Ivy Tech Bloomington welcomes new Education Department Chair, Liz Stelle | As a Bloomington native, Stelle brings a rich background of educational experience in the community

Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington has hired Elizabeth Stelle as the new Department Chair of Education. She took the helm on May 28 as Marjie Risen retires from her position this summer after 25 years of service.

“Building connections and relationships with my students and fellow educators is what brings me the most joy in my career,” Stelle said. “I have this overall feeling of contentment and that this [Ivy Tech] is where I am meant to be.”

As a Bloomington native, Stelle has a deep background in education in the community. She attended Bloomington High School South and earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University. She was a teacher in numerous schools, including St. Charles Catholic School, St. Mark’s Nursery School and Kindergarten, Edgewood Primary School, The Project School, and Jill’s House International Preschool, where she served as director and was instrumental in the program’s growth.

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Stelle holds a master’s degree in Elementary Education with a focus on Early Childhood Education and a certificate in Early Childhood Leadership. She is pursuing a doctorate degree in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education at Indiana University and has taught and supervised pre-service teachers at IU since 2020.

“We feel very lucky to have found someone with Liz’s rich community connections and first-hand experience,” Annie Gray, Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Education and Teaching and Learning at Ivy Tech Bloomington said. “With her background in the classroom and program leadership, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the position.”

Ivy Tech Bloomington offers more than 40 career and four-year transfer programs, with courses that start multiple times per year for quick entry and graduation. To get started, apply for free online at ivytech.edu/bloomington, call 812-330-6013, or email [email protected]. For information on free, short-term training programs at Ivy Tech Bloomington, visit ivytech.edu/bloomington/NLJ.