Steven B. Combs

Steven B. Combs, Ph.D. is currently the Chancellor for the Columbus, Indiana campus of Ivy Tech Community College. In this position he fosters community engagement and campus/site operations in the communities of Columbus, Seymour, Greensburg, and North Vernon. Before this role, he served seven months as the Campus President for the same campus as well as the interim chancellor for the previous Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus/Franklin region.

Prior to these higher education executive leadership roles, Combs served as the vice chancellor for academic affairs for the Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus/Franklin region. Two years earlier, he served as dean and professor for the School of Applied Science and Engineering Technology at Ivy Tech Community College – Lafayette.

He is a 27 year military veteran and began his service as an airman in the United States Air Force as an automatic flight control specialist. During college, he transferred to the Army Reserve Officer Training Corp to obtain his federal commission. He retired from the Army Reserve holding the rank of Major having served as an armor officer and later an adjutant general officer.

Major Combs served on active duty for 2 years as the chief, command and control systems section at United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) where he supervised 18 contractors who maintained all secure enterprise level information technology systems. Upon his departure from USTRANSCOM he was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his service.

Prior to his assignment at USTRANSCOM, he served 6 months on active duty as a chief, policy and plans for Joint Task Force - Alaska and studied the role of global warming and its impacts on national and strategic policy.

Before being placed on active duty, he served as a department chair and professor for Advanced Manufacturing Technology at Ivy Tech Community College – Evansville. Prior to this appointment, he spent 8 years as the Evansville campus’ instructional technologist assisting faculty in the creation of compelling and media rich online course content.

Combs began his academic teaching career as a graduate teaching assistant and visiting lecturer at Murray State University. While pursuing his graduate degree, he also taught as an adjunct for Paducah Community College.

Combs’ doctoral research interest was in the area of faculty development and online course curriculum and development. He has co-authored over 19 AutoCAD and 3D Studio textbooks and workbooks. He currently maintains a blog at stevencombs.com to keep his writing skills sharp, although he is the first to admit, he is his own worst editor.

He currently resides in Columbus with his wife Nikki who is an adjunct professor who specializes in psychology and industrial and organizational psychology. She is a member of the adjunct faculty for Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana University Purdue University Columbus. Combined they have a daughter, Katherine, and two sons, Johnathan and Thomas.