Top 5 stories from Purdue University

‘Purdue News Now’

Some of the best stories from this week include more rankings success for Purdue and a new chief operating officer for Indianapolis. Derek Schultz has all the latest Boilermaker news in this week’s edition of “Purdue News Now.”

Plus, check out five good stories below you may have missed.

Purdue named the most recognized public university in U.S., No. 6 overall in Global University Visibility rankings

Purdue University continues as the most recognized public university in the nation, while climbing to the position as No. 6 overall in the world in the 2025-26 Global University Visibility rankings. Purdue was No. 4 among all U.S. universities, trailing behind only Harvard, MIT and Stanford, in the latest rankings by American Caldwell, a Washington, D.C.-based higher education market research firm. Overall, Purdue outperformed major institutions such as Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Cambridge, Yale University, University of Michigan, University of São Paulo in Brazil and University of Chicago. Purdue also was the top-ranked university in the Big Ten and outranked every other Indiana university by at least 70 positions overall.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

Cancer treatments and Panama Canal efficiency: Purdue Innovates Incubator funds projects to advance university innovations

Purdue University researchers in the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering and Science have received $100,000 from the Trask Innovation Fund to develop Purdue-owned intellectual property for commercial use. The patented and patent-pending innovations are in the fields of cancer treatments and freshwater management. The fund is managed by the Purdue Innovates Incubator, which provides programming for the Purdue community to ideate, refine and support their solutions. Funding recipients can receive up to $50,000 for their initial project; they may reapply a maximum of three times to receive up to an aggregate cap of $100,000 to support the same technology.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

Purdue University and Hello Sunshine partner on new platform to inspire the next generation of bold, curious young women

Purdue University is the official university partner of Sunnie, a multiplatform media brand geared toward Gen Z girls and young women. The new media, lifestyle and experiential brand was created by Hello Sunshine, which was founded by award-winning actress, author and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon. Powered by Purdue’s commitment to accessibility and academic rigor in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the university will help design curricula that not only respond to the demands of the evolving tech workforce but also engage and inspire Gen Z girls by aligning with their academic interests, personal values and creative passions.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

AP Video — Summer heat wave: Exercise safety tips

Jason Chrapek is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Purdue University. In this video, he explains how you can exercise safely during the hot summer months. As the weather continues to get warmer, hydration is especially important when exercising outdoors. Water, sodium and potassium are lost when you sweat. Chrapek recommends drinking plenty of water and electrolyte drinks to restore minerals lost during exercise. When planning an outdoor workout, avoid the hottest part of the day to reduce the risk of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. You should aim to wear lightweight, breathable and moisture-wicking clothing. Chrapek recommends wearing hats, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect the skin and eyes from sun damage.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

New research determines soil-dwelling fungi affect global tree species

A team co-led by a Purdue University researcher has found that groups of fungi influence global tree species in distinct ways, depending on latitude and aridity. The team’s data underscores the importance of mutually beneficial, belowground interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and trees. All mycorrhizal fungi mine soil nutrients and provide them to trees in exchange for carbohydrates from the trees’ photosynthesis. But the ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal groups, which both live symbiotically with plant roots, do so in different ways with profound impacts on forest tree diversity.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

MORE: Recent AP video stories

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About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.