Board of Directors

Below you will find a list of the current Senior Academy board officers. Click on the + icon to find contact information and learn more about the board member.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]rellimg

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: IUPUC

Additional Board Role: Representative – University Relations

Biography:
Georgia Blair Miller (Ed.D. University of Kentucky) began her IU career in 1976 as one of the first three female tenure-track faculty in the School of Business at IU Bloomington. She moved to IUPUI a few years later as assistant dean, where administrative leadership and undergraduate program development introduced her to the exciting early days of IUPUI. By the early 90’s, her involvement in information technology led to a role as director of integrated technologies, focusing on internal systems and on community relations as the Mayor’s High Tech Task Force worked to position Indy as a leader in this developing technology world.

As a teacher educator, she taught many high school teachers about teaching in this new business education field of information systems/technology. On a national level, she was a leader in the development of an administrative systems college curriculum - structure and content, including support of development of textbooks.

Local, regional, and national/international leadership in DPMA (now ITPA) with about 50,000 members at the time was useful experience in working with and managing diverse groups of people, planning and implementation of annual and long-term work, and working with boards, volunteers, and staff. She has served on boards of other local and national business, education, and civic groups, and has been recognized for outstanding service in education and business.

During the last decade or so before retirement in 2011, she moved to IUPUC, creating the BS and MBA business programs as division head as well as the Center for Business and Economic Development. At campus level, she served as senior advisor to the vice chancellor and dean, primarily related to external relations.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]retropr

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: Former School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Biography: Becky’s affiliation with IUPUI began with her birth in Coleman Hospital for Women which is now Coleman Hall. Ironically, her career at IUPUI ended with an office in the same building after a long history of being connected with IUPUI. She started her college career with a summer course at the IU Extension in Indianapolis before spending two years at IU Bloomington returning to IUPUI to complete her B.S. in Physical Therapy (PT). She worked as a physical therapist at Riley Hospital for Children (which was still part of IU at that time), gradually began in assisting in the PT academic program, joined the faculty full-time, and evolved to the role of program director. Along the way she completed her Indiana University Masters in Allied Health Education and Ph.D. in Medical Neurobiology.

Her involvement with faculty governance included service as president of the IUPUI Faculty Council and co-secretary of the IU Faculty Council. This lead to service as a faculty liaison for IU President Myles Brand and faculty fellow with Dean of Faculties William Plater. In a career twist, she became the interim and then permanent associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at IUPUI. At the point of retirement, she had the opportunity to return to her home school as interim dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences as it transitioned through its merger with the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management to become the School of Health & Human Services.

With this sense of IUPUI as home, she is delighted to remain engaged with the activities of the Senior Academy and welcomes you in joining us.

Email: cfitzpat@iupui.eduChristine Fitzpatrick

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: Office of the Chancellor

Additional Board Role: Chair – Spirit and Place Committee, Co-Chair – Philanthropic Outreach

Biography:
Christine Fitzpatrick retired from IUPUI in 2019 after a career with Indiana University that spanned more than three decades. After graduating from Ball State University with an M.A. in English, Christine joined the School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI as part-time lecturer of Technical Communication and an administrator, advancing to assistant dean for student and academic affairs. Having developed an interest in computers and writing during those years, Christine pursued and earned a doctorate in instructional systems technology with IU’s School of Education and found further opportunities to grow professionally with UITS and the Office of the Vice President for IT.

Christine’s third chapter at IUPUI began at the invitation of Nasser H. Paydar, in his role as executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at IUPUI, and continued as his chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor.

Now in a new life chapter, Christine is happy to be involved with IUPUI’s Senior Academy. She teaches online courses for the Technical Communication program, supports the arts, volunteers within her community, and enjoys spending time with her large extended family.

Email: ude[dot]iupui[at]iznevobg

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: Division of Finance and Administration

Additional Board Role: Chair – Finance Committee

Biography: Gabrielle Bovenzi is a project manager and team leader with extensive operational experience and has over three decades of service at IUPUI, many of which were leadership positions within student financial services. Gabrielle steered many initiatives which required expertise in business process design, analysis, and implementation of new practices. As assistant vice chancellor for administration and chief of staff for the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, Gabrielle provided direction on varied division, campus, and university projects and committees to include Policy Advisory, Emergency Preparedness, Incident Management Executive Advisory, and Parking Advisory. In addition, Gabrielle had strategic oversight responsibilities for the Office of Sustainability and the Office for Intergroup Dialogue.

