Former trustee elected by alumni

Patrick Shoulders will be serving a second term on the IU board of trustees. He was appointed by the governor three years ago, but this year won the single seat elected by the alumni.\nShoulders said he was relieved to find out he'd won.\n"This is a strange election -- there's no polling data, there's no way to know if people feel it's time for a change," he said. "I'm just gratified. I'm honored that the alumni have decided to let me continue this love affair I have with IU."\nOut of nine candidates vying for the 31,990 qualified alumni votes, Shoulders received 7,308. Carolyn Gordon of Gary followed with 4,092. \nShoulders said it was hard to compare winning an election from the alumni and getting a gubernatorial \nappointment. \n"I've had two different governors tell me personally that the single most sought after appointment from the governor's office in the state of Indiana is a seat on the board of the trustees at Indiana University -- so that is by no means an easy way to get on the board. This isn't easy either," Shoulders said. \nShoulders said he is looking forward to helping IU grow as a catalyst for Indiana's changing economy, praising the Life Sciences Initiative and the School of Informatics. \n"I think our School of Informatics was a great development during my last three years," he said. "I think Indiana University needs to be an engine for economic development as this state transitions from what was largely a manufacturing/automobile related base, toward hopefully an information technology/life sciences base for the future."\nMeanwhile, Gov. Mitch Daniels is expected to appoint the remaining three spots by the end of this month. Jamie Belanger, Fred Eichhorn Jr. and IUPUI student trustee Erin Haag-Breese are all looking at an uncertain future with the board. \nHaag-Breese said she cherished her time with the \ntrustees. \n"I will definitely miss it," she said. "It's been a great expereicne, a wonderful opportunity."\nEichhorn Jr. has been on the board for 15 years. He said he is unsure of who Daniels will appoint. But that does not shake his sense of satisfaction with the trustees and the University during his tenure. \n"It's been a great period," Eichhorn said. "A lot of things have been accomplished. I was really proud of the University around the time of the World Trade Center attacks. I thought we came together in a great fashion and supported one another in a time when everyone was bewildered about what to do."\nShoulders said he is looking forward to whomever Daniels chooses to appoint. \n"There'll be three new faces now," he said. "My experience has been, in three and a half years, it doesn't matter how you got here, this isn't a job about politics. We don't debate whatever national issue is going on at any given time. Our decisions are, really, what's in the best interests of the University's future, of our students and our faculty"