Susan Sciame-Giesecke was installed as the seventh chancellor of Indiana University Kokomo by IU President Michael A. McRobbie during a formal ceremony. Her 37-year history with the campus, starting with her appointment as an assistant professor, gives her a strong position to move the campus forward as chancellor. She’s proud to have witnessed more than half the campus’ 70-year history.
Sciame-Giesecke, a professor of communication arts, earned a Ph.D. in speech communication from IU Bloomington. She has held numerous leadership and administrative positions at IU Kokomo, including executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, interim vice chancellor for administration and finance, interim and permanent dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and chair of the Department of Humanities.
As interim chancellor, she led efforts to gain $14 million in funding for renovations to the Main Building, which has been minimally updated since it opened in 1965. She partnered with the City of Kokomo and the Kokomo School Corp. to obtain the Cougar Gym for IU Kokomo’s athletics programs, and oversaw construction of the Milt and Jean Cole Family Wellness and Fitness Center.