Former IU Kokomo sciences dean enjoys transition to full-time teaching

“That’s a good question for Dr. Motl.”

The small sign in Christian Chauret’s Hunt Hall office is a subtle reminder to visitors that after more than a decade of leadership, there’s a new dean in town — and he’s happy about it.

Chauret, who served 16 years in leadership positions in what is now Indiana University Kokomo’s School of Sciences, returned to full-time classroom teaching and research in January. Patrick Motl, longtime faculty member and associate dean, now serves as dean.

“I’ve been in leadership of the unit for 16 years,” said Chauret, professor of microbiology. “I got to the point personally and professionally that I needed a change. It was time for me to do something different. I enjoy teaching, and I enjoy doing research. The logical option was to go back to teaching. Leadership is exciting, but after many years it takes a bit of a toll on you.

“When you are in leadership, there is a high demand on your time,” he said. “In my new role I’m keeping busy. I have things to do, but the demand on my time isn’t as stressful.”

This semester, he’s enjoyed returning to a full teaching load of three classes after teaching one or two at a time while he was dean. With his interest in microbiology and environmental microbiology, he’s developed a new class about the environment and infectious diseases, and how climate change could impact infectious diseases.

“I’d included a little of that in some of my previous classes, and now I have an entire class on that topic,” he said. “I think the students are enjoying it so far.”

Chauret looks forward to more time in the lab conducting research on these topics. His current interest is in the type of bacteria that contaminates fluids in the automotive industry, as well as studying pathogens in the environment.

Long-term leadership was not his goal when Chauret arrived at IU Kokomo in 1995, joining what was then the Department of Natural, Information, and Mathematical Sciences, in classrooms on the second floor of the Main Building. His department chair, Robert Roales, asked him to serve on the committee that planned construction of Virgil and Elizabeth Hunt Hall – now home to the sciences programs.

“That was the first time I started to see things a little outside of my narrow field of microbiology, that there was more to the university than the classes I teach,” Chauret said. “Over the years, I got more involved in more committee work and started to see how things can be done or could be done.”

When Roales retired, Chauret became department chair, and later dean when it became the School of Sciences in 2012. He cites that transition as one of the biggest accomplishments of his tenure, adding that as a department they had maybe 20 to 25 graduates each year, but now have 100 or more annually.

“It took a big team effort,” he said. “We really became a school from what was a smaller department that had more focus on the natural sciences. Now, we have a variety of programs in informatics, health sciences, computer science, and general studies. We used to have only Bachelor of Arts programs, and we’ve added many Bachelor of Science programs. I’m proud of all those accomplishments. We’ve grown and matured as a school. It’s not me, it’s the faculty and staff who did that.”

While at larger schools, deans do not teach, it has been the practice at IU Kokomo that they do, and he was happy to continue in that role.

“To me, it was important to be in the classroom,” he said. “The students change. Students are not the same today in 2025. It’s good to be in the classroom and meet them where they are and get to know them. When they graduate, you actually know many of them. That’s exciting and valuable.”

He also continued mentoring students as they conducted research and looks forward to having time to work with more of them in the future.

“I always had a few students a year doing undergraduate research projects,” Chauret said. “As dean, you wish you had time to help them more. That’s my plan, to have more time for students who are doing research.”

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.