IUPUI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Public and Government Affairs, Walmart / Chancellor
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools
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- Director of International Student and Scholar Services
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- Communications and Marketing Specialist
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Associate Vice President for State Relations
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- President and CEO, Indianapolis Urban League
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- DIRECTOR of COMMUNICATIONS
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- President and CEO, Central Indiana Community Foundation and the Indianapolis Foundation
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Owner and President of C. Garcia Associates Consulting Firm
- Owner and President, C. Garcia Associates
Biography
Charles J. "Charlie" Garcia is the owner and President of C. Garcia Associates consulting firm and former Chief Executive Officer of Garcia Construction Group (formerly GM Construction). Garcia has won numerous business awards including the 1994 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young and Small Businessman of the Year in 2000 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Garcia Construction Group was recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal as Indiana's third largest minority-owned business in 2002 and 2003 and was also listed in the top 25 companies in Indianapolis.
Charlie was born in San Francisco, California, but has proudly called Indianapolis his home since the late 1980s. He attended the College of San Mateo and graduated from the Way College of Biblical Research. He attended Butler University and has also graduated from Dartmouth University and University of California, Los Angeles Executive Programs.
Charlie has servied the business and nonprofit communities on numerous boards, including Butler University, Marian University, University of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech College President's Advisory board, FBI Citizens Academy, St. Vincent Health, Crossroads of America Boy Scouts, Avondale Meadows Academy, Indiana Latino Expo, Indiana Latino Institute, TeenWorks, Challenge Foundation Academy Charter Schools, Bank One (Indiana), Fifth Third (Indiana), Federal Reserve Bank, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Eiteljorg Museum, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, and Indiana Progress Industry Committee.
Garcia's considers his greatest contributions his efforts to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs. The mentoring program he developed has been adopted by the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce to assist minority- and women-owned businesses in increasing their growth rates. As a founder of the Indiana Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, Charlie has helped increase educational opportunities for first-generation Hispanic college students.
Job Titles:
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Partner
- Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Christopher Bayh is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., offices, and is a member of the firm's Litigation and Government Services departments. Chris focuses his practice in business litigation, appeals, government and constitutional law, and higher education.
Since 2017, Chris has been named to the Indiana Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" list for his work in business litigation. In 2018, he was honored with the Indiana Lawyer's "Leadership In Law: Up and Coming Lawyer" award.
Before joining Barnes & Thornburg, Chris was an associate at a Vault top-25 law firm in Washington, D.C., where he handled complex litigation matters. Before entering private practice, Chris clerked for Judge David F. Hamilton of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Chris earned his J.D., cum laude, in 2009 from Washington University in St. Louis, and graduated with high distinction from Indiana University in 2004. While in college, Chris played football under Coach Cam Cameron, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors, and served as an assistant probation officer for Monroe County, Indiana.
Job Titles:
- ASSISTANT to the CHANCELLOR
Job Titles:
- Senior International Admissions Specialist
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Chairman / President, RJE Business Interiors
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer at Simon Property Group
Biography
Don Frey is senior vice president and assistant treasurer at Simon Property Group, a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company. Simon's properties across North America, Europe, and Asia provide community gathering places for millions of people every day and generate billions in annual sales.
Don's chief responsibilities at Simon include managing the company's debt portfolio, capital markets activity, treasury functions, and payment services. Prior to his current role, Don was senior finance counsel at Simon, where his legal work focused on the company's financing matters. Don has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial real estate finance, with a particular emphasis on mortgage loan originations. Before joining Simon, Don practiced law at Dechert LLP and Alston & Bird LLP in New York where he represented banks and institutional investors in the origination, servicing, sale, and restructuring of all manner of commercial real estate debt.
Don is a graduate of Indiana University with a BS in kinesiology.
Job Titles:
- Chancellor
- INAUGURAL IU INDIANAPOLIS CHANCELLOR and IU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Chancellor Ramchand welcomes the opportunity to hear from students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Contact her to share your ideas, feedback, questions, and concerns.
