Academic Success Building reaches construction milestone with topping-out ceremony

INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue University celebrated a milestone Sept. 17 as the final steel beam was lifted into place — or topped out — on the south side of the Academic Success Building (ASB) in Indianapolis, marking the highest point of construction on a facility designed to support student success for generations to come. Before the beam was raised, students, faculty, staff and project partners signed the steel, leaving their mark on a building that will become a centerpiece of the Indianapolis experience.

As is traditional, the beam carried several topping-out symbols, including an American flag; a Purdue flag; and an evergreen tree, representing safe, successful and resilient construction.

A fourth symbol recalled the Purdue cheer “Boiler Up … Hammer Down! Hail Purdue!” as David Umulis, senior vice provost for Purdue University in Indianapolis, drew a hammer on the beam.

“I can think of no better symbol for this building as the Indianapolis center of Purdue’s main campus,” he said.

Umulis emphasized that the ASB represents more than a construction achievement; it will be a place where students will develop academically, professionally and personally.

“There is something very fitting about Boilermakers helping build a building that will shape future Boilermakers,” he said. “Here, knowledge will be built. Confidence will be built. Community will be built. Careers will be built.”

As the beam ascended above the construction site, the ceremony offered an opportunity to reflect on the building project, which stands as a visible expression of Purdue’s long-term commitment to Indianapolis, and what the building itself will mean for future students who choose this city for their Purdue journey.

Jay Wasson, Purdue’s vice president for physical facilities and chief public safety officer in Administrative Operations, highlighted the collaborative effort behind the project — now more than 60% complete — recognizing the architects, engineers, construction teams and university partners whose work has transformed plans on paper into a new downtown Indianapolis landmark.

“We aren’t pouring concrete just to add square footage to a campus map,” Wasson said. “We are constructing the physical bridge between Purdue’s academic rigor and real-world impact. That is Purdue’s land-grant mission meeting the velocity and economic power of Indianapolis.”

Davyd Postolaki, a sophomore studying electrical engineering, spoke about the impact Purdue Indianapolis has already had on his life and the opportunities he sees emerging around him.

“Indianapolis has changed my life forever,” Postolaki said. “It taught me that I need to work for everything that I want, the value of perseverance and the true value of giving back.”

The presence of the ASB and the new spaces the building will provide — including a dining hall, classrooms, labs and student housing — show that Purdue shares his beliefs, he said. “The ASB is, most importantly, going to give the opportunity for students to dream about their future and the future at Purdue in Indianapolis,” he said.

The Academic Success Building is scheduled to be completed by fall 2027.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a research institution ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States. More than 111,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. As a land-grant university committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free.