I am pleased to announce that Dr. Mark Anderson will be UNC’s next provost and begin his work here in early April.

Dr. Anderson brings a wealth of higher education leadership experience and a passion for helping students succeed. In his current role as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Kennesaw State University, he has demonstrated a commitment not only to students, but also to transparency and collaboration. (Photo at right from Kennesaw State University)

As a dean at Kennesaw State, Dr. Anderson has led the development of his college’s student success strategic plan and secured more than $3 million in external funding to support student success and broaden participation of underrepresented students in STEM disciplines. With his leadership since 2012, the College of Science and Mathematics has almost doubled its enrollment and is receiving a record number of grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. A faculty member since 1989, Dr. Anderson has also served as professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Colorado Denver and assistant and associate professor of Chemistry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Read his CV (PDF).

I asked Dr. Anderson if he would like to share some thoughts with you, and here is his response:

"I am thrilled to be joining the University of Northern Colorado community. UNC has a long history of being a university focused on providing the best education possible to its students. The passion of the faculty, staff and students and their dedication to making UNC student-centered has been evident in all of my interactions with the campus. This passion is consistent with my own and made me feel at home. I look forward to getting to Greeley and working collaboratively with President Feinstein, the UNC faculty, staff and students, and with the Greeley and Weld County communities, to continue to advance UNC’s mission and help our students achieve their goals."

Thank you to Faculty Senate Chair Stan Luger for chairing the Provost Search Committee and to all of the committee members for their hard work. The committee dedicated many hours to this endeavor since last fall and did a great job. I also appreciate everyone who met with the candidates and provided me with feedback.

I am also incredibly grateful to Interim Provost Theo Kalikow, who joined us when I arrived last summer and has been an invaluable cabinet member. Dr. Kalikow will continue in her role until Dr. Anderson arrives and then assist in the transition.

This is an exciting time for UNC, and I am delighted to have Dr. Anderson join our leadership team. I hope you will join me in welcoming him to our UNC family in April.

Rowing Not Drifting,

Andy Feinstein
President