Dr. Latha Ramchand was named inaugural chancellor of IU Indianapolis, and executive vice president of Indiana University, effective February 12, 2024. In addition to her executive leadership role, Chancellor Ramchand will serve on the Indianapolis faculty of the Kelley School of Business as professor of finance. Chancellor Ramchand joins the campus at a pivotal time in its history and brings the energy and vision that will help launch IU Indianapolis as one of the nation's premier urban research universities.
She comes to IU Indianapolis following her successful tenure as provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Missouri (MU), a role she held since 2018. At MU, she focused on student success, overseeing efforts that led to an increase in student retention and graduation rates, undergraduate research, and enhancements to the Honors College. She also launched the roll-out of a new resource allocation model for MU and led the implementation of MU's strategic plan, which strengthened the research enterprise.
Ramchand has been recognized for her leadership, scholarship, and outstanding teaching over the course of her career. In addition, the Mayor of Houston and the Houston City Council honored her with a UH Faculty Excellence Proclamation in 1995. She was named among Houston's 50 Most Influential Women of 2015 by Houston Woman Magazine, and she was voted an Outstanding Woman in Business by the Leadera Group in 2016.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Study Abroad
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- President and CEO, 16 Tech Community Corporation
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- Assistant Director of International Admissions
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Compliance Officer at Aurorium
Biography
A dual-licensed lawyer (Brazil and Indiana), Fernanda Beraldi currently serves as the vice president, general counsel, secretary, and compliance officer at Aurorium. Prior to that, she was the general counsel and corporate secretary for Inotiv Inc. Beraldi also served for nearly seven years with legal and compliance roles and increased global responsibilities as a senior director, ethics and compliance for Cummins, and before that she had served for six years with Embraer SA.
Fernanda completed her legal training at Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo, Brazil but also studied for her master of laws (LLM) at Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. During year years with McKinney Law, she served as a spring extern for Justice Steven David at the Indiana Supreme Court and for Eli Lilly and Company, the first international student to be selected for such externships. She completed her LL.M. in corporate and commercial law in 2015, graduating cum laude. She was also one of the commencement speakers.
In 2017, Fernanda was selected for the inaugural LL.M. Early Career Achievement Award granted by McKinney Law. In 2018, she co-founded Business Ethics Indiana, a group of ethics and compliance senior leaders in Indiana with a mission to promote ethical business practices and provide professional development that strengthens Indiana business ethics center of excellence. In 2019, Fernanda was selected among more than 150 nominees as one of the Top 10 30 Somethings by the Association of Corporate Counsel. In 2020, Fernanda was selected by the Indianapolis Business Journal for the "Forty Under 40" 2020 class.
Fernanda is passionate about giving back to the Indiana community. She currently serves as a trustee for Marian University and a member of the Investment Committee and vice-chair of the Risk and Audit Committees, a board member for the IU McKinney Alumni Board, a member of IU Health's Committee of Values and Ethics, and a board member of the Community Advisory Board of WFYI.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- President and Managing Editor, Grow INdiana Media Ventures, LLC
Biography
Gerry A. Dick has been awarded the state's top honor, the Sagamore of the Wabash, three times by Governors Kernan, Daniels, and Pence. He has been awarded Ernst and Young's prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award and recognized by the Small Business Administration as its Journalist of the Year. Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick has received a five Emmy awards for best interview/discussion program/series or special.
Gerry is a frequent keynote speaker and moderator on issues related to Indiana business and the state's economy and also serves as a business news analyst for WISH-TV and 93.1-FM - WIBC radio in Indianapolis.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Student Success Programs
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- International Student Advisor
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- Administration
- Interim Vice President of International Affairs, Indiana University Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs, Indiana University Indianapolis
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Indiana State Senator, District 46, Ex Officio Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Mayor of Carmel, Indiana, Ex Officio Member
Biography
Mayor James "Jim" Brainard is Carmel's first seven-term mayor. During his tenure, Carmel has experienced tremendous growth and prosperity and is considered one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana, Ex Officio Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Indiana State Representative, District 97, Ex Officio Member
Job Titles:
- Director of International Partnerships
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Founder and Owner, Storage Express
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- President and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Energy Group
Biography
Jeffrey A. Harrison is the president and chief executive officer of Citizens Energy Group, responsible for establishing and maintaining the vision and strategic direction for the organization; ensuring a culture that maintains a strong focus on customer needs while demonstrating high regard for employees, teamwork, continual improvement, and integrity; ensuring operational and financial prowess; and ensuring a responsible commitment to the vitality and success of central Indiana.
