Review & Highlights

Community Impact Summit

March 4, 2025

West Lafayette, IN

The Inaugural Community Impact Summit Brings Changemakers Together to Leverage Resources for the Greater Good

The Office of Engagement at Purdue University hosted the inaugural Community Impact Summit on March 4—an event that brought together more than 140 changemakers including faculty, innovators, community leaders, and philanthropic partners to amplify collective efforts for community transformation.

The Community Impact Summit was designed to foster collaboration, spark ideas, and launch new partnerships, catering to both seasoned engagement champions and newcomers interested in exploring Purdue’s impact initiatives. Adam Gamoran, president of the William T. Grant Foundation, set the tone for the day with a keynote address on the imperative for higher education to strengthen community impact efforts.

By bringing together innovators, faculty, and changemakers, we are creating new pathways for engagement that translate into real, measurable impact.

– Roberto Gallardo

140+

Changemakers in Attendance

16

Purdue Collaborations Highlighted

30+

Partner Community Organizations in Attendance

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Building Bridges Through the 3 Pillars Panel

Virgina Vought, executive director of Central Indiana engagement, moderated the 3 Pillars Panel on the intersection of engagement with teaching and research. Panelists included:

With calls to action ranging from enhanced data sharing to better communicating impact, the conversation emphasized the importance of breaking down silos and creating an integrated system for university innovation to align with community needs. “Engagement doesn’t need to stand alone—in some of Purdue’s best collaboration models, engagement converges with teaching and research to ensure efforts are not only impactful, but scholarly and sustainable as well,” said Vought.

Engagement doesn’t need to stand alone—in some of Purdue’s best collaboration models, engagement converges with teaching and research to ensure efforts are not only impactful, but scholarly and sustainable as well.

– Virginia Vought

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Lightning Talks from Purdue Thought Leaders: Spotlighting Exemplary Collaborations

Summit storytellers Natalia Rodriguez and Ellen Schellhase shared their personal experiences of long-term university-community collaborations, both global and hyper-local.

Natalia Rodriguez, associate professor of public health and biomedical engineering in the College of Health and Human Sciences, delved into the opportunity for novel technologies to address health disparities, including among unhoused populations. Her collaborations in Greater Lafayette leverage translational science to improve health outcomes.

Ellen Schellhase, clinical professor and director of international engagement in the College of Pharmacy, highlighted her global health initiatives through engagement and education with the Purdue Kenya Partnership. She discussed walking a path of engagement within communities by following the African proverb that says, “If you want to walk fast go alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.

“Leading with care calls for work teamwork and listening to community partner needs,” said Schellhase.

Collaborative science is the best science. The information that we learn from the community every day changes the way we do science and changes what we know about public health and disease prevention.

– Natalia Rodriguez

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Celebrating Excellence: The Purdue + Community Partner Impact Awards

The inaugural Purdue + Community Partner Impact Awards recognized exceptional individuals and programs exemplifying engaged scholarship. Honoring faculty, community partners, and rising stars in engagement, the JoAnn Miller Exemplary Community Partner Award, Engaging Rising Star Award, and Engaged Unit/Program Award celebrate the spirit of reciprocal partnerships that drive lasting change.

The Rising Star Award was awarded to Jennifer DeBoer for her work on engineering education in crisis contexts, particularly empowering youth to become agents of change, and to Amanda Deering for her expertise in produce safety translated into impactful community-engaged scholarship. The Engaged Unit Award was awarded to the School of Languages and Cultures, which demonstrates a strong commitment to community engagement. The JoAnn Miller Award was awarded to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for collaborations with Purdue’s Experience Design Laboratory and other programs.

Learn more about the award winners.

In addition to the award winners, Gallardo announced the appointment of Jason Ware, clinical associate professor & director of engaged scholar development in the John Martinson Honors College, as Office of Engagement fellow. Ware will support faculty development by offering scholarship of engagement and community impact training in multiple modalities.

We love our partnership with Purdue because there’s such a natural alignment in our missions, and we’re excited to see where that can expand going forward.

– Natalie Lyon
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

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The Engagement Exchange

The Engagement Exchange was the roundtable collaboration of the summit, offering attendees an interactive look into seven exemplary Purdue-community collaborations. The exchange was not just an exhibition but a dynamic discussion on best practices, resource-sharing, and sustainable impact strategies. This exchange showcased the variety and depth of engagement possibilities between universities and community partners, providing inspiration and sparking new connections.

Gamifying the Museum Experience with ‘Take Me to Peru’

Experience Design Laboratory + The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

  • Presenters: Michael J. Cole, assistant professor of practice and Josh Polk, assistant professor of practice, Purdue Polytechnic Institute

Empowering Entrepreneurs & Reducing Methane Emissions

Food Entrepreneurship & Manufacturing Institute (FEMI) + CH4 Global

  • Presenters: Dharmendra Mishra, associate professor of food science and Allie Kingery, managing director, FEMI

The Road to Community Collaboration in Fountain County

Center for Community Health Enhancement and Learning + Fountain County Health Department

  • Presenter: Korey Jackson, lead HEAL analyst

Data-Driven Food Distribution

Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering + Food Finders Food Bank

  • Presenters: Aaron A. Ramsey, senior director of industry relations and Mirela Jeknic, graduate teaching assistant

Enhancing the Crossroads of America in Partnership

Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) + Tippecanoe County

  • Presenter: Meredith Camp, LTAP Assistant Director for Operations

A Mathematical Solution to Nonprofit Staffing Complexities

Mitch Daniels School of Business + Noble of Indiana

  • Presenter: Will Haskell, assistant professor, supply chain and operations management

Beyond Town & Gown Relations to Lafayette Neighborhood Revitalization & Engagement

Transformative Scholarship Research Generator + City of Lafayette

  • Presenter: Jason Ware, clinical associate professor & director of engaged scholar development

We are truly grateful to our community partners for their unwavering support and collaboration. The inaugural Community Impact Summit demonstrates the power of our collective impact when we come together as a community.

– Dimitrios Peroulis
Senior Vice President for Partnerships and Online

Continued Momentum, Lasting Impact

The ideas and connections generated at the March summit are a foundation for more to come. Purdue and its partners remain committed to collaborating on solutions that benefit communities in Indiana and beyond.

“The Community Impact Summit showcased the incredible power of collaboration between Purdue and our community partners. By bringing together innovators, faculty, and changemakers, we are creating new pathways for engagement that translate into real, measurable impact. This is just the beginning—we are committed to sustaining these partnerships and amplifying our collective efforts to drive meaningful change in Indiana and beyond,” said Gallardo.

If you were unable to attend the summit and wish to learn more, event materials can be found here.

Photography for the Community Impact Summit event was provided by Lena Kovalenko.