Staff Directory
To contact an IMP staff member, please see Contact Us.
John McDowell
Director
John McDowell is a professor of folklore and ethnomusicology. He became the IMP director on July 1, 2009. John has had the privilege and pleasure of doing ethnographic research with indigenous communities in the Andes and with Afromestizo communities in Mexico to document, appreciate, and understand their expressive, creative, and artistic resources. He has employed interpretive techniques from both the social sciences and the humanities in exploring the relationship between art and community, and he looks forward to working with IMP students and faculty in their shared pursuits to appreciate and understand the world we inhabit.
Paul Aarstad
Assistant Director
Paul Aarstad has been the IMP’s assistant director since spring 2003. His previous experience includes stints advising for the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kelley School of Business. As assistant director, Paul talks with students about their interests and how the IMP can help. He also works with faculty sponsors and committee members, and consults with the director on procedural and policy issues.
Paul enjoys helping students discover ways their college education can be tailored to suit their abilities, goals, and passions. He welcomes inquiries about the IMP from students at every stage of the exploratory process.
Kristen Murphy
Student Services Assistant
Kristen Murphy handles the day-to-day operations of the IMP office, such as scheduling appointments, processing applications, and event planning. She also maintains the IMP Web site.
Kristen is a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University and has worked at IU since 2002 in positions involving student recruitment, event planning, Web design, writing, and editing.