Harrison has served the utility industry for more than 30 years. He has held such positions as executive vice president and chief operating officer, senior vice president of engineering and sustainability, vice president of capital programs and engineering, vice president of engineering and facilities management, vice president of manufacturing, and corporate strategist. Harrison has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Indiana University. He is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Program, the Hoosier Fellows Program, and the Diversity Leadership Academy of Greater Indianapolis.
In addition to his service on the IUPUI Board of Advisors, Harrison serves on several other boards including the board of directors for 16 Tech Community Corporation, American Gas Association, Business Equity for Indy, Center for Leadership Development, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, FBI Indianapolis Citizens Academy Alumni Association, Goodwill Operating Board, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Energy Association, Indiana Sports Corp, Indianapolis Public Safety Foundation, Indianapolis Urban League, Indianapolis Zoo, Indy Chamber, Marian University, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, The Nature Conservancy, United Way of Central Indiana, and YMCA.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Administration
Job Titles:
- Senior Assistant Director of International Graduate Admissions
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- International Services Representative
Job Titles:
- Director of International Admissions
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Ex Officio Member
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of International Student Services
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- Director of Curriculum Internationalization
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of International Admissions
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- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Vice Chair
- President of the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross of Indiana
- Vice Chair / CEO, Eskenazi Health
Dedicating her career to improving health care for vulnerable and underserved populations, Lisa E. Harris, M.D., has practiced medicine for 30 years at nationally recognized Eskenazi Health. Today, Dr. Harris serves as Eskenazi Health's chief executive officer, leading one of America's essential health care systems that also serves as a vital training ground for the IU School of Medicine. In addition to her leadership role at Eskenazi Health, Dr. Harris remains actively engaged in patient care, research, and teaching.
Dr. Harris concentrates Eskenazi Health's resources on prevention, health promotion, and primary care, asserting that the greatest opportunity to improve the health and vitality of a community is to keep people well in the first place. She is intensely focused on improving access to patient-centered, comprehensive, community-based primary and mental health care, health promotion, and effective chronic disease management. Additionally, as past chair of America's Essential Hospitals, Dr. Harris has nurtured the organization's strong presence on Capitol Hill, advocating for our nation's most vulnerable populations.
An active and engaged leader in the local community, Dr. Harris serves as president of the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Indiana, as well as on the boards of directors for the Regenstrief Institute, Julian Center, Second Helpings, Managed Emergency Surge for Healthcare (MESH), and the inaugural board of directors of the Patachou Foundation, focused on providing healthful food to homeless children. She also serves on the boards of United Way of Central Indiana and the Christian Theological Seminary and served as the 2015 chair of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women initiative. She was appointed to the IUPUI Board of Advisors in 2021.
In 2009, Dr. Harris helped successfully lead a campaign seeking voter approval for a new Wishard Hospital campus. In 2011, the organization received a $40 million gift from Indianapolis couple Sidney and Lois Eskenazi, in honor of whom Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County named the new hospital facilities. The Eskenazi Health campus opened in December 2013 and is among the first and largest hospital campuses in the United States and the first in Indiana to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Lead Policy Advisor for Mayor Joe Hogsett
- Lead Policy Advisor to the Mayor of Indianapolis, Ex Officio Member
Biography
Mackenzie Higgins serves as lead Policy Advisor for Mayor Joe Hogsett. In that role, she is responsible for developing and leading the executive branch policy agenda. A key focus of her position is providing in-depth analysis of social, economic, and public policy trends to lead initiatives aimed at creating economic opportunities for Marion County families.
Mackenzie joined the Hogsett administration in 2016. Prior to that, she was a high school Spanish teacher at Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter School.
