Throughout McRobbie’s tenure, IU has been recognized for its leadership across a wide range of key areas, including student success, research and scholarly excellence, community engagement, international education, health sciences training and research, and economic development for all of Indiana.
Michael's leadership has enhanced the Hoosier state's reputation globally.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb
"Throughout McRobbie’s tenure, IU has been recognized for its leadership across a wide range of key areas, including student success, research and scholarly excellence, community engagement, international education, health sciences training and research, and economic development for all of Indiana. He’s been celebrated as a transformative, innovative leader.
“As of June 2021, McRobbie will have concluded one of the most successful presidencies under extraordinarily challenging conditions than any leader in higher education has ever experienced. His leadership tenacity to transform IU into one of the leading AAU institutions is one of many metrics that point to remarkable success during his tenure.”
—Michael Mirro, Chair, Indiana University Board of Trustees
“Much of IU has been profoundly reshaped by Michael McRobbie during his presidency. His legacy will endure the test of time. As someone who shares Michael McRobbie’s strong belief in the arts as a core and essential aspect of the human experience and therefore a central, not secondary part of a university education, I am grateful for his efforts on behalf of the arts in general, and the Eskenazi Museum of Art in particular.”
—Adelheid M. Gealt, Professor Emerita, Art History; Director Emerita, Eskenazi Museum of Art
“It was a no-brainer in my view when we elevated McRobbie to the presidency and he’s never disappointed. His accomplishments, his achievements will be related and will be celebrated for all.”
—Pat Shoulders, Vice-Chair, Indiana University Board of Trustees
“Michael’s transformative leadership is defined by the day-to-day moments that few people see and even fewer realize at the time the enduring effect they will have. Michael has quietly and steadily brought about a shift in IU’s culture. In so doing, he elevated what we believe is possible and what we should expect of ourselves and collectively of IU as an institution. Because of Michael’s time with us we are a far more innovative, bold, and courageous organization.”
—MaryEllen Bishop, Trustee, Indiana University Board of Trustees
“History books will tell the story of the McRobbie era at Indiana University. It will be story of a passion for progress with a vision for the future.”
Nasser Paydar, Chancellor, IUPUI
“During Michael McRobbie’s tenure as President, Indiana University’s campuses have preserved and grown their reputation as beautiful, functional, and sustainable places in which to teach, learn, research, and engage in our communities. President McRobbie’s vision for Indiana University in responding to needs in a mindful yet innovative manner has served our campuses well now and will continue to do so for years to come.”
—Thomas A. Morrison, Vice President for Capital Planning and Facilities
“Under Michael McRobbie’s leadership ... Indiana University has committed to addressing pressing issues that affect our city, our state, our nation and our world through research, through education, and through service….”
—Joseph Hogsett, Mayor, City of Indianapolis
“It is incredibly hard to look at today’s [IUPUI] campus and not see innovation and transformation in the teaching, research, and service occurring there now as a result of his leadership.”
“President McRobbie, I want to personally thank you for your generous partnership and your gracious collaboration through the past 14 years, and I wish you and your wife Laurie only the best as you enter your well-deserved retirement.”
—Vop Osili, President, Indianapolis City/County Council
“I think the results speak for themselves. There is a truism that says great leaders show it during our more difficult times. Michael went through at least two very big ones, so yeah, the obvious comment is ‘flying colors.’”
“He’s been a very articulate advocate for IU-and such a credible one. He brought unique talents that are well matched for the era we are in. IU will miss him, and I will too.”
—Mitch Daniels, President, Purdue University
“I think that in order to do what he has done; you have to have a vision for what a first-class research institution looks like. You have to have that from the beginning, and he did. And he has never gotten distracted in pursuing that.”
—Lauren Robel, Provost and Executive Vice President, Indiana University
“The obvious importance to our students and the state of Indiana that IU continue its leadership in technology cannot be over-emphasized…I am extremely pleased to announce that Michael McRobbie ... has agreed to join the IU team,” Brand said. “He will play a central role in our work to build America's new public university.”
"Michael has already made an incredible impact on the university in terms of information technology…But he has much more to contribute in a very broad range of areas, including the humanities and the arts”
—Myles Brand, President, Indiana University (1994-2002)
“All at AAU celebrate the long and successful tenure of Michael McRobbie as president of Indiana University and as chair of our board. Due to an unexpected presidential transition, Michael has chaired the board for 18 months, rather than the usual 12 months, during a time of considerable challenge for higher education. On any given day, Michael could be called upon for urgent consultation and advice about issues that potentially could have a very negative impact on America's leading research universities, a duty to which he cheerfully acceded. AAU depends on such good citizenship by our presidents and chancellors, and Michael has been simply one of the best. Given that he is Australian as well as a U.S. citizen, his international perspective has also been invaluable. In short, Michael McRobbie is a consummate good steward of higher education in the U.S. and the world.”
—Mary Sue Coleman, former president of the Association of American Universities
“I thought we hired a good president, and we hired a great president. Michael has great vision, hired great leaders, was recognized by his peers worldwide, built much-needed physical facilities, restored the historic buildings, rebuilt the athletic facilities, increased the endowment to new levels, emphasized diversity, supported the arts, increased international enrollment, raised research funding and raised the rating of the university. Michael is a true Renaissance man and established the future of IU in the world.”
—Stephen L. Ferguson, chairman of the board of Cook Group Inc. and former IU Board of Trustees chairman
“It's been a very exciting and great privilege to work with President McRobbie. The university has moved in significant ways internationally under his leadership."
—Patrick O’Meara, late IU Vice President Emeritus
Under President McRobbie, IU is now positioned to leap into the very top tier of American universities studying foreign policy.
Richard Lugar, late U.S. Senator for Indiana
“McRobbie has carried out his manifold duties in a principled and dignified way and set a tone of cordiality that makes our campus the open and fair-minded institution it is. Nothing can be better than that, and I can only hope that his successors will strive to follow his example in this regard.”
—Alvin H. Rosenfeld, Professor of English and Jewish Studies; Irving M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies; Director, Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism
“Michael has been acknowledged as the best public university president in recent years, and ranks with William Lowe Bryan and Herman B Wells as the best IU presidents. His leadership of IU has been astounding, taking an IU that had a broken physical and information infrastructure and producing an enormous number of upgrades, new facilities and buildings, and starting 10 new schools and programs. He greatly improved IU’s research and external research funding. He made IU respected worldwide.”
—Richard M. Shiffrin, Distinguished Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences
“In 1998, Michael and his staff envisioned that IU could become the network operator for the new Research and Education Network, Internet2, that was being created by 34 leading research universities. It was a highly competitive process, but IU’s proposal won, and IU is now the singular, national powerhouse in operating advanced networks for research and education.”
—Brad Wheeler, James H. Rudy Professor of Information Systems, Department of Operations and Decision Technologies
