Indiana State University values diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. We acknowledge and respect persons of color, persons with disabilities, our LGBTQIAP+ community, our international communities, varied languages, age groups, religious communities, underserved populations, varied socioeconomic backgrounds and many other communities and groups that collectively enhance, enrich and strengthen our ISU Sycamore family.

Our core values reassure members of the ISU community that their role and responsibility is critical to the well-being of our long-term commitment that fosters a shared responsibility that holds the campus community accountable for the progress of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Tiana Baker, '99 (Marketing)

Worldwide Account Manager, eCommerce, Fedex Services

Tiana Baker is an accomplished sales and marketing professional who has been recognized for outstanding performance and leadership throughout her career. Recently, she received the FedEx Five Star Award, which is the highest individual honor from the FedEx Corporation.

Baker is an active member of Southfield Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and enjoys volunteering and helping others succeed. Her proudest accomplishment is being one of the supporting founders of the Sycamore Alumni Legacy of Change Endowment at Indiana State, which provides scholarships to deserving black or African-American descent students in pursuit of higher education. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana State and her master’s in business administration degree from Wayne State University.

James Lewis, '84 (Accounting)

President, 4-R Signature Products and 4-R Foods Divisions

James Lewis graduated from the Scott College of Business in 1984 with a degree in Accounting. His career started when he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers as an accountant, where he quickly developed a reputation as a top-notch and versatile professional.

James later joined PepsiCo in Indianapolis where he advanced to Director, Investor Relations. In 1996, James became Director of Planning and Finance for Walt Disney Attractions. He was promoted to President of the Disney Vacation Club in 2006, making him one of the most senior African-Americans in the Disney Company. During his time there he more than quadrupled the club’s membership. He received the Company's highest performance rating for 14 consecutive years.

James joined the 4-R Restaurant Group in 2019, which operates fourteen 4 Rivers Smokehouses in Florida and Georgia, as president of its 4-R Signature Products and 4-R Foods Divisions.

Marcus McChristian

Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State

Alumnus Marcus McChristian is now Dr. Marcus McChristian after recently being awarded his doctorate from Indiana Institute of Technology by defending his dissertation entitled, “A Qualitative Study Exploring the Cultural Adaptation of U.S. Diplomatic Leaders Working in Africa.”

Dr. Marcus McChristian is a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State and received his Bachelor of Science in Insurance from the Scott College of Business at Indiana State University. Throughout his career he has lived and completed tours of duty in multiple countries, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Prior to the U.S. State Department, Dr. McChristian held positions in the private sector as the Director of Finance and International General Manager for several multinational companies. He is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

Dr. McChristian regularly engages with our college and students as an adjunct professor and speaker.

Abstract of “A Qualitative Study Exploring the Cultural Adaptation of U.S. Diplomatic Leaders Working in Africa:”

The United States government relies upon diplomatic leaders to promote and protect the interest of U.S. citizens all over the world. To successfully carry out these duties, diplomatic leaders are required to establish, build, and maintain relationships with individuals who often have different beliefs, standards, and opinions about how policies and decisions are made. U.S. diplomatic leaders must be able to integrate themselves culturally while managing unavoidable conflict. This study provides information about diplomatic leaders’ conflict management style choices while working in Africa, the most culturally diverse continent in the world. Diplomatic leaders’ ability to integrate into these new cultures and manage conflict while working in African environments often determines their capability to successfully lead host-country nationals and work with local government officials to accomplish U.S. foreign policy agenda.

Randy A. Moore (Business Management)

President, Iowa-American Water Company Inc.

Randy A. Moore. is president of Iowa American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 195,000 people. In this role, he reinforces and strengthens customer, regulatory and local government relationships, drives operational and financial results and is the principal external contact for American Water in Iowa.

Mr. Moore most recently served as director of operations for Ohio American Water, based in Marion. In this role, he guided 118 employees in eight districts across the state to provide high-quality water and wastewater service to approximately 200,000 people.

For the past three decades, Mr. Moore has used his diverse water utility experience to serve in a variety of leadership roles at American Water operations in Indiana and Ohio. His career began in 1979 as a treatment plant operator in Indiana American Water’s Wabash Valley District. He remained at Indiana American Water until 2005, serving in operational management positions of increasing responsibility in the Wabash Valley District, Muncie District and the Northwest Operations headquartered in Gary. In these roles, Moore served as a key contact for 17 different cities and several communities and managed a 300,000 customer water treatment, processing and distribution operation.

In 2005, Mr. Moore briefly left American Water to serve as vice president of operations for Earth Tech, where he oversaw a team of approximately 150 employees who delivered water and wastewater service in the United States and Canada.

Mr. Moore earned his master’s of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and his bachelor’s in Business Management from Indiana State University. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan where has he taught classes on management theory and philosophy.

Mr. Moore has been an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Water Works Association and the National Association of Water Companies. He has also served as a trustee for the Marion County (Ohio) United Way and as an executive board member for the Black Heritage Council. In 2003, he won an Outstanding Citizen Award from the Muncie (Ind.) Times newspaper.

Ed Vance, '85 (Accounting)

Chief Financial Officer, Indiana Department of Revenue

Ed Vance graduated from the Scott College of Business in 1985 with a degree in Accounting.

Ed has more than 25 years of business experience. After graduating from Indiana State he began his career with Ernst & Young as a CPA in the audit division. After obtaining his MBA on fellowship from the Indiana University School of Business in Bloomington, Ed worked for Eli Lilly & Company as a Senior Financial Analyst with responsibility for a more than $1.25 billion global research and development budget and a $75 million capital budget.

After leaving Lilly, Ed spent the next six years in the banking industry at JP Morgan Chase where he obtained valuable experience in treasury services and commercial and industrial lending. After Chase, Ed was the Assistant Treasurer for Remy International, Inc., now BorgWarner Inc., an automotive parts supplier that was formerly a division of General Motors, as Assistant Treasurer.

Ed is now Chief Financial Officer at the Indiana Department of Revenue, a position he has held since 2017.