The president of the University of Iowa’s leaving to take the reigns at one of the country’s largest universities. University of Iowa president Mary Sue Coleman was hired this morning as the next president of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Coleman’s in Ann Arbor today; she’ll be back on the Iowa City campus tomorrow and will speak to the media at 11 o’clock. Greg Nichols is executive secretary of the Board of Regents, the board that governs the University of Iowa.Nichols says the departure of a talented leader like Coleman will obviously be noticed at the University.The Board of Regents will name in interim U-of-I president this summer and form a search committee to find a successor to Coleman. Nichols describes the out-going Coleman as a “very, very intelligent academic leader.” He says Coleman’s been a leader in the sciences and has been and enthusiastic and passionate advocate for the university overall. Nichols says Coleman will have left a mark on the University of Iowa. For example, private fundraising more than doubled during her tenure, and there was a sizable jump in federal grants for medical research.Coleman was the first woman to lead the University of Iowa — and she’ll be the first woman president of the University of Michigan. He says there’s no doubt that Coleman is a role model as an academic administrator and public leader. The University of Michigan has more than 53-thousand students; the University of Iowa’s fall enrollment was just under 29-thousand. In a statement issued by the University of Michigan, Coleman calls her new job “the pinnacle of higher education.” Coleman’s been the University of Iowa’s president since 1985. She starts the new job in Ann Arbor August 1st. Coleman earned her undergrad degree at Grinnell College.
