FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS — Nasser Paydar, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, has been elected to the inaugural Board of Directors of the Association of Chief Academic Officers, the nation’s only organization for provosts/chief academic officers. The American Council on Education, in its role as a convener for higher education associations, has assisted in the organization’s start-up.
As an elected board member, Paydar will help the Association of Chief Academic Officers shape the future of higher education by providing a forum for academic affairs leaders to examine best practices, provide mentoring for one another and more junior colleagues, and learn about academic leadership issues across institutional sectors.
The recognition of Paydar as an academic leader among academic leaders comes after one of his major accomplishments in 2013: leading the development of a comprehensive and inclusive strategic planning process at IUPUI. The planning effort identified 10 strategic initiatives and launched 12 taskforces, involving more than 250 individuals.
Through that process, IUPUI is positioned to, among other things:
- Promote undergraduate student learning and success.
- Optimize enrollment management.
- Increase capacity for graduate education.
- Transform online education.
- Leverage IUPUI’s strengths in health and life sciences.
- Accelerate innovation, discovery and creative activity.
- Deepen campus commitment to community engagement.
- Strengthen internationalization efforts.
- Promote an inclusive campus climate.
- Develop faculty and staff.
As IUPUI’s chief academic officer, Paydar’s duties involve management of all academic issues. He oversees 22 campus deans and schools.
Paydar joined Indiana University in 1985 as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI. From 1989 to 2003, he served the School of Engineering and Technology as chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, associate dean for graduate programs, associate dean for academic programs, and executive associate dean. In spring 2004, Paydar became responsible for the Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus campus as vice chancellor and dean. In 2007, he was appointed interim chancellor of Indiana University East and was appointed chancellor there in 2009.