Polis Center Chief Announces Retirement

David Bodenhamer, the founding executive director of The Polis Center at IUPUI, is stepping down from the position after 32 years with the university. With his retirement, Polis Center Associate Director Sharon Kandris will take over on an interim basis.

The Polis Center, which is a unit in the IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI, works with community partners to define, measure, and actively improve community health, well-being, and resiliency.

IUPUI says Bodenhamer will continue to work with several Polis initiatives as a consultant.

“David Bodenhamer has been a key member of our team who helped The Polis Center develop many opportunities for effective university-government-community-healthcare partnerships to use spatial information to improve and enhance the quality of life for Hoosiers,” said IU School of Informatics and Computing Executive Associate Dean Mathew Palakal. “His vision, drive, and commitment to Polis and its partners leave the center well-placed to continue collaborating with community experts to understand the complex problems of today’s world and finding potential solutions.”

IUPUI says Bodenhamer is an author and editor of more than 13 books. He’s also a prolific fundraiser. The school says Bodenhamer received more than $50 million in grants and other financial support for the Polis Center between 1989 and 2020.