July 11, 2024

University of Colorado President Todd Saliman names Ann Schmiesing interim chancellor of CU Denver effective Aug. 26

Schmiesing, vice chancellor for academic resource management at CU Boulder, will return to Boulder campus once permanent CU Denver chancellor is named following national search

Schmiesing

Schmiesing

DENVER – Following the announcement from University of Colorado Denver Chancellor Michelle Marks earlier this week that she would step down as chancellor in August, CU President Todd Saliman has named Ann Schmiesing, Ph.D., interim chancellor of the Denver campus effective Aug. 26.

Schmiesing, vice chancellor for academic resource management at CU Boulder, will return to the Boulder campus when a new CU Denver chancellor is on board, and will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

“I am pleased Dr. Schmiesing will serve as interim chancellor of CU Denver and will work closely with Chancellor Marks to ensure an effective transition as we conduct a national search for the next chancellor of our Denver campus,” Saliman said. “Dr. Schmiesing is a longstanding and respected faculty member and an effective administrator at CU Boulder. I know she will provide the strong interim leadership that will keep the CU Denver campus on its upward trajectory.”

Said Schmiesing, “I am honored to undertake this temporary role at a vital time for CU Denver. I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students to help advance their success at one of the nation’s premier public urban research universities.”

Marks on July 9 announced she would step down as CU Denver’s chancellor Aug. 25 to address a family medical issue. She will join the faculty in the CU Denver Business School as a professor. Schmiesing, a CU Boulder faculty member since 1995, will become interim CU Denver chancellor at that time.

As vice chancellor for academic resource management at CU Boulder, Schmiesing leads multiple strategic projects and oversees the graduate school, continuing education, CU Boulder Online and the campus’s research infrastructure. In addition to her faculty role, she has served as a department chair, director of a residential academic community and dean of the graduate school. Schmiesing earned a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, an M.A. from the University of Washington, and a B.A. from Willamette University.

Saliman also announced the national search for the next CU Denver chancellor will begin soon, with a focus on identifying a highly qualified pool of diverse candidates. The search process will be guided by CU Regent Policy and assisted by AGB Search, the firm engaged in the recent successful CU Boulder chancellor search.

Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, Ph.D., CU’s senior diversity officer and a vice president in the university’s administration, will chair the search committee. Diaz Bonacquisiti will soon communicate the next steps in the search process.

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