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Pamela Whitten

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Pamela Whitten
19th President of the Indiana University System
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 1, 2021
Preceded byMichael McRobbie
5th President of Kennesaw State University
In office
July 16, 2018 – June 30, 2021
Preceded bySam Olens
Succeeded byKathy Schwaig
Personal details
EducationTulane University (BS)
University of Kentucky (MA)
University of Kansas (PhD)
Academic background
ThesisTranscending the Technology of Telemedicine: A Case Study of Telemedicine in North Carolina (1996)
Doctoral advisorBeverly Sypher
Academic work
DisciplineTelecommunications
Sub-disciplineTelemedicine
InstitutionsUniversity of Kansas Medical Center
Michigan State University
University of Georgia
Kennesaw State University
Indiana University

Pamela S. Whitten is an American academic administrator and telemedicine specialist. She currently serves as the 19th president of Indiana University and is the first female president in the university's history. She previously served as the 5th president of Kennesaw State University and served on the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics.

Early life and education

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Pamela Whitten grew up in Tennessee.[1] She lived in Brentwood and Memphis before her family moved when she was 14.[2][3]

Whitten earned her bachelor's degree in management from Tulane University School of Business in 1985, her master's degree in organizational communication from the University of Kentucky in 1986 and her PhD in communication studies from the University of Kansas in 1996.[4][5][6]

Career

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Whitten is a telemedicine specialist. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and two books about the subject.[4]

After receiving her PhD in communication studies from University of Kansas in 1996, Whitten became an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. In 1998, she moved to Michigan State University as an assistant professor in the Department of Telecommunications. She was promoted to Associate Professor and later to full Professor in 2001 and 2005 respectively.[5]

Academic administration

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At Michigan State, Whitten was promoted to Assistant Dean, Associate Dean, and then full dean for the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State in 2006, 2007, and 2009 respectively.[5]

She served as director of telemedicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center and the Michigan State University dean of College of Communication Arts and Science.[7]

Whitten was provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Georgia from 2014 until 2018.[8] She was a finalist for the position of chancellor of University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2016[2] and also president of the Iowa State University in 2017.[1] In 2018, Whitten became president of Kennesaw State University.[9] The following year, in 2019, she joined the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics.[7][10]

On April 16, 2021, the Indiana University (IU) board of trustees named Whitten the 19th President-Elect of the university. This makes Whitten the first woman to ever hold the position of president at IU. Her term as IU president started on July 1, 2021.[7] The appointment was praised by some alumni,[11] however the presidential search process that led to Whitten's appointment was controversial amongst some faculty.[12][13][14]

On April 16, 2024, the Indiana University Bloomington faculty overwhelmingly passed votes of no confidence for IU President Pamela Whitten with 93.1% (827 to 29) of the vote against Whitten.[15][16] In response, the Indiana University Board of Trustees reaffirmed their support for Whitten and her administration,[17] although it was later revealed that the support was not unanimous.[18]

On April 25, 2024, Whitten formed an ad hoc committee to change the terms of use of Indiana University Assembly Ground on the eve of pro-Palestinian protests.[19] This policy change facilitated the arrest of students, faculty, and community members who were occupying Dunn Meadow.[20][21] Legal scholars interviewed by The Herald-Times questioned whether the policy changes may have violated the First Amendment.[22][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Bolten, Kathy A. (October 9, 2017). "University of Georgia provost is finalist for Iowa State president's job". Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Dayhuff, Libby (November 4, 2016). "UT introduces Pamela Whitten as chancellor candidate". University of Tennessee Daily Beacon.
  3. ^ Boehnke, Megan (November 2, 2016). "First chancellor candidate visits UT campus". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  4. ^ a b "Pamela Whitten named next president of Kennesaw State University". Atlanta Voice. June 12, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Whitten, Pamela S. "Curriculem Vitae" (PDF). Iowa State University Presidential Search.
  6. ^ Whitten, Pamela Sasse (1996). Transcending the technology of telemedicine: A case study of telemedicine in North Carolina (Ph.D. thesis). University of Kansas. OCLC 35393757. ProQuest 304301787.
  7. ^ a b c Zaltsberg, Bob (April 16, 2021). "Indiana University's Next President Is Pamela Whitten". WFIU. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  8. ^ Ernsberger, Emily (April 16, 2021). "Indiana University names Pamela Whitten as its next president". Evansville Courier & Press. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  9. ^ "Pamela Whitten Named President of Kennesaw State University". Kennesaw State University. June 12, 2018.
  10. ^ "Pamela Whitten Appointed to NCAA Division I Committee on Academics". Kennesaw State University. October 14, 2019.
  11. ^ Schoetle, Anthony; Muñiz, Leslie Bonilla (April 16, 2021). "Alumni give IU positive marks for presidential pick, applaud emphasis on diversity". Indianapolis Business Journal.
  12. ^ Sanders, Steve (October 6, 2021). "'You have no idea how strange this process has been': The long, difficult search for IU's 19th president". Medium.
  13. ^ Whitford, Emma (October 18, 2021). "Professor Questions Indiana University Presidential Search". Inside Higher Ed.
  14. ^ McGerr, Patrick (October 11, 2021). "Indiana University trustees meet, but recent controversies are left undiscussed". Herald-Times.
  15. ^ Meador, Marissa (April 16, 2024). "BREAKING: Whitten rebuked: IU faculty vote no confidence in Whitten, Shrivastav, Docherty". Indiana Daily Student.
  16. ^ Wright, Aubrey (April 16, 2024). "Faculty vote no confidence in Whitten, Provost, Vice Provost". WFIU.
  17. ^ Hogan, Jeremy (April 16, 2024). "IU Board of Trustees Backs President Whitten Amid Faculty No-Confidence Vote". The Bloomingtonian.
  18. ^ Sandweiss, Ethan. "IU Trustees aren't unanimous on letter supporting Pres. Whitten". News - Indiana Public Media. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  19. ^ Meador, Marissa (April 26, 2024). "'Utterly unprincipled': Policy created on eve of protest used to make arrests". Indiana Daily Student.
  20. ^ Betts, Anna; Eadie, Matthew; Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (April 27, 2024). "Crackdowns at 4 College Protests Lead to More Than 200 Arrests". The New York Times.
  21. ^ Hogan, Jeremy (April 26, 2024). "Gallery: Dozens Arrested During Pro-Palestinian Protest At Indiana University Thursday". The Bloomingtonian.
  22. ^ Rosenzweig, Brian (April 27, 2024). "Indiana University changed its policy a day before a protest. Then 33 people were arrested". The Herald-Times.
  23. ^ Ladwig, Boris (April 28, 2024). "'Serious First Amendment problem': A day before protests, IU changed a free assembly policy". The Herald-Times.
Academic offices
Preceded by 5th President of Kennesaw State University
2018 — 2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by 19th President of Indiana University
2021 — current 		Incumbent
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