Last modified: Thursday, April 18, 2002
Venture capitalist Jane Martin joins Dean's Advisory Council for IU School of Informatics
Investment professional asked to serve first-of-its-kind school dedicated to teaching the technical, psychological and social aspects of information technology
Jane H. Martin, managing director of capital investments of Village Ventures Inc., has been appointed as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the Indiana University School of Informatics.
With programs at IU's Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, the School of Informatics has the mission of educating students and conducting research in state-of-the-art information science and technology, with an emphasis on its human applications and interdisciplinary skills. The school is the first of its kind in the United States.
As a member of the Dean's Advisory Council, Martin will, with others on the council, assist in obtaining support for the School of Informatics, encourage research internships and collaborations with industry, facilitate the careers of students through guidance and input into the curriculum, and promote communication between the school and the wider community.
Martin also serves on the council's Corporate Partnership and Development Committee. In addition to advocating for the school, the committee advises the dean on strategies for corporate relationships which lead to opportunities for students, research and philanthropy.
Martin has 30 years of experience in public and private equity investing and technology commercialization. As an investment professional with Village Ventures Inc., she manages the co-investment process, serves as part of the Limestone Fund and Spring Mill Funds investment approval process, and is primary contact for the fund and its portfolio companies in making use of VVI's supporting resources.
"Jane has helped launch some of the most successful businesses in the country," said Michael Dunn, dean of the IU School of Informatics. "Her vast experience in building relationships and starting new ventures, particularly in the technology sector, will be invaluable to us as we work together to grow this venture a program that is the first of its kind in the country. Jane also brings a proven commitment to Indiana University and the economic development of Indiana. I couldn't be more pleased to have her join us."
Before joining Village Ventures last year, Martin was acting chief executive officer at Wisdom Tools Inc., IU's first technology spin-out. Previously, Martin was a general partner at U.S. Venture Partners, a leading venture capital firm in Silicon Valley managing $350 million in venture funds for Stanford, Harvard, General Electric, Citicorp and dozens of public and private endowments and pension funds. Martin began her career as a security analyst and portfolio manager in the Common Stock Division and later joined the venture capital division of Allstate Insurance Co. in Chicago. Martin is a Certified Financial Advisor and holds a bachelor of science degree in marketing and finance from IU.
Of her appointment to the council, Martin said, "I am honored to be a participant in the leading edge initiatives in informatics at Indiana University. Michael Dunn's visionary leadership in integrating new economy disciplines into the academy elevates our profile nationally and contributes mightily to state economic development goals."
About the IU School of Informatics
The Indiana Higher Education Commission approved IU's School of Informatics in November 1999. Since admissions began in the fall of 2000, the school has enrolled nearly 900 students. IU's School of Informatics offers undergraduate degrees in informatics and new media and graduate degrees in health informatics, bioinformatics, chemical informatics, human-computer interaction, and media arts and sciences.
The School of Informatics is constructing a new classroom and laboratory building, the Informatics Complex, on the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis campus, which is scheduled for completion in 2003. An existing facility is being restored to become the new home of the School of Informatics on the Bloomington campus.
The Dean's Advisory Council is composed of 28 members. They are: Don Aquilano, managing director, Gazelle TechVentures Inc.; Sally Huffine Breen, executive vice president, Onex Inc; H. Patrick Callahan, partner and attorney, Baker and Daniels; John Cauffman, president and CEO, CDS Holdings; Albert Chen, president and CEO, Telamon Corp.; Gina Del Santo, director, Learning Resource Center and Exploratory Majors Program, Butler University; Gerry Dick, president, GrowIndiana Media Ventures LLC; Chris Drillenburg, founder of Utilize IT; W. Roy Dunbar, vice president, chief information officer, Eli Lilly; Stephen L. Ferguson, executive vice president, Cook Group Inc.; Donna Gastevich, president, Indiana Information Technology Association (INITA); John Gibbs, executive vice president and co-founder of Interactive Intelligence; Larry Gigerich, managing director, Ginovus; Arthur G. Hansen, member, Indiana Commission for Higher Education; Mark Hill, president, Baker Hill Corp.; Tom Hirons, president, Hirons and Company Advertising Inc.; Peter H. Kroener, president and CEO, Siemens Real Estate; Laura Larimer, chief information officer, State of Indiana; Perry Lipe, senior vice president and chief information officer, ArvinMeritor; Lee Marchant, president, Indiana State Chamber of Commerce; Jane Martin, managing director of capital investments, Village Ventures Inc.; Dr. Michael J. Mirro, medical director, Stucky Research Center; William Monachino, regional vice president, Computer Associates International Inc.; Samuel L. Odle, senior vice president and COO, Clarian Health; Robert Reed, university relations, Microsoft; Donald Scifres, director of Cummins Business Systems and Corporate Systems, Cummins Engine Co.; David N. Shane, executive vice president, LDI Ltd.; and James Tackett, executive director of external affairs, Ameritech Indiana.
About Indiana University
Indiana University is one of the oldest state universities in the Midwest and also one of the largest universities in the United States, with more than 110,000 students, faculty and staff on eight campuses. IU has a growing national and international reputation in the areas of information technology and advanced networking. IU was named by Time magazine as 2001 College of the Year among research institutions. More information about IU is available on the Web at https://www.indiana.edu. More information about the School of Informatics is available at 812-856-5754 or https://www.informatics.indiana.edu.
