Provost Teresa Sullivan was unanimously approved last week as the eighth president of the University of Virginia. Her appointment is effective Aug. 1.
“Since joining U-M in 2006, Provost Sullivan has provided a level of academic and budgetary acumen that has solidified and advanced the university at all levels,” President Mary Sue Coleman wrote in a message to campus. “Her selection as UVA’s eighth president is a testament to her abilities and achievements as a leader.”
In announcing her as the next president of the historic university founded by Thomas Jefferson, University Rector John Wynne described Sullivan as “intellectually curious, creative, direct, analytical, results-driven and empathetic, a great communicator and listener — and good company.”
Wynne said Sullivan is “one of those truly rare people” who is an accomplished academic with a great understanding of budgets, health care, student life, town-gown relationships and communication.
Sullivan’s husband, Douglas Laycock, a member of the Law School faculty, has taken a position with the UVA School of Law.
Sullivan will remain at U-M until July 31. Coleman said she anticipates announcing a successor before Sullivan leaves.
“The University of Michigan has long been a wellspring of higher education leaders, and while we will miss Provost Sullivan greatly, we also take pride in knowing she will preside over one of this country’s great public universities,” Coleman said.
The Office of the Vice President for Communications keeps a list of known alumni and former administrators leading institutions of higher education. The leaders and their current titles, followed by their roles at U-M, include:
Paula Allen-Meares — chancellor, University of Illinois-Chicago — School of Social Work dean
Rodolfo Arévalo — president, Eastern Washington University — alumnus
David Arnold — president, American University in Cairo — alumnus
Tony Atwater — president, Indiana University of Pennsylvania — former postdoctoral student
Lee Bollinger — president, Columbia University — president, Law School dean
Stephanie Bergeron — president and chief executive officer, Walsh College — alumna
Gaylen Byker — president, Calvin College — alumnus
Sean Buffington — president, University of the Arts, Pennsylvania — alumnus
Nancy Cantor — president, Syracuse University — provost, Rackham School of Graduate Studies dean, psychology professor
Ralph Cicerone — president, National Academy of Sciences, and chair, National Research Council — research scientist, professor of electrical and computer engineering
Barbara Couture — president, New Mexico State University — alumna
Joanne Creighton — president, Mount Holyoke College — alumna
Christopher Dahl — president, SUNY-Geneseo — professor, UM-Dearborn
David Eisler — president, Ferris State University — alumnus
Sister Janet Eisner — president, Emmanuel College, Massachusetts — alumna
Antonio Flores — president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities — alumnus
Dr. Larry Goodman — president, Rush University and Rush University Medical Center — alumnus
Thomas Haas — president, Grand Valley State University – alumnus
Elaine Tuttle Hansen — president, Bates College — associate research editor, Middle English Dictionary
Walter Harrison — president, University of Hartford, Connecticut — vice president for university relations, alumnus
Maureen Hartford — president, Meredith College, North Carolina — vice president for student affairs
John Hilpert — president, Delta State University, Mississippi — alumnus
Lloyd Jacobs — president, University of Toledo — professor of surgery, Medical School senior associate dean
Richard Jewell — president, Grove City College, Pennsylvania — alumnus
Linda Katehi — chancellor, University of California-Davis — associate dean for academic affairs and graduate education, College of Engineering, professor of electrical engineering and computer science
Kathy Krendl — president, Otterbein College (Ohio) — alumna
Marvin Krislov — president, Oberlin College — vice president and general counsel
J. Bernard Machen — president, University of Florida — provost, Dental School dean
Susan Martin — president, Eastern Michigan University — provost, UM-Dearborn
James McCormick — chancellor, Minnesota State Colleges Universities System — post-doctoral study
Alan Merten — president, George Mason University — associate dean for Executive Education and Computing Services, Business School, professor of industrial and operations engineering
James Muyskens — president, Queens College-CUNY — alumnus
Richard J. Pappas – President, Davenport University (MI) – alumnus
Ruth Person — chancellor, UM-Flint — alumna
Pamela Trotman Reid — president, Saint Joseph College, Connecticut — former director, Women’s Studies Program
Jehuda Reinharz — president, Brandeis University — professor of Jewish history, founder of program in Judaic Studies
Marilyn J. Schlack – President, Kalamazoo Valley Community College – alumna
Joel Seligman — president, University of Rochester, New York — professor, Law School
James Spaniolo — president, University of Texas-Arlington — alumnus
David Steinberg — president, Long Island University — professor of history
Rev. Gerard Stockhausen — president, University of Detroit Mercy — alumnus
Beverly Daniel Tatum — president, Spelman College – alumna
Charles Vest — president, National Academy of Engineering – alumnus, faculty, dean, provost
David Warren — president, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities — alumnus
Robert Weisbuch — president, Drew University, New Jersey — chair of Department of English, associate vice president for research, associate dean for faculty programs, interim dean at the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, president, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Timothy White — chancellor, University of California, Riverside — professor and chair, Department of Movement Science, research scientist, Institute of Gerontology, post-doctoral scholar in physiology
Richard Wilson — president, Illinois Wesleyan University — alumnus, research associate, Office of Academic Planning and Analysis
Michael Wood — president, Capitol College, Maryland — alumnus
