As demand for talent in STEM fields continues to grow, there is an opportunity to attract students to pursue a STEM education and career in Indiana – which would help strengthen the state’s economy.  

That is why, in 2010, Butler University established the Sciences Expansion and Renovation Project, a three-phase expansion and renovation of the university’s sciences complex to support 21セント century student learning and innovation. With high-tech classrooms, new lab spaces, and collaborative work areas, the university aims to increase enrollment, create new science programs, and meet the growing demand for STEM talent.  

The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation has awarded $13 million to Butler University to support the project since 2013. This work aligns with the Foundation’s focus on bolstering the vitality of Indianapolis through increased STEM talent and honors Dick Fairbanks’ legacy as a trustee at Butler University.

Additional Posts

Using Data to Inform Grants We Are Making to Tackle Indiana’s Opioid Epidemic

Alex Cohen is the Director of Learning and Evaluation for the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. The opioid epidemic, and related behavioral and mental health issues, is wreaking havoc in the lives of Hoosiers across the state and in Marion County in particular. To help address the crisis, the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation is making strategic grants to expand access to treatment for those struggling with addiction. It’s important to our Foundation and the people these grants are designed to help that we target our grants to areas of greatest need, which we do by tracking several key metrics related to access to treatment. One metric we monitor is the behavioral […]

One Way to Tackle Teacher Shortages in Indiana: Raise Salaries for STEM Teachers

Claire Fiddian-Green is the President & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. Last week, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce released a report commissioned from Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research, which found that students in small school districts have lower academic achievement results than students in larger districts. The study’s authors point to resource constraints at small districts – defined as districts with enrollment of less than 2,000 students – that limit their ability to offer a broader array of rigorous course offerings, like AP Calculus and AP Chemistry. 19 percent of Indiana’s public school students are enrolled in districts with enrollment below the 2,000-student threshold, […]