Indiana University Northwest has named Vicki Román-Lagunas interim Chancellor, effective July 1, 2024.
She will succeed Chancellor Ken Iwama as he assumes his new role as Indiana University Vice President for Regional Campuses and Online Education.
“With more than 28 years of experience in faculty and administrative positions, Vicki is known – throughout the IU system – for her passion for higher education administration, her strong commitment to shared governance, her talent for collaborative leadership and her continued commitment to strategic enrollment and student success initiatives,” Iwama said.
“As a trusted colleague, I have witnessed firsthand her enthusiasm, her compassion, her dedication, and her ability to lead and guide; characteristics that will prove to be extremely helpful to the campus as she leads IU Northwest forward during this time of transition.”
Román-Lagunas joined IU Northwest in July 2017 as the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. During her time in this role, she has been instrumental in leading the campus’s learning, teaching and scholarship; serving as an active and substantive contributor to the strategic direction of academic programs; and ensuring the campus upholds its commitment to serving all students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
Prior to IU Northwest, she was acting provost and professor of Spanish at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) in Chicago.
Román-Lagunas earned her Ph.D. in Latin American Literature and Culture from Florida State University and graduate and undergraduate degrees in Spanish from University of Arizona and The College of William and Mary.
Next Steps: National Search for a Chancellor
IU Northwest will soon be commencing the search for a permanent Chancellor of IU Northwest and will be utilizing the assistance of a nationally recognized search firm to ensure the most robust and qualified pool of candidates possible.
About IU Northwest
One of seven campuses of Indiana University, IU Northwest is located in metropolitan Northwest Indiana, approximately 30 miles southeast of Chicago and 10 miles from the Indiana Dunes National Park. The campus has a diverse student population of approximately 3,500 degree-seeking students and 1,800 dual-credit students and has been recognized by the Department of Education as a minority and Hispanic serving institution. The campus offers Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master’s degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health and Human Services, the School of Business and Economics, the School of the Arts, and the School of Education. The campus is also host to IU School of Medicine-Northwest-Gary, the region’s only four-year medical doctorate program. As a student-centered campus, IU Northwest is committed to academic excellence characterized by a love of ideas and achievement in learning, discovery, creativity, research, and community engagement. Indiana University Northwest is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to achieving excellence through diversity. The University actively encourages applications from women, minorities, veterans, persons with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups.