Gabrielle served six years as the Student Information System Student Financials (SIS SF) team lead on the successful multi-campus software (PeopleSoft) implementation. Concurrently, she served on the international PeopleSoft/Oracle Higher Education User's Group Product Advisory Group (HEUG PAG) for student financials. Gabrielle earned a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University and a certificate from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education Institute for Higher Education Management Development Program.

In retirement, Gabrielle has enjoyed time for family, travel, volunteering, and hiking with the Indianapolis Hiking Club.

Email: mwokeck@iu.eduMarianne Wokeck

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: School of Liberal Arts

Biography: Marianne S. Wokeck, is Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of History at IUPUI, senior fellow of the Institute for American Thought, and past president of the IUPUI Faculty Council. She also directed the Curriculum to Career Choices (CtCC) SmartPathways project of the Institute for Evidence Based-Change (IEBC). Educated in Germany and the United States (Staatsexamen in history and English, University of Hamburg, Germany; Ph.D., Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.), her major research has been in the history of the North Atlantic World with a focus on immigration ethnicity, and identity (Trade in Strangers: The Beginnings of Mass Migration to North America; Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies [http://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org]).

A published author and scholarly editor, she has also collaborated on The Papers of William Penn; Lawmaking and Legislators in Pennsylvania; Documentary Editing; and The Works of George Santayana.

In retirement she continues devoting time to read, research, and write history at a level that also allows her to engage in volunteering that focuses on her interests in music, immigration, and education and that connects her to IUPUI (for more details, see this webpage).

Below you will find a list of the current Senior Academy board members.

Email: ude[dot]iupui[at]2rekabss

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: School of Medicine, University College, and former School of Allied Health (now merged with School of Health and Human Sciences)

Additional Board Role: Chair – Commmunication Committee

Biography: Sarah’s affiliation with IUPUI began in the early seventies with enrollment in the Radiologic Sciences program. Upon finishing school, she worked in radiology at Wishard Hospital (formally Marion County General Hospital and now Eskenazi) and continued her studies to complete baccalaureate and master’s degrees. In the mid-seventies she accepted a clinical teaching position within the Radiologic Science program focusing on pediatrics. Sarah later moved to didactic teaching in the program which she continued until retirement.

Parallel to her teaching position, Sarah became professionally involved in radiologic technology holding offices at the local, state, and national levels. At the national level Sarah became president of the American Society of Radiologic Technology (ASRT). This service was followed by appointment to the national programmatic accreditation body for radiologic sciences. At this time Sarah decided to continue her education and completed a doctorate in higher education administration with a minor in curriculum studies.

Sarah was one of two faculty appointed by the School of Allied Health as founding faculty to University College (UC) in 1997. Early in her UC tenure, she served on a variety of UC committees and was later appointed interim associate dean of academic affairs of UC. This was followed by formal appointment to this role in a split position which enabled her to continue teaching in the radiologic science program. Sarah’s service expanded to a variety of committees, including faculty council and general education.

In retirement she enjoys traveling and water aerobics.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]kcalbk

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: Planning and Institutional Improvement

Additional Board Role: Co-Chair – Philanthropic Outreach

Biography: In 2018, Karen Black retired as the director of program review in Planning and Institutional Improvement after 40 plus years at Indiana University. Her experience began in 1973 as a student at IUPUI. She worked as a work-study student and soon accepted a full-time position in the Office of Veteran Affairs. In 1976 she enrolled at IU Bloomington as a full-time student and returned to the Office of the Registrar in 1977 while continuing her studies part-time.

After a time in the Honor’s Program and completing her B.A. in English she accepted the registrar position at Indiana University Kokomo. Continuing her studies in Student Affairs, she completed her master’s degree and returned to IUPUI as an assistant registrar in 1985.

In 1986, she was appointed manager of the newly created Office of Student Information Systems within the Dean of Students unit. Then in 1992, she joined the Office of Planning and Institutional Improvement. There she served as managing editor of Assessment Update and coordinated the Assessment Institute in addition to her duties as director of program review.

From 1999 until her retirement, she periodically taught courses for the English, Organizational Leadership, Technical Communications, and University College units. She has co-authored multiple chapters and books about assessment of student outcomes as well as presented at conferences on the same topic.

