IBL News | New York
The University of Michigan (UM) announcement this week, the appointment of its new president, Santa J. Ono, 59, a biomedical researcher who was previously president of the University of Cincinnati and senior vice president and assistant provost of Emory University.
Santa J. Ono will be the institution’s 15th president and the first of Asian descent (he is of Japanese descent.) Born in Vancouver, Canada, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in experimental medicine from McGill University. Montreal university.
He will officially step into the UM role on October 13, succeeding acting president Mary Sue Coleman, who has held the post since January, when former president Dr. Mark Schlissel was fired after being accused of to have had an affair with a subordinate.
His nomination was voted on unanimously by the Board of Regents at a special meeting on July 13 in Ann Arbor. (Under the Michigan Constitution, the board is responsible for electing the president of the university.)
His appointment follows an extensive search that began in February. A presidential search committee made up of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and regents worked with the executive search firm Isaacson to identify and vet candidates. An online survey collected additional thoughts from more than 1,000 respondents.
Dr Ono is the leader of the University Climate Change Coalition, a network that connects 23 of the world’s leading research universities and academic systems committed to accelerating climate action. He is also president of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, a collective of research-intensive institutions similar to the Association of American Universities.
“The University of Michigan is recognized worldwide as the pinnacle of public higher education,” Ono said. “It is a singular honor to have been chosen to lead such an extraordinary institution. I look forward to embracing the University community and supporting its education, scholarship, innovation, and service. »
He has taught at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and University College London. While at the University of Cincinnati, he also served as a professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Ono will receive a base salary of $975,000, subject to annual increases at the discretion of the Board of Directors, and $350,000 in deferred compensation beginning in the first year. He will also receive regular university benefits and additional contributions to a pension plan, accommodation in the president’s house, an expense allowance, and the use of an automobile and driver, all in accordance with university policies.
The university’s main campus in Ann Arbor includes 19 schools and colleges. There are also regional campuses in Dearborn and Flint and a nationally ranked health care system, Michigan Medicine.
As one of the nation’s top public universities, UM has been a leader in research, learning, and teaching for more than 200 years.
Ono is married to Wendy Yip, who trained as an immunologist at McGill and a lawyer at Boston University. They have two daughters, Juliana and Sarah.
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