Mackenzie graduated from University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and she received her master's degree in public affairs from the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Bloomington.
Job Titles:
- International Student Advisor
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- Associate Director for Scholar Services
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- President of the Butler University Alumni Association
- Trustee and Co - Chair of the Energy Independence and Climate Protection Task Force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors
Mayor Brainard's academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in history from Butler University and Doctor of Jurisprudence from Ohio Northern University. He also received a diploma from the Oxford Institute on International and Comparative Law from the University of San Diego. His book titled Carmel, ‘round about right shares the story of redevelopment in Carmel during his administration.
Mayor Brainard serves as a trustee and co-chair of the Energy Independence and Climate Protection Task Force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In November of 2013, he was appointed to the Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience by President Barack Obama. In 2015, he traveled to four cities in India to represent the United States as part of the U.S. State Department's speaker's bureau. Additionally, he has been a guest lecturer at Georgetown University, Butler University, Indiana University, and Purdue University among others. He often speaks to city councils and planning commissions across the United States about city design and development.
Mayor Brainard has served as president of the Butler University Alumni Association, was included in Butler's "50 Under 50" in 2004 and has served as a trustee of the university. He taught as an adjunct instructor at the University of Indianapolis and was named one of the Most Powerful Hoosiers in the World by Indianapolis Monthly.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Director of Federal Relations
Biography
Molly Connor currently services as director of federal relations for Indiana University. After graduating from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at IUPUI, she served as an associate attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, focusing her practice in public policy and government relations. Also an alumna of IU Bloomington, she earned her degree there in public management and leadership from the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. From 2019-2021, Connor served as the appointed student member of the IU Board of Trustees where she chaired the student affairs committee and sat on IU's presidential search committee. In September 2019, Connor received the IU Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her service as a student trustee.
During her undergraduate career, Connor served as the student body vice president of the IU Student Association, now Undergraduate Student Government, and was co-chief of state and legislative affairs. At IUPUI, she was the president of the Graduate and Professional Student Government for a year before stepping down to serve on the IU Board of Trustees. Connor also served as an ex officio member of the Chancellor's Student Advisory Board. Additionally, she was named to the Order of the Barristers and was awarded the Dr. Charles R. Bantz Award for Excellence as part of IUPUI's Elite 50 celebration of graduate and professional students.
In addition to her service on the Board of Advisors, Connor sits on the Public Policy Committee of the Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) and the steering committee for the IU Women's Colloquium.
Job Titles:
- Study Abroad Services Specialist
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- India Recruitment Manager
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- Senior Assistant Director of International Admissions and Partnerships
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Director of the Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Initiative, IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Retired, Mexican Foreign Service
Biography
For almost 38 years, Sergio Aguilera, a native of Mexico, pursued two careers: banking and diplomacy. He joined Banco Nacional de Mexico (BANAMEX), the largest commercial bank in Mexico, right out of college. His banking career spanned more than 20 years and several countries as he became successively vice president and general manager of the bank's Los Angeles, New York, and London branches. Later he worked for Banca Serfin, the third largest commercial bank of Mexico at the time, where he became senior vice president of the bank and head of the international division.
In the Mexican Foreign Service, Aguilera was Consul General of Mexico in Toronto, Canada; Sydney, Australia; and Shanghai, China. His service in Indianapolis started in 2002 where he opened the Mexican Consulate that serves Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Southern Illinois. In 2007, he retired from the Mexican Foreign Service and became a resident and later a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Presently, Aguilera devotes most of his time to volunteer work for nonprofit organizations. He has served on more than a dozen boards. He founded the Mexican Scholarship Fund; was a founding member of the Consular Corps of Indianapolis, the Sagamore Institute of Policy Research, and the Immigrant Welcome Center; and recently stepped down from the Board of Governors of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. For several years, he served as co-chair of the advisory board of the Immigrant Welcome Center and is the chair emeritus of the Mexican Scholarship Fund. He joined the IUPUI Board of Advisors in 2012.
