Event

Community Impact Summit

“When you harness the power of a world-class research university like Purdue and community partners practicing in the field, the ingredients are there for very potent innovations.”
Jason McManus
President & CEO, Wabash Center

Check out the 2025 Community Impact Summit review and highlights.

Join us for this special event: the Purdue Community Impact Summit and 25th Anniversary Celebration, presented by the Purdue Office of Engagement.

When

Wednesday – February 25, 2026
10:00 AM – 2:15 PM
See full agenda

 

Summit Snapshot

Purdue faculty, staff, and invited community partners: connect, learn, and celebrate at the Community Impact Summit — and join us in toasting the Purdue University Office of Engagement’s 25th year. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. for check-in and coffee. A dessert social follows the program until 3:30 p.m.

Return to your day energized by what’s possible when universities + community partners pool passion and expertise for the greater good. We can’t wait to see you there.

Agenda Highlights

  • Fireside chat with Cynthia Cardona, President of the Lilly Foundation and Vice President of Social Impact for Eli Lilly & Company
  • Celebration of the Office of Engagement’s 25th anniversary + engagement awards
  • The Engagement Exchange: interact with featured Purdue-community collaborations + Purdue engagement resources
  • Lightning talks, panels, and what’s next for Purdue + community impact in Indiana and beyond
 

What to Expect

  • Connecting community changemakers + catalyzing new collaborations
  • Recognizing exemplary community impact partnerships in Indiana and beyond
  • Showcasing inspiring Purdue & community partnerships that leverage university innovation, talent development, and other resources to make the world a better place – together
 

Awards Lunch Celebration

The Purdue Community Impact Summit Awards Lunch celebrates and rewards promising and best-in-class Purdue + community impact partnerships. Learn more about the different engagement awards below.

 

Featured Speakers

  • Cynthia Cardona

    President of the Lilly Foundation and Vice President of Social Impact for Eli Lilly & Company

    Cynthia Cardona is the head of social impact for Eli Lilly and Company, a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. She also serves as the president of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc. (the Lilly Foundation), a separate, tax-exempt, private foundation supported by donations from Eli Lilly and Company. In her capacity with the Lilly Foundation, Cynthia leads strategic initiatives and support in critical areas such as global health, STEM education, and economic mobility. Additionally, she leads Lilly’s social impact team, which envisions a world where everyone has an opportunity to live their healthiest life possible.

  • Jasmine Gonzalvo

    Chris and Theresa Dimos Director of the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation

    Jasmine D. Gonzalvo, PharmD, MPH is the Chris and Theresa Dimos Director of the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation and a Clinical Professor in the College of Pharmacy at Purdue University. She provides cardiovascular risk reduction medication management services for Eskenazi Health Pecar Health Center for a largely Spanish-speaking population in a Federally Qualified Health Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Diabetes Leadership Council and is the President of the Indiana Community Health Workers Association.

  • Sascha Harrell

    Director of Education and Workforce at Purdue University’s Indiana Manufacturing Competitiveness Center

    Sascha Harrell is the Director of Education and Workforce at Purdue University’s Indiana Manufacturing Competitiveness Center, where she oversees statewide efforts to grow Indiana’s talent pipeline and improve access to high-demand industry career paths. Her work focuses on strengthening partnerships between education and industry, developing scalable K-16 and incumbent worker training programs, and securing strategic investments that support long-term workforce and economic growth. She believes Indiana’s future depends on empowering learners to see themselves as innovators well before they enter the workforce and on recognizing that teachers are often the industry’s first recruiters. Her academic work focuses on strengthening the workforce pipeline by enhancing early STEM education and supporting educators who guide students through these experiences.

event photo

Event Agenda

9:15 AM
Doors Open
10:00 AM
Welcome & Engagement Updates
10:20 AM
Lightning Talks
10:40 AM
Community Partner Panel
11:15 AM
Fireside Chat with Cynthia Cardona, President of the Lilly Foundation
11:40 AM
Awards Luncheon & Toast to 25 Years
12:30 PM
Engagement Exchange
2:00 PM
What’s Next in Purdue Engagement
2:15 PM
Program Concludes – Dessert Social Begins
3:30 PM
Dessert Social Concludes