Maintaining Our Strong Impact for Northwest Indiana

Dear Purdue University Northwest Community,

While we have had an unusual two weeks leading up to the start of the 2026-27 academic year, it is exciting to welcome you back to the PNW campuses.

I know many are still managing the impacts from severe weather that ravaged Northwest Indiana in July and August. Thank you to everyone who has shown incredible support for the PNW community and our neighboring areas during these challenging events. I was delighted to see many of our faculty and staff during the 2026 Year Ahead address.

It is recommended that you turn on the closed captioning and/or the transcript on YouTube to follow along with the remarks from The Year Ahead meeting held Aug. 21, 2026.

Over the summer, we continued our work to enhance facilities and resources serving students. The first floor of the Classroom Office Building (CLO) now includes renovated spaces to house PNW’s Welcome Center, the Point and the Career Center as we expand the Student Success Network on campus. These strategic updates augment ways we can best meet the various needs of our students during their academic journeys, from recruitment through graduation.

Last week, we welcomed the first student residents to Calumet Hall, which brings additional on-campus living and learning opportunities. We continue to prioritize our students with an environment where they are welcomed and supported as they pursue their education.

I am also proud of the nationally recognized profile of PNW’s academic programs and sponsored research. The university continues to earn rankings in disciplines such as engineering, nursing, computer science and psychology.

With more than $70 million earned in sponsored research funding since 2021, PNW faculty members and students are conducting investigations that are responsive to our area’s needs in energy efficiency, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, water quality, cybersecurity, physical and mental healthcare, and more. Our focus on applied learning and strengthening relationships with community and industry partners keeps PNW at the forefront of innovation in workforce development and transformational scholarship.

As our region recovers from unprecedented weather events and we begin the new academic year, I am reminded of the resilience that distinguishes our university community. No matter how great a challenge we experience, we are driven by an unshakeable determination to overcome any odds and keep our strong momentum.

I look forward to what we all will accomplish together this year. Go, Lions!

Sincerely,

Kenneth C. Holford, Ph.D.

Chancellor