Rose-Hulman Appoints Trustees

Tonya Combs and Paul Palmer

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has appointed Tonya Combs (pictured) and Paul Palmer (pictured) to its board of trustees. Chuck Sigman has also been added to the board.  

Combs has served as vice president and deputy general patent counsel with Eli Lilly and Co. since early 2019. Prior to that, she was senior director and general patent counsel for the company’s biomedicines business unit and team leader and general counsel for the oncology business unit. Combs earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Rose-Hulman. She received a law degree summa cum laude from the Indiana University Robert McKinney School of Law.

Palmer serves as a professor of marketing with the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. He has 30 years of experience in industry and higher education, and has had business and management success with Procter & Gamble Co., Hasbro Inc. and American Greetings Corp. At Hasbro, Palmer served five years as senior brand manager for Star Wars toy products, during the release of Star Wars Episode’s I and II movies, and managed key licensor relationships with Lucasfilm, Walt Disney and Cartoon Network. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman in 1989.

Sigman serves as senior budget analyst in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for the Office of Administration within the Office of the President of the United States. He graduated from Rose-Hulman with a chemical engineering degree in 1980.