Ivy Tech Community College Hires, Promotes Two Positions Focused on Student Success

Ivy Tech Community College has made two leadership appointments in its Provost’s Office that will continue the institution’s commitment to student success. The College has reimagined two key positions – the vice president for academic systems and completion strategy and the vice president for student success and retention strategy – to deliver its goal of 50,000 annual completions aligned with Indiana’s workforce.

Since 2016, the College has strategically focused on improving student completions of industry-aligned degrees and credentials. In that time, student completions have increased by 119 percent, and in academic year 2023-2024, more than 46,000 high-quality certifications, certificates and associate degrees were awarded to Ivy Tech students. Across all higher education institutions in the state, Ivy Tech awards nearly half (49%) of all postsecondary credentials earned by Indiana residents.

To accelerate this progress, Ivy Tech has hired Chris Huang to serve as the vice president for academic systems and completion strategy. In this role, he will support the college’s records team and provide leadership for strategies aimed at the continued growth of student degree and certificate completions as well as transfer outcomes. He will also work across the College to support the development of academic systems in areas such as records and registration. 

Huang comes to Ivy Tech from Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he served as associate vice chancellor and registrar. He brings additional experience in student records, transfer and systems implementation from previous work as director of institutional effectiveness and registrar at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and as registrar at Wheaton College (Illinois), Governors State University and Trinity Christian College.

Huang’s professional service includes nearly two decades of leadership with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), where he currently serves on the board of directors as vice president for information technology. Huang holds a Master of Arts in communication from Purdue University Northwest and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Calvin College.

“I am humbled and honored to serve in this inaugural position. Ivy Tech’s mission as an open-access college, with a culture of innovation, aligns with my professional experiences at private and public institutions. I look forward to being part of a team that implements Workday Student and helps students achieve their desired credential. I hope to leverage my experiences, and my AACRAO network, to advance Ivy’s mission,” Huang said.

Additionally, Dr. Bryan Hamann has been promoted to the role of vice president for student success and retention strategy, a position that opened when Dr. Patrick Englert accepted an opportunity to serve as Ivy Tech chancellor for the South Bend-Elkhart campus earlier this year. Since July, Hamann has served as interim vice president, providing leadership for advising, student life, student programs and retention strategy across the College. 

Hamann brings prior experience at Ivy Tech as executive director of project implementation and support, where his responsibilities included support for the College’s continuous improvement efforts.

Before coming to Ivy Tech, Hamann served in roles including director of strategic initiatives & special projects in the President’s Office and director of student activities at Bellarmine University. Through these roles and others in student affairs at The University of Evansville, he engaged with students, faculty and staff to enhance the student experience.

Hamann holds a Ph.D. in higher education leadership from Bellarmine University, a Master of Arts in education/student affairs from Western Kentucky University and a Bachelor of Arts in communication, public relations and advertising from The University of Evansville.

“Ivy Tech is more than a college. For our students, it is the starting point for their aspirations and a brighter future. I'm proud to be a part of an institution that has so many faculty and staff members committed to the success of our students and the student experience. I'm excited for the opportunity to support our campuses throughout the state to ensure every student has an opportunity to reach their full potential,” Hamann said.