Aguilera received his B.A. in international relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and his M.A. from Columbia University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
Job Titles:
- Senior International Scholar Advisor
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications and Marketing
Tiarra hails from East Central Illinois. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received a bachelor's in East Asian Languages and Cultures with a minor in English as a Second Language. Through pursuit of the minor, Tiarra gained certification in TESL education in non-public school settings.
During her undergraduate years, Tiarra received a life-changing opportunity to study Japanese intensively in Kyoto, Japan through the Critical Language Scholarship Program awarded by the U.S. Department of State. The experience fortified her interest in global education and supporting others seeking similar international educational experiences.
Tiarra has background in customer service, human resources, and coordination of university exchange programs, diverse experiences she brings to her role in OIA.
In her spare time, Tiarra enjoys artistic pursuits, music and theater, and exploring new locations with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Student Success Programs
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- President and CEO, TechPoint
Biography
Ting Gootee is a seasoned venture development and community builder with extensive experience leading and managing impact-driven programs across the public, private, and academic sectors. She joined TechPoint as president and CEO in May 2022.
In 2011, Gootee co-developed the vision and strategy for Elevate Ventures and served as the organization's vice president of investment until 2014 when she was named chief investment officer.
Gootee played an instrumental role in standing up all aspects of Elevate Ventures' operations from day one. She managed and conducted due diligence research on hundreds of investment opportunities across multiple sectors, ranging from IT to life sciences to advanced manufacturing. Her portfolio oversight reaches more than a dozen Elevate funds and more than 400 Indiana startups and scale-ups and active syndication relationships with individual investors and professional venture capitalists across the country, resulting in $1.7 billion in co-invested capital and positive returns over the life of the funds.
Prior to Elevate Ventures, Gootee was the deputy director of the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. She came to that position from Lionhart Investments Limited, Office of Global Counsel, where she served as a business and legal analyst from 2003 to 2006.
A native of China, Gootee earned her Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business after earning a master of arts degree from Purdue University. She earned her undergraduate degree from Peking University in Beijing.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Chief Medical Officer of the Marion County Public Health Department
- Director and Chief Medical Officer, Marion County Public Health Department
Biography
Virginia A. Caine, M.D. is director and chief medical officer of the Marion County Public Health Department. She is an associate professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine's Infectious Diseases Division. She served as the President for the American Public Health Association, the nation's oldest and largest public health organization. She received the BioCrossroads "2017 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year" award.
Dr. Caine works tirelessly to promote and advance public health through innovative programs and unprecedented collaborations. With a national reputation for her work in public health through the Marion County Public Health Department, Dr. Caine was instrumental in setting up the first nationwide physician educational program regarding AIDS for the National Medical Association, which was later duplicated by the American Medical Association. She led a countywide process with local primary care agencies dealing with HIV/AIDS, to create the city's first integrated HIV health care delivery system. She was principal investigator for the Ryan White Title III funds, which established the first AIDS clinics in major city hospitals, ten community health centers, and resources for community-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
Indianapolis once had the distinction of having the highest Black infant mortality rate in the country. As co-director of the Indianapolis Healthy Babies Initiative, she was instrumental with community leaders in an effort that reduced the Black infant mortality rate to its lowest level ever in the history of Indianapolis by 46%.
She is chairman of the Board of Trustees for the National Medical Association and current chair of the Infectious Diseases Section. She is a board member for the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Editorial Board. She is also chair of the Managed Emergency Surge for Healthcare (MESH) Coalition, a nonprofit public-private partnership addressing emergency preparedness in Marion County, Indiana, as well as the IU Simon Cancer Center Community Advisory Committee. She is a member of the National Biodefense Science Board, which provides expert advice and guidance to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the assistant secretary of preparedness. She is also co-chair for the Jump In for Healthy Kids Advisory Committee; founding member of the Indiana Health Information Exchange, and board member of the Indiana Latino Institute.
Dr. Caine earned her medical degree at New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. She completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She received her Infectious Diseases fellowship training at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- President, Indianapolis City - County Council, Ex Officio Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the IUPUI Board of Advisors
- Senior Vice President for Economic Development, Local Initiatives Support Corporation