>newground
Already Making Strides: New IU President Promises Energetic and Careful StewardshipIU President Adam Herbert
Adam Herbert knows that Indiana University has had some remarkable leaders in its 183 years. So it was no accident that on August 1 he began his tenure by walking from Bryan House, his new IU Bloomington residence, to his office in Bryan Hall, just as Herman Wells used to do. He even paused to pay his respects at the Wells statue.
“Herman Wells most certainly set the standard against which an IU president is judged,” he observed. “It’s going to be a significant challenge to follow in his footsteps and those of the other distinguished leaders who served in this position, but I am committed to devoting as much energy as I have to building on the strong legacies each of them has left behind.”
Although a native of Oklahoma, Herbert has been a Floridian since 1979, when he took a faculty appointment at Florida International University. He came to IU from The Florida Center for Public Policy and Leadership at the University of North Florida, where he was the executive director and Regents Professor. Previously, he was the chancellor of the State University System of Florida, and for nearly 10 years the president of the University of North Florida.
As Dean Kumble R. Subbaswamy of the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington said, “Dr. Herbert is easily one of the very best candidates for a public university presidency in the nation today.” He noted that Herbert’s combination of scholarship with administrative and political experience, along with a warm personality, “will serve IU very well.” He cited Herbert’s experience leading the Florida system, which has ten universities with very diverse missions. “He is very well equipped to lead IU,” he concluded.
Ruth Person, chancellor of IU Kokomo, echoed those sentiments. “I was privileged to be a member of the search committee that identified him as the outstanding candidate. He brings both presidential and system-level experience as well as an outstanding record in public policy involvement. I am looking forward to working with him to advance the IU agenda throughout the state.”
In accepting his new position, President Herbert emphasized the many ways a great state university can—and should—be involved in the life of the citizens, including fostering economic growth.
>Bill Holladay
Read President Herbert's acceptance speech, and get the full biography.