I am pleased to announce that Dr. Charlene Alexander will be returning to Ball State University as our next Chief Strategy Officer. Dr. Alexander, whose appointment begins November 1, 2021, is succeeding Dr. Sue Hodges Moore, who is retiring from the University at the end of this calendar year.
Dr. Alexander is currently the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Oregon State University. Previously, she served as a professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services at Ball State, where she directed the School Counseling program for 16 years. Dr. Alexander also served as our Associate Provost for Diversity and Interim Associate Vice President for Community Engagement.
I am confident that Dr. Alexander will be an authentic, collaborative leader who is passionate about the transformative power of education. In her new role, she will be responsible for helping all of us execute the imperatives outlined in our strategic plan, Destination 2040: Our Flight Path. Dr. Alexander will also oversee our Offices of Institutional Research and Decision Support, Community Engagement, and Inclusive Excellence.
Throughout her career, Dr. Alexander has been a champion for initiatives related to diversity and inclusion. Under her leadership, our University developed our first Diversity Strategic Plan and released our first statement on the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Alexander’s efforts led to Ball State receiving the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for the first time in 2016.
Dr. Alexander holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an M.S. in Counseling and Guidance and a B.A. in Psychology from Creighton University.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Alexander back to our beautiful campus.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University