Michael A. Wartell

Wartell was forced to leave IPFW in 2012 in accordance with Purdue University's mandatory retirement age policy. In a lawsuit settled in early 2015, Wartell said that this policy had not been enforced before and that he was the victim of gender discrimination and a breach of contract.

Between 1989–93, Wartell was a department manager for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico His responsibilities included development and management of educational outreach and special technologies programs.

He currently serves on the board of the Army War College, and chairs its educational advisory committee. Previously, he served on the U.S. Army Science Board (1981–87 and 1997–2010), working on such subjects as chemical warfare, manpower and logistics, and decontamination. He also served on the Department of Defense's Defense Science Board (1998–2005) and as chair of the Defense Intelligence Agency Science and Technology Advisory Board (1987–2005). He was a member and chair of the board of visitors of the Defense Systems Management College (1984–88), and he has been a consultant to government agencies and defense contractors.

Wartell began his career as an assistant professor of chemistry at Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1971, where he was promoted to associate professor of chemistry and served as the department chair between 1975–78. He was the dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics as well as professor of chemistry at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, during the 1978–79 academic year. Between 1979–84, Wartell was the dean of the College of Letters and Sciences and professor of chemistry at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He made a cross-country move to Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, to become the provost and vice president for academic affairs and professor of chemistry between 1984–89. He returned to the private sector and Sandia National Laboratories for approximately four years before re-entering academia at IPFW.

Wartell was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of New Mexico in 1967 and an M.S. and Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Yale University in 1968 and 1971, respectively. He is married to Ruth, and they have two sons, Justin and Richard.

Michael A. Wartell (born November 4, 1946) is chancellor emeritus of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), where he served as the eighth chancellor from 1994 to 2012. His 18 years of service was the longest tenure of any previous chancellor. Prior to this appointment, he served as IPFW's vice chancellor for academic affairs for one year.