IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold is preparing to welcome faculty, staff and students to campus as the fall semester gets underway.

Reingold began his role as executive vice president and chancellor in June but is no stranger to IU Bloomington. He joined the faculty in 1997 as an assistant professor of public policy and taught for 18 years. He also served as executive associate dean for the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs from 2008 to 2015.

IU Today talked to the chancellor about his priorities, the future of the campus, student success and the Bloomington landmarks he looks forward to revisiting.

Question: How are you spending your first months on campus?

Answer: I’m spending much of my time during these first several months listening and learning. I was here for 18 years. There is a lot that is familiar. There are still many faculty and staff members who are our friends. But a decade has passed since I’ve been here, and a lot has changed.

I will spend a good amount of time relearning and better understanding the facts on the ground in 2025.

IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold chats with attendees at a welcome event on June 2, 2025. Photo by Chris Meyer, Indiana UniversityQ: How do you envision the future of IU Bloomington?

A: The vision of the campus has been clearly articulated in the IU 2030 strategic plan, so we’ll be working to advance and achieve those goals. I’m also mindful that for an institution that’s been around for 200-plus years, the goals are constantly a work in progress.

My goal is to try and curate and bring forward the best ideas that we have on this campus. We’ve got to make sure that we’re focused on those that are most important and that advance our commitment to education, research and engagement. I think that that is the role of a chancellor: to make sure that we’re laser focused on those things that are really going to mean the most to the students, the faculty and the staff of this great university.

Q: What role do you see staff, faculty and students playing to help chart that path forward?

A: I’m mindful that charting a way forward for a large university can be quite challenging as individuals in it try to figure out “How do I make my voice heard, and how do I get my ideas into the environment of the university? How do I work in a constructive way to improve it?”

I have yet to meet anybody who is attached to the university who does not fundamentally want what is best for the place. I’ve always thought that, when you have a problem, when you face a challenge, when you’re trying to work toward a particular goal, the best place to start is usually with a collection of faculty, students and staff who have some expertise in the matter.

Bring them around a table, start brainstorming and talking through the nature of the issue, and try to come up with ideas that might be able to address those challenges. Much of my career, I’ve found that the solutions and the best ideas are often held by those that are already here. It’s a matter of trying to engage and to bring them forward in a way that can produce a meaningful impact.

Chancellor Reingold greets graduates at the Sample Gates on May 13, 2025. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana UniversityQ: What role do you think IU Bloomington will continue to play in supporting student success both inside and outside of the classroom?

A: Indiana University Bloomington exists to provide educational opportunities for its students. That is the first among coequal missions of the university.

Everything that we do has to focus first on: Is it good for our students, and are we doing right by the students in terms of preparing them for successful and meaningful lives and that next step in their journey? It is our obligation to prepare students to be life-ready, career-ready and citizen-ready.

We have to always remember that Indiana is the name of our university. We are a national university, a global university, but we are located here in wonderful Bloomington in the great state of Indiana, and we have a duty to ensure that we are serving our fellow residents and advancing the best interests of the state of Indiana. That is foundational.

Q: What are the places on campus that you’re excited to revisit now that you’re back?

A: I love the fountains on campus; the fountains in front of the Jacobs School of Music are where my family had most of our family photos taken. The IMU is a spectacular building, and every time I’m in it, I find something new that I haven’t seen before.

I hope to have meals with students in the dining halls, which I used to do as a faculty member, and I’m excited to explore spaces that are new to me, like the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering and the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

I also look forward to visiting places that are campus-adjacent, like The Runcible Spoon, where my wife and I went on our first date. And I am pleased that Cresent Donut is still here. It remains a personal favorite of mine.

Q: Do you encourage students, faculty and staff to introduce themselves if they see you around campus?

A: I certainly hope that people will tell me a little bit about who they are and what they’re interested in. I’d love to hear their thoughts on how we can make IU better. I also like good news! I wouldn’t mind hearing about things that are going well for folks and learning their points of pride. But if things need our attention, we need to hear that as well.

I first came to IU Bloomington when I was 28 years old as an assistant professor. Returning now, I feel like that 28-year-old — everything still feels new and exciting, with limitless potential. So, I hope that people interact with me a little bit like I was that new assistant professor who was trying to make my way just like everybody else. We’re all just trying to make our way in this world, and there’s no better place than a great university like IU Bloomington to try and find your path.