WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University announced Tuesday it has received $100 million in grants from the Lilly Endowment — the largest donation in university history.
Half will go toward the Mitchell E. Daniels School of Business. The other half will go toward the Purdue Computes Initiative, which focuses on computing departments, physical artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors.
"The Lilly Endowment is injecting a significant momentum and vote of confidence of what all of us here — faculty, staff, students and partners — are doing at Purdue University," Purdue President Mung Chiang said.
Funding for the Daniels School will support construction of an approximately 164,000-square-foot building, which university leaders say will be the "centerpiece of campus." The new building, which will be connected to the Krannert Building immediately to its east, will give the Daniels School three facilities, joining the Krannert Building and Jerry S. Rawls Hall.
Construction is set to begin in July.
Funding for Purdue Computes will be used to support an ongoing focus on semiconductors, as well as a new Institute for Physical Artificial Intelligence.
Mark Lundstrom, Acting Dean of Engineering, said they'll be working on how to integrate AI into everyday life in Indiana — from manufacturing to agriculture, transportation and health.
"At this stage, AI is being described as like a child that needs parenting so that it grows up to share values we all share as Americans," Lundstrom said. "So accordingly, the educational program that this gift will support is not only about the technical aspects but also about the ethical aspects of this new technology."