In retirement she enjoys traveling and the company of her family and friends, especially her great nieces and nephews!

Email: ude[dot]iupui[at]kcalbm

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: Division of Enrollment Management

Biography: will be posted soon.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]lheorfcj

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: School of Medicine

Additional Board Role: Chair – Ad-Hoc Retirement to Transition Committee

Biography: will be posted soon.

Email: ude[dot]iupui[at]nallohs

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: IUPUI Alumni Relations

Additional Board Role: Chair – Bepko Medallion Committee

Biography: Sharon Holland came to IUPUI in 1971, and in 1973, she moved to the IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations as office manager, where she remained for the duration of her career, retiring in January 2020 as director of alumni and special programs. Throughout her time at IUPUI, Sharon worked directly with a number of IUPUI school-based alumni groups, as well as with the Central Indiana Chapter of the IU Alumni Association.

Beginning in 1974, Sharon became integrally involved in the presentation of IUPUI Commencement. Within a few years, she took on local responsibility for the university ceremonies and the individual school ceremonies, working with a campus Commencement Committee comprised of representatives from each academic unit. In addition, she oversaw the ordering and distribution of academic apparel for both students and faculty, coordinated content of the printed program, worked with members of the committee on their respective needs for individual school ceremonies and coordinated this information with assigned staff at the Indiana Convention Center—the site of all ceremonies. Working with other Alumni Office staff as well as individuals on the Bloomington campus, she oversaw setup for all ceremonies at the Convention Center on commencement weekend as well as production of the university ceremonies, including coordinating information and contact with members of the platform party.

Sharon also played a pivotal role in the creation and execution of the first 10 years of the IUPUI Regatta, now a function of the IUPUI Division of Student Affairs. An additional aspect of her career, and one of which she is very fond, was responsibility for the IUPUI/IU Calliope, a steam-powered instrument mounted in a circus wagon, which was built on the IUPUI campus by the Alumni Office—with help from several other units on campus—for entry to the 500 Festival Parade in 1976. Following that appearance, the Calliope was made available by the Indianapolis Alumni Office to other parades, mostly in Indiana. Scheduling, staffing, and maintaining the Calliope was Sharon’s responsibility for a good part of its existence. The Calliope is owned by the IU Alumni Association and is currently stored in Bloomington.

Sharon has been blessed with the opportunity to have a varied and fulfilling career at IUPUI, not the least of which was the chance to get to know so many wonderful colleagues, a number of whom are already on this board!

Email: ude[dot]iupui[at]lessikf

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement:
School of Liberal Arts

Additional Board Role:
Chair – Membership Committee

Biography:
Francia Kissel began her career at IUPUI as an associate faculty member, teaching writing courses in the Department of English. As a lecturer, then senior lecturer, in the Department of English, she expanded her repertoire to include courses in writing, literature, women’s studies, and the first-year seminar. Some of her most rewarding experiences were in Themed Learning Communities (TLCs), pairings of courses designed to ensure success of first-year students. Francia piloted TLCs which combined English with a number of other disciplines, including anthropology, women’s studies, museum studies, history, international studies, and more. Francia served the School of Liberal Arts as First-Year Experience coordinator for 12 years, shepherding the growth of the school’s Themed Learning Communities. She also served as lead advisor for the Department of English.

In her retirement, Francia missed students so much that she became a volunteer teacher for Exodus Refugee Immigration, teaching English to refugees from countries as far-flung as Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. To develop expertise in her new, volunteer profession, Francia enrolled in IUPUI’s TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate program, using one of IU’s best perks – the tuition benefit.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]ohhcriks

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: School of Medicine

Additional Board Role: Chair – Scholarship Committee

Biography: Steve Kirchhoff served as director of Medical Service Learning in the Office of Medical Student Affairs at the School of Medicine (IUSM) from 2007 until his retirement in 2014. He previously served as the Office of Medical Service-Learning administrator and as a business manager in both the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Medicine. He served as mentor, business manager, and project resource for medical student volunteer project leaders at the nine IUSM campuses. This position provided a challenging and rewarding opportunity to work closely with and support these future physicians as they further developed their community service ethic.

He has a special interest and expertise in nonprofit board governance having served in key board officer roles on a number of nonprofit agency boards. These boards included Mental Health America of Greater Indianapolis, the Indiana Schweitzer Fellows, the Christamore House Community Center (President), Metro Ministries (President), the Community Service Council, and the American Heart Association—Marion County Chapter. He also served as an agency evaluation site team member and leader for the United Way of Central Indiana.

