A $3 million donation from an alumnus will go toward developing a lab and workspace to foster entrepreneurship, innovation and education collaboration at Purdue University Northwest.
The gift was presented to the college by David and Susan Roberts, which will go toward the college’s planned “transformational Impact Lab.”
The donation from the Roberts will be paired with $5 million designated in the $50 million Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative grant awarded to Northwest Indiana by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. The $5 million grant was included with the regionwide READI grant application led by the Northwest Indiana Forum to fund projects outlined in the Forum’s Ignite the Region economic development plan.
“Susan and I have dedicated our gifting to two causes: medical research and the education of students studying engineering and technology,” said David Roberts. “When PNW Chancellor Tom Keon and Dean Niaz Latif approached us about the opportunity to invest in the Impact Lab, it took very little time for us to say yes to the opportunity to create a place for students, educators and entrepreneurs to collaborate on innovative ideas and concepts that will strengthen the manufacturing base in Northwest Indiana.”
David Roberts, a Steger, Illinois native, earned a bachelor’s degree in technology with distinction from the Purdue University Northwest Hammond campus in 1974. He went on to serve in manufacturing, engineering and general management positions at the Budd Company, Pitney Bowes and FMC Corp. Roberts served as group vice president with the Marmon Group LLC; CEO of Graco Inc. and CEO, president and chairman of Carlisle Companies Inc. before retiring in 2020.
College officials hope the lab will be a place “that leverages existing talent and resources at an engaged, high-quality university to attract capital and create new industries and jobs.”
“This is just the beginning,” Keon said. “To see this concept, earn the necessary funding for development and take our metropolitan area to the next level is extraordinary and exciting.”
The Roberts Impact Lab at PNW will serve as a regional hub for Northwest Indiana to spur new economic development, including but not limited to incubating new businesses, scaling existing businesses, providing physical collaborative work and lab space for cross-functional development and testing; meeting and event space available for organizations to host networking and programming; and connection to PNW’s faculty and students for business development, education and internship opportunities.
