Though many students view Indiana University President Pamela Whitten as the highest power in the university system, she is not the sole leader of the university.
The hierarchy of power at IU starts with the Board of Trustees.
Indiana’s governor now has the power to appoint all nine university trustees. In June, Gov. Mike Braun removed three alumni-elected trustees — Vivian Winston, Jill Maurer Burnett and Donna Spears — after a last-minute addition to the state budget bill gave him the power to do so.
The trustees are the legal owners and final authority of the university. Each trustee traditionally serves a three-year term, except the student trustee, who serves for one year. Trustees cannot serve more than three terms, though this rule seems to have been violated with the recent term extension for trustee W. Quinn Buckner.
At least five of the trustees must be IU alumni and at least five, excluding the student trustee, must be residents of Indiana. No more than three members of the board, excluding the student trustee, may reside in the same county.
Trustees are not paid, according to the board’s website, though they may receive per diems for their work.
The board holds four two-day meetings throughout the academic year.
The trustees recently formed a governance committee, chaired by James Bopp Jr., whose charge is to make recommendations on creating a committee system for the board. The governance committee will hold a public meeting 9 a.m. Dec. 2. The next public meeting of the entire board is from 9:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 5 at IU South Bend.
Here are the current members of the Board of Trustees:
Braun appointed Hormuth to the board in 2025. He was selected as chair at the Sept. 11, 2025, board meeting.
Hormuth earned four degrees from IU from 1977 to 2015, most recently a master’s degree in business of medicine. His appointment to the board follows a career as a cardiothoracic transplant surgeon at Methodist Hospital and within his own company, Advanced Cardiothoracic Consultants, which he co-owned from 2014–2020. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was recognized by the U.S. News and World Report as one of the top doctors in the country from 2011-14.
Springer was appointed to the board in 2025 by Braun. She was selected as vice chair during the Sept. 11 board meeting. Springer is an attorney and alumna of the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law and is a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, where she specializes in representing nonprofits and quasi-governmental entities. According to her biography on the trustee webpage, she has spent the past 20 years focusing on policy issues related to higher education.
Bopp was one of three trustees appointed to the board in June after Braun’s removal of three alumni-elected trustees. Bopp is a conservative lawyer and has assisted with 14 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including Citizens United v. FEC, which again allowed corporations and unions to donate to political campaigns.
Bopp served as a member of the Republican National Convention from 2006–2012, including three years spent as party vice-chairman. He has also served as general counsel for the National Right to Life Committee, an anti-abortion group, and the National Organization for Marriage, which was founded to advocate for the overturning of same-sex marriage in California. In 2021, he represented eight students who sued IU over a vaccine mandate.
Bopp currently serves as the chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.
Buckner was first appointed in 2016 and was reappointed to the board in 2025 by Gov. Mike Braun for a one-year extension to his term. Despite a provision in the state budget bill prohibiting trustees from serving more than three terms, Buckner is in his fourth. The law, effective July 1, 2025, does not specify whether the term cap applies to sitting trustees.
Buckner previously served as the chair of the board. He captained the undefeated 1976 IU men’s basketball team and is one of three basketball players to win championships at the state, college, NBA and Olympic levels.
Following his playing career, Buckner coached the Dallas Mavericks in the 1993-1994 season, served as an analyst for numerous sports outlets and currently serves as the vice president of communications for Pacers Sports and Entertainment.
Buckner serves as the chair of the compensation committee.
Eagle was appointed to the board following Braun’s removal of alumni-elected trustees in June. An alumnus of the IU Kelley School of Business, Eagle is the founder of law firm Eagle & Fein and the Eagle Wealth Planning Institute. His firm specializes in estate planning, estate and trust administration and business transactions for families and privately–held businesses. He’s also the co-founder of Legacy Administration Services and Inheralink, both of which focus on estate planning.
Eagle currently serves as the chair of the finance and audit committee.
Morris was appointed to the board in 2023 by former Gov. Eric Holcomb. He is an alumnus of the IU Kelley School of Business and the founder of Proprium Capital Partners, a real estate investing firm. Prior to launching Proprium, Morris spent 24 years at Morgan Stanley, most recently as a managing director and chief investment officer of the company’s Real Estate Special Situations fFunds.
Morris serves as the chair for the facilities and auxiliaries committee.
Following Braun’s June removal of three alumni-elected trustees, Steele was one of three trustees appointed to the board. Steele spent 16 years at ESPN, where she served as a co–host of “SportsCenter.”
In 2021, Steele garnered controversy after she said it was strange former U.S. President Barack Obama identifies as Black because he was raised by his white mother and grandparents and criticized ESPN for requiring employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. These comments led to her suspension from ESPN. She sued the company, claiming a breach of contract and violation of her civil rights. ESPN offered a settlement of just over $500,000 in 2023, and Steele subsequently departed from the network.
Steele heads the external relations committee.
Holcomb appointed Torres to the board in 2023. Torres is from Mexico City and earned his Master of Business Administration at IU South Bend in 2000. Torres owns a money transfer company called InterCambio Express that specializes in international transfers.
White is a junior at IU Indianapolis, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in business finance, real estate and economics. He also works as special assistant to Republican Congressman Jefferson Shreve. As the Board’s sole student trustee, he serves a one-year term.
White serves as the chair of the student relations committee.
