Gerry Stroman, the former chief of staff of Indiana University Kokomo, will always be remembered as many things to many people: a leader among her peers, a trusted friend and colleague, an advocate for the vulnerable, a mentor to aspiring students and a champion of equality for all.
Stroman died on April 25, 2021. During her 31-year career on the Kokomo campus, Stroman held several roles, including director of University Division, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and affirmative action officer before becoming chief of staff.
Those who knew Stroman describe her as the kind of person who went above and beyond to give a voice to the voiceless. Her husband of 43 years, Willie Stroman, once characterized his wife as someone who truly made a difference in the world—and would stop at nothing to ensure everyone had a seat at the table.
“I met people every day who would tell me they would not be where they are if not for Gerry Stroman,” he recalls.
Stroman’s impact on students, faculty and the community did not go unnoticed. In 2017, she was named the inaugural recipient of the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s Distinguished Inclusive Excellence Award, now known as the Gerry Gunnings Stroman Distinguished Inclusive Excellence Award.
Stroman received the Chancellor’s Medallion that same year, the highest honor IU Kokomo’s chancellor may award.
Stroman also led a partnership between the Kokomo campus and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Omicron Phi Omega chapter, to host Kokomo’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. At the time of her death in 2021, she was serving as chapter president.
Stroman’s legacy continues today through the Gerry Gunnings Stroman Scholarship. The funding is dedicated to incoming freshmen at IU Kokomo who are enrolled full time, have federal financial need and possess a minimum high school GPA of 2.3 on a 4.0 scale. Special consideration is given to underrepresented populations, including but not limited to financially challenged students and/or students with diverse cultural experiences.