Student Engagement
The Lilly Purdue Innovation Institute strives to provide professional development opportunities for students to build a critical pipeline of talent in research and development. Engagements and experiential learning opportunities are offered to all levels of students interested in working in the pharmaceutical or healthcare ecosystem.
Together with Purdue, we can help to keep our state’s best and brightest in Indiana, furthering Lilly’s ability to make life better for millions of people.
David A. Ricks, chair and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company
Professional Opportunities for Students
- Microcredential Programs
- Visits to Pharmaceutical/Health Companies
- Lab Tours
- Poster Sessions
- Presentations by Pharmaceutical/Health Professionals
- Roundtable Discussions
- Lab Experiences
- Networking
- Professional Development Talks/Workshops
- Lilly Connections
Graduate Students and Postdocs
Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers can engage directly with projects related to Lilly’s priority areas. Working in interdisciplinary teams and directly with Lilly technical staff provides students and researchers the opportunity to collaborate on cutting edge research. Aside from the lab work, students are provided with professional development activities to enhance their career trajectories.
I experienced an unusually high level of scientific collaboration through the alliance — working with more than 100 Purdue investigators, graduate students, and Lilly scientists provided me with a uniquely beneficial development opportunity.
Mazim Hakim, engineering advisor, Lilly, Purdue class of ’23
Undergraduate Students
The LPII provides a variety of opportunities to allow undergraduate students to gain exposure to priority areas that are key to both pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Our interactive engagements and activities are rooted in the fundamentals necessary for any student seeking future employment in industry or those choosing to advance their education through graduate school.
Being part of LPII has been an amazing experience that allowed me to become more familiar with Lilly while providing many exclusive networking opportunities. It also helped me gain a deeper understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and opened the door to a full-time opportunity.
Bella Mayr, Purdue class of ’26
Over the last two and a half years with the LPII, I have had the opportunity to conduct research on pharmacokinetic modeling and agentic AI while learning from peers and mentors across multiple disciplines. The LPII's events have also helped me connect with other students who share similar interests and discuss what we are learning through our research.
Hudson Schneider, Purdue class of ’26
The HEAL research generator connected me with my undergraduate research position here at Purdue and has provided countless networking opportunities with professionals from Eli Lilly and other pharmaceutical companies. My experiences with the LPII and related research have been pivotal in developing my professional career, and I look forward to continuing to work with Lilly full-time this upcoming summer.
Jordan Reynolds, Purdue class of ’26
Undergraduate Opportunities
A community of practice of students, faculty, and staff interested in the pharmaceutical industry challenge of developing effective and affordable therapeutics to tackle the diseases that currently affect large portions of the world population.
Student teams focus on cutting-edge pharmaceutical research, aiming to enhance our understanding of the injection process to advance global healthcare and benefit patients worldwide. Teams have access to advanced research technologies and will develop tools and protocols to address critical research inquiries.
The Colombia-Purdue partnership provides an opportunity for academically exceptional undergraduate students, often from disadvantaged neighborhoods, to work alongside Purdue faculty for six months, exploring future pathways and building expertise.