Contact Program Contact IU Kokomo Office of Alumni Relations (765) 455-9411 www.iuk.edu/alumni Media Contact Mary Ellen Stephenson OCM (765) 455-9414 mestephe@iuk.edu

Sciame-Giesecke receives service award

KOKOMO, Ind.—The Indiana University Kokomo Alumni Association will honor Susan Sciame-Giesecke, Ph.D., dean of IU Kokomo’s School of Arts and Sciences, with its 2007 Distinguished Service Award Saturday, May 5, at the annual Cream and Crimson Dinner on campus.

The association will also recognize Elizabeth Tocco Billman, principal of Thompson Elementary School in Walton, recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award. The dinner is open to all IU alumni and friends. Reservations are required; contact alumni@iuk.edu or call (765) 455-9411.

When a new dean was appointed to lead IU Kokomo’s School of Arts and Sciences (SOAS) in 2003, Vice Chancellor Stuart Green praised the selection committee’s “uncommon wisdom” in offering the position to then associate professor of communication arts and acting dean Susan Sciame-Giesecke. “She is innovative, smart, and aware of and involved in all the key issues and opportunities facing today’s schools of liberal arts and sciences,” Green said. “ Moreover, she deeply respects the faculty and is one of the most student-centered educators I know.”

With the Indiana University Kokomo faculty since 1977, Sciame-Giesecke’s appointments have included acting Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (1996–98), Chair of Humanities (1998–2006), and coordinator for the Communication Arts Program (1984–96). In 2006, she was selected for the inaugural IU Leadership class.

Rick Aniskiewicz, chairman of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said his colleague “provides first-rate student-based service at IU Kokomo. One of the defining characteristics of Sue’s work is her dedication to fostering the development of a solid freshman year experience. She has assumed a leadership role in terms of course-specific and curriculum-wide initiatives, and she brings a great deal of enthusiasm and energy to these efforts.”

In volunteer service to the community, Sciame-Giesecke has directed leadership training for the City of Kokomo and facilitated public discussions on the renovation of Downtown Kokomo and Kokomo’s outreach to international constituencies. She teaches a confirmation class at St. Joan of Arc Church, is an active team mom at Northwestern High School, and serves on the steering committee for the Art Train’s visit to Kokomo May 4–7.

Over the past year, Sue has been a particularly busy and devoted volunteer on behalf of Family Service Association (FSA) of Howard County, Inc., and its programs to assist those experiencing domestic violence. After the dean encouraged her students to take part in last year’s FSA Angel Walk fundraiser, she asked if she could join FSA’s board and has serve on its nominating and fundraising committees.

“Sue is the kind of volunteer board member we can really depend on,” said Family Service’s executive director Judy Dennis. “She is a serving person. She always brings great energy to tasks, and is wonderfully resourceful in brainstorming ways we can get things done.” Dennis was especially appreciative when Sue stepped up to coordinate and direct a dinner theatre fundraiser this spring. “She spent endless hours, meeting with our committee and directing her student actors. She did it out of caring. She got nothing in return.”

This spring, Rock Valley College inducted Sciame-Giesecke into its Alumni Hall of Fame. She earned an associate’s degree at the college, located in Rockford, Ill. She holds a doctorate in Organizational Communication from Indiana University.