instruction and academic support, where investments have increased by nearly 30% since 2021. This is in addition to the university’s expansive research enterprise, which became the first in the state to surpass $1 billion, a 34% increase since 2021.
The fiscal year 2027 budget carries forward $60 million in state funding cuts made in the 2025 legislative session, part of the overall $100 million in targeted reductions made in fiscal year 2026. In addition, the budget includes an additional $20 million general fund reduction and requires campuses and units across the university to absorb a 3% salary pool increase within existing resources.
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IU names executive vice president for university clinical affairs and dean of IU School of Medicine
Indiana University has named healthcare innovator and orthopedic surgeon-scientist Dr. Scott D. Boden as executive vice president for university clinical affairs and dean of the IU School of Medicine, the nation’s largest medical school.
A forward-thinking leader in academic medicine, Boden joins the IU School of Medicine as it strengthens its role in training the next generation of physicians and driving Indiana’s leadership in life sciences and healthcare innovation. He will be the 11th dean in the IU School of Medicine’s 123-year history.
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IU collaboration to use AI in identifying possible drug targets for Alzheimer’s patients
A new multimillion-dollar project will bring together researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine and the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering as they work to solve one of medical science’s greatest needs: Identifying new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
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