Dr. Debbie Ford became Chancellor of IU Southeast in July 2023, becoming the ninth chancellor and fifth woman chancellor to serve the campus. An Indiana University alumna with deep experience in supporting student success and community engagement, Dr. Ford will oversee all aspects of the academic and operational dimensions of the campus, in collaboration with the university administration and the other Indiana University regional campuses.
A strong proponent of community engagement, she has been appointed to a three-year term on the Board of Directors for One Southern Indiana (1si).
Before joining the learning community at IU Southeast, Dr. Ford served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for 14 years. Prior to UW-Parkside, Dr. Ford served as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of West Florida, and Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr. Ford holds her B.S. from the University of Louisville, her Master of Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University, and her Doctor of Education from the University of Louisville. A native Louisvillian, she married her college sweetheart, John, and they have two adult children Abby and JD, and a new grandson, Caden David.
