Dear colleagues,
In collaboration with Chancellor-Designate Nies, I am writing to provide you with an update about our leadership team. You likely recall in my last message, that after Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Dean of Students Lisa Erwin’s retirement in early July, Jeremy Leiferman will assume the role of interim vice chancellor for student life. Today, I have updates on the other vice chancellor positions and a dean transition.
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Amy Hietapelto has served as our interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs since June 2021. As interim EVCAA, Amy has been a key part of my leadership team, leading some of the most consequential work of my time here including the APAA launch, UEA negotiations, revamping our enrollment management strategies, and leading efforts around system level partnerships.
Dr. Hietapelto first joined UMD in 2011 as the dean of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics and I am pleased to say that she will return to her role as dean of LSBE after a much deserved one-year leave to pursue professional development and research opportunities. Amy stepped into a challenging and critically important academic leadership role in an uncertain and highly dynamic time. She has served our campus admirably and I am grateful she was here when I arrived.
I am also pleased to announce that Dr. Rebecca Ropers will join UMD as our interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs effective July 1. She currently serves as the senior advisor for academic leadership and conflict resolution, a role that reports to both the provost and the vice president for equity and diversity. She has held many leadership roles over her 17 years with the U of M. Before taking on her current role, Rebecca served as the vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. Her experience within the U of M System and depth of strategic leadership in academic affairs will serve this campus well and I am grateful that she is willing to step into this interim role at UMD and support us through our leadership transitions.
Chancellor-Designate Nies plans to conduct a search for the permanent EVCAA this next academic year. More information about that will be available in the fall semester.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Ropers and thanking Dr. Hietapelto for her leadership.
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations
We will soon begin our search for our permanent vice chancellor for finance and operations. We have contracted with Isaacson, Miller executive search firm to help support us in this important selection process. This position will retain responsibility over the business and controller's office, facilities management, police, and sustainability. Human resources will also be added back into the portfolio. While the search will get underway this summer, the campus community will have a chance to engage with the finalists during the fall semester. I want to thank the following individuals who have agreed to serve on the search committee:- Janelle Broesch, Assistant Vice President and Assistant Chief Operating Officer, U of M Office of the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations (co-chair)
- Lynne Williams, Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer (co-chair)
- Curt Albertson, Director, Office of Budget and Analysis
- Jannifer David, Associate Dean, LSBE
- Sean Huls, UMD Chief of Police
- Lindsey Klegstad, Co-Director, Human Resources
- Susana Pelayo-Woodward, Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
- Jackson Poetz, LSBE Senator, Student Government Association
- John Rashid, Director, Facilities Management
- Koryn Zewers, Assistant Budget Director, U of M Office of Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations
Jean Neibauer from the chancellor’s office will also provide administrative support. We hope to have the position posted soon.
I want to extend my sincere thanks to Sue Bosell for serving as the interim vice chancellor for the last four years. You may recall that UMD started this search in early 2020 and then when COVID hit we stopped it. Sue graciously took on this consequential leadership role at the start of an unprecedented pandemic. She has been an invaluable partner in senior leadership here at UMD and I have come to depend on the fiscal and administrative expertise she has built over 33 years of service to this campus. Sue will remain in the interim role until the search is complete and I am extremely grateful for her support, her deep engagement in an array of key initiatives, and her continued dedication to UMD.
Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
In other transitions, I am pleased to share that upon Dean Jeremy Youde’s departure later this summer, Jennifer Brady has accepted the role as interim dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. She currently serves as an associate professor of Spanish and has been with UMD since 2013. She was department head of World Languages and Cultures from 2020-2023, chair of the CAHSS assembly council from 2020-2021, and involved with various committees on campus including the liberal education subcommittee. We are grateful to Dr. Brady for her willingness to step into this important leadership role.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks and take care, |
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