New Albany, Ind. — Indiana Governor Mike Braun visited Indiana University Southeast on Monday, July 27, to recognize the university’s growing partnerships with regional employers and healthcare providers that are preparing students for high-demand careers while strengthening Indiana’s workforce.
Braun met with university leaders and toured the new facilities for IU Southeast’s Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program. Launched in January 2025 through a partnership with Norton Healthcare, Baptist Health Floyd, and UofL Health, the program is helping address the growing demand for medical laboratory professionals who perform the diagnostic testing critical to detecting, diagnosing, and treating disease.
Interim College of Health, Nursing, and Science Dean Dr. Quinn Dauer introduced Dr. Karen Golemboski, director of the MLS program, who shared the value the program offers the community.
“Partnerships between education and the workforce make good sense,” said Golemboski. “Our students benefit from learning alongside healthcare partners and graduate prepared to work in every area of the clinical laboratory.”
The facility features modern instructional classrooms and teaching laboratories, including collaborative microscope and specimen preparation areas where students gain hands-on experience before completing clinical rotations. Nearly every IU Southeast MLS student is expected to graduate with at least one job offer, with starting salaries around $70,000.
Bailey Beck, an IU Southeast graduate who returned to campus to pursue the MLS program, said the opportunities in Southern Indiana made the decision an easy one.
“The opportunities happening here [in southern Indiana] in healthcare mean this is exactly where I want to be,” said Beck.
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Michelle Williams also highlighted IU Southeast’s transition from six schools to three colleges, a reorganization designed to create stronger academic pathways and better align programs with regional workforce needs.
“In this day and age, for our students, the expectation is not just that we graduate them with a degree, but that we graduate them with meaningful experiences and the competencies they need to succeed in the workforce,” said Williams.
Braun said IU Southeast’s emphasis on employer partnerships reflects Indiana’s focus on connecting higher education to workforce needs.
“IU Southeast is working directly with employers to give Hoosier students the experience they need to move into in-demand careers with great wages,” Braun said. “These partnerships help employers fill valuable jobs and give graduates a strong reason to build their careers and lives here in Indiana.”
Chancellor Debbie Ford noted that 97% of IU Southeast graduates surveyed were employed or continuing their education within one year of graduation, and 95% of employed graduates were working in their chosen field.
“Those outcomes demonstrate the strength of our partnerships with employers and the opportunities available to our graduates throughout the region,” Ford said.
Ford also noted that IU Southeast remains one of the region’s most affordable universities, with 59% of graduates earning their degree without student loan debt.
IU Vice President for Regional Campuses and Online Education Ken Iwama, Vice President for Government and Community Relations Shannon Kiely Heider, and District 3 Floyd County Commissioner Jason Sharp were also on hand to share the impact partnerships between IU Southeast and area employers have on the regional workforce.
The Medical Laboratory Science facility will welcome students for classes in August, with a ribbon-cutting celebration planned for September. The program represents one of several initiatives through which IU Southeast is expanding partnerships with employers to prepare graduates for the region’s fastest-growing industries while helping meet critical workforce needs across Southern Indiana.
About IU Southeast: IU Southeast is one of nine campuses of Indiana University. Offering top-quality and nationally accredited programs in education, nursing, business, social sciences, natural sciences, arts and humanities, the scenic 180-acre campus is located less than 15 minutes from downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It currently has over 3,750 students and employs over 360 faculty members. About 400 students live on campus in five fully furnished, lodge-style residence halls. Through an agreement with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Indiana University Southeast offers in-state tuition to students enrolled from ten counties in the Louisville region, including Bullitt, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Trimble, and Spencer counties and discounted tuition for remaining Kentucky residents through the Indiana Partner Program. For more information, visit https://southeast.iu.edu. IU Southeast is a tobacco-free campus.
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