Community members who have been around Michigan’s Great Southwest for 15-20 years will recall the Lake Michigan College leadership term of Dr. Richard Pappas. He served the college as President from 1994 until 2005 before leaving to head National-Louis University in Chicago and has led Davenport University in Grand Rapids since 2009.
Now, Dr. Pappas’ son, Dr. Brian Pappas, will become the new leader of Indiana University South Bend after a rapid rise through academic administration and leadership in several states.
Brian Pappas has been named chancellor of the Indiana University South Bend campus effective July 1.
Brian Pappas, newly named President, IU-South Bend
He will replace former Chancellor Susan Elrod, who retired in December.
“Brian Pappas brings a wealth of academic, administrative and professional experience that makes him an exceptional fit to lead IU South Bend,” said Pamela Whitten, president of Indiana University. “His collaborative leadership style, commitment to student success, and experience in fostering community partnerships will serve the campus and the region well, and I look forward to welcoming him to the IU community.”
Since 2022, Pappas has served as dean of the University of North Dakota School of Law, where he improved bar passage and student employment rates. He previously served as associate provost and associate vice president for faculty affairs at Eastern Michigan University and as a law professor at Michigan State University. Pappas has supported undergraduate success throughout his career by advancing high-impact experiential learning opportunities for students, curricular revisions, and improved advising and course scheduling.
Pappas is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work includes research on formal and informal conflict management systems. He served as a multi-country Fulbright Scholar in 2021-23 with segments in Japan, Greece and Denmark. He holds a doctoral degree in public administration from the University of Kansas, a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University, and additional degrees from the University of Missouri and the University of Michigan.
“I am truly impressed by IU South Bend’s strong sense of community, commitment to student success and deep connections to the region,” Pappas said. “I’m excited to work alongside the talented faculty, students and staff, as well as local leaders and partners, to build on the campus’s strengths, create innovative partnerships and drive transformational change that benefits the region and beyond.”
The chancellor is responsible for all aspects of the academic, student, financial, development and administrative dimensions of the campus. As the oldest and largest regional campus, IU South Bend has a mission focused on regional impact, partnership and transformation.
The IUSB campus enrolls approximately 4,600 students, offering undergraduate and master’s programs across six schools — and the IU School of Social Work — organized under two colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Professional Studies. It has six varsity sports teams and campus housing, plus nearly 200 full-time faculty members.
Dr. Brian Pappas attended St. Joseph High School, graduating in 1996, and later interned briefly with Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor.
Meanwhile, Dr. Richard Pappas is currently one of the longest-serving presidents of any college or university in the state of Michigan, serving 15 years as president of Davenport University in Grand Rapids.
The senior Dr. Pappas has more than 40 years of experience in higher education, including 35 as a college and university president. Prior to joining Davenport in 2009, he served as president of National-Louis University (NLU) in Chicago, Lake Michigan College, and Harford Community College in Bel Air, MD.
MoodyOnTheMarket.com publisher Pat Moody served on the Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees during Dr. Richard Pappas’ tenure. Pat shared some recollections. “Several board members and I were at the national advocacy conference in Washington D.C. for the Association of Community College Trustees when we had the opportunity to meet Rick who was one of the highest profile candidates we had for the office of President to replace Dr. Anne Mulder who was moving on. He was an instantaneous match, in my opinion, and proved to be a particularly popular choice with the faculty and staff at LMC as well. We were fortunate to have him for 11 very strong years where his strong focus on students, side-by-side with his ability to keep the business community aligned and fully interested in the future of the college were paramount to his strong term in office. His son has incredible talents in his own regard and the entire region will be fortunate to have him at the helm.”
Leading at the upper echelons of post-secondary education is becoming a Pappas trait. In addition to father and son, the Pappas family patriarch, Dr. Charles N. Pappas enjoyed a long career in the community college realm, serving as the President of Genessee Community College in Flint, which later became known as Charles Stewart Mott Community College, eventually becoming the longest serving President of Mott spanning 11 years after which he served for six more years being elected to the Board of Trustees for six more years.
Quite a legacy for the coming generations of Pappas children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
