Indiana University Northwest’s TRIUNFOS (Transforming IU Northwest for Opportunities in STEM) program received the 2025 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Academia magazine.
IU Northwest was one of 57 recipients to receive the award from the publication, which recognizes excellence and belonging through its website and print magazine. The STEM Award measures an institution’s programs and initiatives that encourage and support the recruitment and retention of students in all STEM fields.
“I’m so happy that all the work everyone has done on this project, from the faculty and staff to the students, has been recognized,” said Kris Huysken, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, professor of geology and TRIUNFOS principal investigator. “This project has had a huge impact on our campus and most specifically for our STEM programs and STEM majors.”
The TRIUNFOS project came from a multi-million-dollar grant IU Northwest received as a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2021. It was developed by an interdisciplinary team of STEM faculty and administrators in the College of Arts and Sciences and led by Huysken along with associate professor of biology, Jenny Fisher, and professor of mathematics, Vesna Kilibarda.
The work done — which provides a network of services for all students — includes the creation of the STEM Center, enhanced student support, curricular initiatives, faculty development, course redesigns, enhanced collaborative and active learning classrooms, updated spaces to support new research opportunities and so much more.
Thanks to the asset-based program, which focuses on leveraging students’ academic strengths to lead to long-term success, IU Northwest students can participate in level-based research from the day they walk on campus and every year throughout their educational journey.
On top of faculty development, the program includes a student-facilitated mentor program, which provides paid STEM-based experiential learning opportunities for students to develop leadership skills in their field of interest and help other students to gain knowledge from the collaborative learning experiences.
The program has also led to enhanced partnerships with area junior high, high schools, Ivy Tech Community College and employers.
Since the creation of the program, faculty who’ve participated in faculty development have seen their students receive higher grades overall and lower DFW (D, F or withdraw) rates when compared to previous terms.
Through this network of collaboration with faculty, staff and students, Huysken hopes the program will provide a cycle of academic success in STEM-related courses.