Steve has continued to volunteer for a variety of organizations since retirement including the IUSM, the Metropolitan School District--Wayne Township, Families First, United Way of Central Indiana (Always United program), and Fairfield Friends. He also enjoys hiking with the Indianapolis Hiking Club and learning new languages.

He and his wife Venita live in Plainfield and have two grown children, Erin and Matt, and two granddaughters, Ada and Eleanor.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]seneeuq  

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: IUPUI Graduate Office, IU Graduate School, and School of Medicine

Additional Board Role: Representative – IUPUI Faculty Council

Biography: Dr. Sherry Queener came to the Department of Pharmacology of the IU School of Medicine in March of 1970, when IUPUI was a new-born entity on the west side of Indianapolis. She was placed on the tenure-track as a lecturer in 1971 and became full professor in the School of Medicine in 1984. Sherry served as director of graduate studies in her home department from 1985 through 1995, gaining vital experience in the structure and best practices for graduate programs. She was also an active researcher, operating her independently funded research laboratory from 1977 through 1999, when she became director of the IUPUI Graduate Office and associate dean of the University Graduate School and dropped her research activities to half-time.

Her most compelling activities as director of the Graduate Office at IUPUI involved helping the highly motivated and gifted faculty at IUPUI in building graduate programs on top of their highly successful undergraduate offerings. Her tenure in the Graduate Office from 1999 to 2014 saw the development and launch of numerous master level degrees and a significant number of Ph.D. degrees, including unique degrees such as the Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies.

Dr. Queener retired in 2014 to the title of Grandma Sherry and is very proud to serve in that role to Irene born in 2014 and Levi born in 2017. IUPUI was a joyful place to grow and serve. Through the Senior Academy she is happy to be able to continue to serve in a quieter way, and to continue to interact with valued colleagues from all over campus.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]ienhcshw

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: School of Liberal Arts

Biography: Bill Schneider is professor emeritus in History and Medical Humanities. A native of St. Louis and former Peace Corps volunteer, after graduate work and 11 years teaching in the University of North Carolina system, he came to IUPUI to chair the Department of History. In conjunction with his research and teaching in the history of medicine, he held adjunct positions in Medical Genetics and Philanthropic Studies. He served as the IUPUI Faculty Council President and faculty liaison to three IU presidents. During the latter service, he helped set up the precursor to the IU Presidential Arts and Humanities Program and the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute. He was a long-time officer of the IUPUI chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

The subjects of his research have ranged widely, in the history of eugenics, health philanthropy, the history of immunology, and more recently the history of global health. Along with numerous collaborators in several schools, he established the Medical Humanities and Health Studies program.

Like others in retirement he tries to keep up with grandkids, but he recently was able to bring to completion a project that he helped begin and long consulted for: The Indiana University School of Medicine: A History (IU Press, 2021).

Email: ude[dot]iupui[at]treborej

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: Herron School of Art + Design

Additional Board Role: Liaison – Chair, Last Lecture Committee

Biography:
will be posted soon.

Email: ude[dot]ui[at]rentrev

Unit/School Affiliation at Retirement: Kelley School of Business

Additional Board Role: Chair – Programs/Social Events Committee

Biography: Russell’s collegiate education began at Western Kentucky University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. After his military duty and several years in corporate America and city-county governance in computer systems support, his association with IUPUI began as the associate director for Systems in the Office of the Registrar. He worked there for several years. Desiring more student involvement and development, he was accepted into the IU School of Education’s College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) Masters program. While enrolled, he was also accepted as a graduate assistant in the Offices of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid.

Upon graduation from the CSPA program, he accepted a position as the associate director of admissions for the School of Medicine. After his Admissions Office experience, he joined the faculty and staff at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis as a lecturer and program director for student diversity and program assessment, later being promoted to senior lecturer. Post retirement, Russell enjoys singing in one of two Motown cover bands and a Christian praise group, participating in two bible studies, and service in the Indianapolis Great Banquet ( a faith development community). He stays physically active by exercising at home, walking and riding his bike.

On the Senior Academy Board, he is a member of the communications and membership committees, where with the latter he serves as the project leader for development of all identified Interest Groups.