Michigan Publishing, the publishing division of the U-M Library, has announced the appointment of Mary Francis as its new editorial director with special responsibility for leading content acquisition and development for the U-M Press imprint.
“It is an honor to be joining such a dynamic publishing program,” Francis says. “I am looking forward to working in concert with all the staff at Michigan, whose creative energy and innovative mindset are second to none.”
Francis brings extensive experience as a distinguished acquisitions editor and leader of innovative programs.
Most recently she served as executive editor for music, cinema and media studies at the University of California Press. At California she was responsible for a number of highly successful initiatives, including being editorial lead for the Luminos Open Access monograph program.
“As our focus turns toward how best to support authors whose research relies on digital tools, we are especially excited to welcome Mary to our leadership team,” says Charles Watkinson, director of U-M Press and associate university librarian for publishing.
“As well as having a superb record as an acquisitions editor and supervisor, Mary is a leader in creating sustainable paths for the publication of digital scholarship that extend and enrich traditional academic publishing in the humanities and social sciences.”
“The hiring of Mary Francis as editorial director is a major coup for the University of Michigan Press,” says Matthew Solomon, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Screen Arts & Cultures in LSA, and a member of the U-M Press’ executive committee.
“In her previous position, Mary developed one of the strongest booklists in cinema and media studies while building a reputation as one of the very best editors in the field.”
Francis will start in her new position Monday.
