| Bio: |
Charles Gidney serves as the Department Chair for Communication and Social Sciences for Ivy Tech Community College in the Indianapolis service area. Previously he served as the Program Chair for the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the Richmond Campus. He also had the distinction of being the Statewide Communication Curriculum Chair from 2013 - 2017. In this role he led Ivy Tech's service areas in curriculum development and assessment design. During his tenure as statewide chair, he developed an internship course for students with an interest in communication careers. He has also overseen the redevelopment of two statewide internet classes and the launch of a specialized course in workplace communication. Other accomplishments during his 17 years of with Ivy Tech include being a recipient of the President's Award for Excellence in Instruction, a member of the Master Teachers Academy, and an organizer of a successful African American Male Summit at the Richmond Campus. A native of Chicago, he received his formal education in the Chicago Public Schools and graduated from Westinghouse Vocational High School. From there he went on to attend Grambling State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication. He taught in the Chicago Public Schools while working part time at WGN-TV. He later joined the teaching staff of South Central Community Services, one of Chicago's alternative schools. It was there that he taught classes and coordinated the school's vocational education program. After receiving his Master of Arts degree from Governors State University he began teaching at Olive Harvey College in Chicago. He also worked as a weekend assignment editor at WFLD-TV/Fox Chicago. In October of 2003 he moved to the "Hoosier State" and worked as an Assignment Editor at the Fox sister station, WXIN-TV in Indianapolis. Major stories that broke during his time in the newsroom were the shooting death of IPD officer Jake Laird and the infamous Pacers/Pistons brawl. Outside of teaching, Gidney served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Indiana Civil Rights Commission from July 16, 2006 until December 31, 2014. His other civic affiliations include being a member of Light of the World Christian Church of Indianapolis, The National Association of Black Journalists, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is also a supporter of the Grambling State University Foundation, the Mach of Dimes and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. As a doctoral candidate in the educational leadership program at Indiana State University, he has a research agenda that focuses on college completion trends among African American Males. His outlook on learning is taken from a notable quotation of Malcolm X, "Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." |
