Dear colleagues,
As I round out my first month here at UMD, I find myself continuously impressed and filled with anticipation for the upcoming school year. Since relocating to Duluth, my schedule has been filled with opportunities to meet members of our community, greet friends of UMD, and learn from many of you about our remarkable university.
My 30th day on the job reflects so much of what I have come to discover about the collective work being done here. I spent the morning on the Blue Heron as part of the Large Lake Observatory’s Freshwater Discover Day. I joined members of the community at Essentia Health and enjoyed the Canadian Air Force Snowbirds show. I wrapped up the day with visiting undergraduate scholars from Korea and Ireland. It was a day that demonstrated our mission-centered commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and community outreach.
These are just a few of my introductory experiences and I know there is more to come. I have seen many examples of the campus’ commitment to student success, belonging and inclusion, and discovery and inquiry. With your help, I will spend the upcoming months listening, learning, and asking questions that will inform both immediate actions and drive future initiatives around our shared commitments.
In addition to your guidance, I look forward to working closely with the campus’ Senior Leadership Team (SLT). In partnership with our new Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Rebecca Ropers, we will engage the campus community as we advance our strategic priorities.
The SLT membership includes:- Sue Bosell, Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations
- Jason Davis, Strategic Advisor to the Chancellor
- Trevor Eagle, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management
- Forrest Karr, Director of Athletics
- Jeremy Leiferman, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Dean of Students
- Charles Nies, Chancellor
- Rebecca Ropers, Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- Jan Sickbert, Interim Executive Director of Advancement
- Carlee Williams, Executive Assistant
- Lynne Williams, Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer
All members of this team report to me, which includes a shift in Enrollment Management from Academic Affairs to the Chancellor’s Office. To support the PEAK implementation, Human Resources will report to Jason Davis until moving to the VCFO portfolio later this fall when we complete that search.
I look forward to working closely with all of you and this new leadership team to lay the groundwork for the upcoming academic year and a more long-term strategic plan. |
|
|
