Purdue trustees announced Tuesday that Vicky L. Carwein, from Washington State University Tri-Cities in Richland, Wash., will be IPFW's new chancellor.
Carwein is a Hoosier by birth, originally from Gwynnville in Shelby County. She is 64, which is an important detail because Purdue is mandating that current IPFW Chancellor Michael Wartell and West Lafayette's chancellor retire this year because they'll be 65. However, the age limit will not apply to Carwein as a new administrator. She would have another seven or eight years.
Carwein, who will be the university's ninth chancellor, said in a statement, "I was so impressed with the passion and dedication of the search committee. They were very inspiring in passing along the commitment of the campus and the community in building on the successes that IPFW has experienced in its past, and I am very excited to be a part of its future.”
Before going to WSU Tri-Cities, she served as president at Westfield State College in Westfield, Mass., and chancellor at the University of Washington Tacoma.
She supported WSU Tri-Cities' commitment to helping the region's economy grow by:
* Developing and retaining an educated workforce
* Partnering with the business community
* Demonstrating that higher education is a vital component for
economic expansion and diversification
At Westfield State College in Massachusetts, Carwein oversaw the creation of an environmental center.
As chancellor at UW Tacoma, Carwein helped cultivate public–private partnerships that supported scholarships, accessibility and diversity, economic vitality and sustainability, as well as the arts, according to the statement.
Carwein began her academic career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as an instructor, leaving 23 years later as dean of the College of Health Sciences.
She received a bachelor's and D.N.S./Ph.D. in nursing from IU-Indianapolis (now IUPUI). Her master's degree in nursing is from the University of California, San Francisco.
When not working, Carwein said she enjoys traveling. “We've been to every continent and when anyone says 'let's go on a trip,' my bags are packed!” she said in the statement. Her other interests include playing the piano and organ.
Carwein's husband, Bill Andrews, works for Battelle Memorial Institute, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. They have two daughters and three grandchildren who live in North Carolina.
