John Gipson named as new Ivy Tech Lake chancellor

A Purdue University administrator has been named chancellor at Ivy Tech’s Lake County campus, officials announced last week.

John Gipson joins Ivy Tech on Sept. 29 from his role as chief of staff to the provost and associate vice president for Academic Operations at Purdue University.

Gipson takes over from interim chancellor Heather Hart who’s served since March following the resignation of Marcos Rodriguez Jr., who left in February after just 15 months.

Rodriguez is now economic development director for the city of Hobart.

A news release said Gipson led academic strategies that elevated student retention and diversified program offerings at Purdue.

Before his chief of staff role, Gipson taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Purdue.

“I’m confident that Dr. Gipson will lead our Lake County students with heart and with excellence. John’s work in higher education and his roots as an educator and academic advisor will serve the more than 4,000 students across three campuses in Lake County who look to us to equip them for the future,” said Ivy Tech President Marty Pollio.

He praised Gipson for understanding “operational complexities” balanced with the needs of students and the community.”

Gipson earned a doctorate in educational psychology from Purdue and a master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State University. He received a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University.

The release highlighted Gipson’s leadership of a multi-year strategic planning process that aligned faculty, staff and students’ priorities and secured increased funding for student support services at Purdue.

The release cited Gipson as a collaborative leader known for consensus-building and as an advocate for students.

“This campus has a long tradition of changing lives and strengthening communities, and I look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff, students, and partners to expand opportunities and drive student success,” Gipson said.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.