The impact of the new Evansville branch of the I.U. School of Medicine, and I.U.’s partnership with Crane on southwestern Indiana was the focus of the Washington Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday.
The club heard from Indiana University Assistant Vice-President for Strategic Partnerships, Kevin White. White said IU’s relatively new Strategic Partnerships Program is focused on encouraging economic development in Indiana and improving the quality of life for Hoosiers. He noted that 80% of Indiana’s population lives within an hour drive of an Indiana University campus. White said that Daviess County is home to 478 IU alumni and there are currently 116 Daviess County students enrolled at IU.
White praised the foresight Washington and Daviess County’s leaders in preparing the community to take advantage of the economic potential of Interstate 69. White told the local Rotarians that with zoning changes and planned infrastructure improvements, Washington is “ahead of the curve” compared to other communities along the I-69 corridor.