Pamela Whitten was officially inaugurated as Indiana University’s 19th president Thursday. She is the first woman to hold the office in the university’s 200-plus year history.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton spoke at the event, along with faculty, staff and student representatives from IU’s seven regional campuses.
In her inaugural address, Whitten reflected on the university’s past, present and future as a world-leader in higher education. She said her top priority as president is IU’s students.
“We need to create experiences both inside and outside the classroom that help you learn to think analytically, and solve problems in ways that set you apart from other college graduates,” she said.
Whitten said IU is an incubator for jobs and growth in Indiana, as well as a promotor of diversity.
“Indiana University’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths,” she said. “We must all work together in the coming years to ensure that our campus communities are places where differences of all kinds are respected, embraced, and protected.”
