University of California President Mark G. Yudof announced today (July 25) that he has selected former Michigan State University Provost and Executive Vice President Kim A. Wilcox to serve as the ninth chancellor of the University of California, Riverside.
Wilcox, 59, professor of communicative sciences and disorders at Michigan State University, announced late last year that he would step down as provost and executive vice president on July 1 after serving in those positions since 2005. Previously, he had served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, from 2002 to 2005, and as president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Board of Regents from 1999 to 2002.
"Kim Wilcox brings to the University of California distinctive expertise and interests that will serve the Riverside campus and the larger community exceedingly well," Yudof said. "He has been a dedicated teacher, scholar and researcher who also excelled as an academic leader and chief executive, always maintaining his commitment to diversity and access to higher education."
The UC Board of Regents will act on details of the appointment, including compensation, on Aug. 8 during a special meeting in Riverside and other locations, with regents connected by telephone. The effective date of the appointment to be considered by the regents is Aug. 19.
Interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley, who has served in the role since Chancellor Timothy White left to become chancellor of the California State University system at the end of 2012, called Wilcox an excellent choice who will have her full support as he prepares to lead the Riverside campus.
"Kim Wilcox is a stellar scholar and leader who has initiated major programs at one of the nation's other top land grant universities, with direct relevance to UCR," she said. "His experience with medical education is a special strength. UCR deserves the best and will continue to prosper with his leadership."
As provost and executive vice president at Michigan State University, Wilcox oversaw more than 200 academic programs, some 49,000 students and almost 5,000 faculty and academic staff. He helped lead a capital campaign that raised $1.4 billion and implemented major institutional restructuring and strategic initiatives, and expanded the university's two medical colleges into Grand Rapids and the Detroit area.
While he was the chief academic officer at Michigan State, the percentage of students from underrepresented groups increased, academic credentials of entering freshmen rose, the average time to degree decreased, the graduation rate increased, and the percentage of students graduating with debt decreased.
UC Board of Regents Chair Bruce Varner, who served on the search committee, said: "Kim Wilcox emerged as the top choice from an outstanding group of candidates. He has everything it takes to be not only a strong leader and advocate for the students, faculty and staff on campus, but also a positive force for the larger community."
Wilcox, a first-generation college graduate, said he was honored to have been selected as chancellor during a particularly exciting time on the Riverside campus with the opening of its new medical school, expanding research opportunities and the potential to broaden the campus's international reach.
"My values and interests align perfectly with UC Riverside, one of the nation's great research universities," he said. "I look forward to meeting with students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the larger community, to learning and exchanging ideas and to working toward making Riverside the best it can be."
Founded in 1907 as the UC Citrus Experiment Station, UC Riverside today has almost 22,000 students and a faculty of 700 scholars recognized internationally for teaching, research and public service in a wide variety of fields. The campus has launched a new school of medicine — California's first new public medical school in four decades — and announced a new school of public policy.
UC Riverside's student body is among the most diverse in the nation. Nearly 60 percent of undergraduate students are the first in their families to pursue college degrees. The campus offers 80 bachelor degree programs, 46 master's programs, 38 Ph.D. programs and 17 California teaching and administrative credential programs; roughly one of every eight students is involved in faculty-mentored research.
Wilcox began his academic career as a faculty member at the University of Missouri. His subsequent years on the faculty of the University of Kansas included 10 as chair of the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing. From 1991-99, he directed the Native American Training Program, which he created in collaboration with the Haskell Indian Nations University, whose students and alumni represent indigenous nations from across the United States and its territories.
He graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in audiology and speech sciences in 1976. He earned master's and doctoral degrees in speech and hearing science from Purdue University in 1978 and 1980, respectively.
Since early 2013, Wilcox has been on leave from Michigan State, serving in Washington, D.C., with the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, a nonprofit organization focused on contributing to a more sustainable agricultural future for African countries. He and his wife, Diane Del Buono, have been married for 36 years.
(NOTE: Out of respect for the appointment process, Wilcox and UC officials will have no further public comment until the Board of Regents acts on Aug. 8. Further details about the special meeting will be made public at least three days before the special meeting of the regents.)