Rock towers baffle drivers

Saturday, May 24, 2008
These whimsical stone art forms appeared this week at the Cloverdale entry ramp to I-70 from 231. The artists who may have just been bored truck drivers parked for a rest left behind no signature.

Ivy Tech Community College introduced Dr. Donald S. Doucette to the local community as senior vice president and provost during a reception held in his honor Thursday afternoon at the Greencastle campus.

Doucette's job will be to provide vision, leadership and direction for Ivy Tech's more than 150 academic programs at its 23 campuses statewide.

He has an extensive background in education, having served as vice chancellor for education and technology at Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Kansas City, Mo. since 1993. There, he managed academic programs, services and technological infrastructure for the multi-campus community college.

"This is an extraordinary career opportunity to participate in a leadership team that is focused on building a model comprehensive community college system to assist the citizens and communities of the State of Indiana to thrive in the global economy of the 21st Century," said Doucette.

Several Greencastle residents and business associates joined Doucette at the reception including Mayor Sue Murray, chamber director Tammy Amor, chamber members Ken Easel and Lisa Perdue, and Ivy Tech officials Chancellor Dr. Jeff Pittman and Greencastle campus coordinator Brad Johnson.

Doucette talked with individuals and spoke about his 30-year career. He has served as a faculty member and administrator for some of the nation's top community college systems.

"Don is a community college veteran. He has a record of leadership in innovation and has been an administrator at some of the best community colleges in the nation," said Ivy Tech Community College President Thomas J. Snyder.

Doucette recently returned from Haiti after leading the creation of the first community college in that country, the Business and Technology Institute of Les Cayes, where he serves as president of the board of directors.

He holds similar roles with the board of directors for the Haitian Episcopal Learning Programs (HELP) and the board of directors for Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Foundation, and is a sponsor of a maternal healthcare clinic in Larnage, Haiti.

He has also served as Director of Research, Evaluation, and Instructional Development at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas and spent two years at Maricopa Community Colleges in Phoenix, Arizona.

Doucette earned a doctorate degree in higher education and a master's degree in English from Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. and a bachelor's degree in English from Cornell University.

He has held teaching positions at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, MCC-Maple Woods, Johnson Community College, Maricopa Community College and Arizona State University.

He lives in downtown Indianapolis near the historic Massachusetts Avenue.

"I can walk to the Athenaeum and all kinds of places downtown. I really like being here in Indiana," he said.

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  • The headline and picture don't seem to match the story?

    -- Posted by Geologist on Sat, May 24, 2008, at 5:46 AM
  • I seen a hitchhiker in that very area the other day before the rock piles was made. Maybe he was bored not getting a ride. Indians used to make these too.

    -- Posted by firenut on Mon, May 26, 2008, at 9:04 AM
  • Ok I found the story to be boreing so I didnt finish reading it. I skimmed through it though. My Question. What does Whatever personell change your talking about at Ivy Tech have to do with the stone art?

    -- Posted by Inquizitor on Mon, Jun 2, 2008, at 2:54 AM
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