School of Philanthropy at IUPUI appoints new dean

Indiana University has found a successor to Gene Tempel, who is set to step down as dean of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI.

Amir Pasic, 51, vice president for international operations with the Washington, D.C.-based Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE, is set to take over Tempel’s position on Jan. 20. The appointment was announced Monday.

Tempel, an internationally recognized expert in philanthropy who helped establish IU's Center on Philanthropy in 1987, announced his decision to step down in March. The center was the direct predecessor of the IU School of Philanthropy, which opened in 2013 with Tempel as founding dean.

Tempel will continue to lead the school until Pasic begins the new position. The appointment is subject to approval by the IU Board of Trustees.

In his new position, Pasic will lead of the world's first school devoted to the study and teaching of philanthropy. The school, with an endowment of more than $80 million, offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in philanthropic studies and is a leader in philanthropic research.

At CASE, Pasic led a global professional association that served educational institutions and advancement professionals responsible for alumni relations, fundraising, communications and marketing.  He took the position in December 2011.

Prior to joining CASE, Pasic served as associate dean for development and strategic planning for the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, where he also served as executive director of the Foreign Policy Institute.  

IU also announced Monday that Pasic’s position will be funded through the newly created Eugene R. Tempel Deanship, which is IU’s first named endowed deanship.

Funding for the endowment came from several donors, including Bill and Irene Lilly McCutchen, Jim and Maureen Hackett, and Bob Hartsook.

"I am honored and deeply humbled by this gift and I thank each of the donors for their extraordinary generosity and their confidence in our work," Tempel said in a written statement. "This remarkable gift will ensure that future deans have the flexibility and resources to pursue new opportunities and to continue the development of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy to reach its full potential."