Executive Director

Dr. Dain Kavars is the Executive Director of the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, where he has dedicated his career to advancing educational opportunities for high-ability students. He joined the Academy in 2006 as a physics and astronomy teacher and later served as Associate Director of Academic Affairs before becoming Executive Director in July 2020.

Dr. Kavars earned a B.S. in Physics and Astronomy with honors from the University of Iowa in 2001 and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Minnesota in 2006. His graduate research focused on radio astronomy, including observations using the Green Bank Telescope, one of the world’s largest radio telescopes.

As an educator and administrator, Dr. Kavars remains deeply committed to fostering curiosity, intellectual growth, and meaningful opportunities for gifted and talented students. In addition to his duties as Executive Director, he serves as an academic advisor and mentor for a cohort of students each year. He has also presented at professional education conferences on science education, gifted education, and educational best practices.

Outside of education, Dr. Kavars enjoys geocaching, gardening, reading science fiction and fantasy, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Susan is originally from Michigan. She began her career in accounting at the corporate headquarters of Domino’s Pizza. In 2005, she transitioned into higher education, serving in various student affairs roles focused on fraternity and sorority life, as well as academic advising, at multiple universities.

In June 2025, Susan joined Ball State University as the Business Officer for University Schools. Her primary responsibilities include reviewing budget approval requests, preparing financial reports, and developing annual budgets for Burris, the Indiana Academy, and the Office of Charter Schools. She also manages the preparation and submission of the biannual Form 9 report for Burris and the Indiana Academy.

Susan lives in Winchester with her husband, Kyle, and her two step-children. Avery is a student at Butler, and Cooper is a junior at Winchester High School. In her spare time, Susan enjoys spending time with family, attending Cooper’s cross country and track meets, watching movies, and traveling. She is also an active volunteer with the National Panhellenic Conference, serving as a Release Figure Methodology (RFM) Specialist to support sorority recruitment efforts at universities across the country.

A West Virginia native, Heather graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Social Science and specialization in Psychology from Bluefield State College in Bluefield, WV. She moved to Indiana in 2006 and started a position with the School of Art at Ball State University where she worked for almost 19 years. She has been nominated twice for the Ball State University, A. Jane Morton Award and received the Staff Excellence Award for the College of Fine Arts in August of 2024.

Heather is an active advocate for Suicide Prevention and Awareness and volunteers with the American Foundation for Suicide Preventions (AFSP). In April, her team, Orange Optimism, raised $2,455 for the Ball State University Out of the Darkness Walk. She also creates and distributes baskets of materials promoting the National 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and has placed over 45 baskets across Ball State’s campus.

Being a child of the 1980s, she loves collecting toys and other memorabilia from that time, especially Peanuts (Charlie Brown specifically), Fisher Price Little People, Garfield, Strawberry Shortcake, and Care Bears. When she’s not spending time with her husband and 5 cats, Heather enjoys gardening, writing, singing, reading, and organizing stuff. Her favorite shows include Seinfeld, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. She has recently discovered true crime documentaries, loves horror films, and anything odd or weird piques her interest. Heather is excited to be a part of the team at The Indiana Academy!

Zach Anacker has worked in education for over 15 years, beginning after he earned his degree from Ball State University in 2010. Much of his career has been focused on supporting underserved student populations. Zach previously served as the Assistant Director of Instructional Programming for the Indiana Migrant Education Program, where he was responsible for managing regional technology initiatives, after-school programs, and summer school programming. Outside of work, he enjoy spending time with his family. Zach’s wife is a teacher in Alexandria, and their daughter—who is heading into 6th grade—is an avid swimmer, which means you can often find him at the pool cheering her on.