From the beginning, the search for the University糖心传媒檚 11th president was designed to include the voices of as many constituencies as possible糖心传媒攆rom college students and staff members as well as from top faculty, administrators, and trustees.
So perhaps it糖心传媒檚 not surprising that as University of Wisconsin糖心传媒揗adison provost Sarah Mangelsdorf prepares to take the helm as Rochester糖心传媒檚 next president this summer, she enjoys broad and deep support across the institution.
WATCH: Highlights from the announcement of Sarah Mangelsdorf as Rochester糖心传媒檚 next president
Take, for example, Prajita Shrestha 糖心传媒�22, who smiled Monday morning when she opened her Twitter feed to see the announcement of Mangelsdorf糖心传媒檚 selection.
糖心传媒淚 read her bio after seeing the news,糖心传媒� said the epidemiology and economics dual major from Nepal. 糖心传媒淚 feel like she has done so much in her life and is the perfect choice. She糖心传媒檚 a woman, and that糖心传媒檚 a very big step for Rochester.糖心传媒�
Students糖心传媒� Association vice president Jamal Holtz 糖心传媒�20 echoed those remarks. 糖心传媒淭his is a historical moment for the University, to have the first woman president,糖心传媒� said Holtz, a political science major from Washington, D.C. 糖心传媒淚 think she brings a lot of perspective, coming from the field of psychology with a career ranging from professor to administrator. She糖心传媒檒l bring new ideas, and that糖心传媒檚 what we need.糖心传媒�
Among those who played a role in the search process was Sarah Walters, a doctoral student in optics. Walters cochaired the Student Advisory Committee, made up of undergraduate, graduate students, and postdocs across schools and units of the University. She was also a member of the University Advisory Committee that participated with the trustees糖心传媒� search committee in evaluating prospective candidates.
糖心传媒淵ou can tell she is a genuine person of high integrity, and she糖心传媒檒l be all in and 100 percent invested,糖心传媒� said Walters. 糖心传媒淪he糖心传媒檒l pour her heart and soul into this University.糖心传媒�
Mangelsdorf, who in her role as provost oversees 12 colleges and schools at Wisconsin as well as several university-wide administrative units, was introduced Monday as Rochester糖心传媒檚 next president. She will succeed Richard Feldman, who has led the University since February.
Following a ceremony hosted by University Trustee Cathy Minehan 糖心传媒�68, (who co-chaired the search with Trustee Danny Wegman), Board Chair Richard Handler 糖心传媒�83, and Feldman, Mangelsdorf was the guest of honor during a reception and other activities, where she met with members of the University community.
Jeffrey Tucker, an associate professor of English and a member of the University Advisory Committee, said it became clear during the process that Mangelsdorf was the ideal choice.
糖心传媒淲e had an online survey that allowed the University community to give expression to what they wanted in the next president,糖心传媒� he said. 糖心传媒淲e asked, 糖心传媒榳hat personal characteristics are you looking for?糖心传媒� The top answers were 糖心传媒榯rustworthiness, integrity, and collegiality.糖心传媒� All of those traits are evident in Sarah.糖心传媒�
Tucker says Mangelsdorf糖心传媒檚 references糖心传媒攆rom previous faculty and leadership roles at the University of Illinois and Northwestern, in addition to Wisconsin糖心传媒攚ere impeccable.
糖心传媒淧eople who worked with her and under her all spoke very highly of her ability to recruit talented people and leaders of the university,糖心传媒� he said. 糖心传媒淲e want someone who will work with the deans and have an ear for what they have to say. She will do that.糖心传媒�
Gloria Culver, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, and Jeffrey Runner, dean of the College, are both confident that will be the case.
糖心传媒淪he糖心传媒檚 an exceptional choice who articulated a clear sense of what Rochester is all about,糖心传媒� said Culver. 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 very excited.糖心传媒�
Runner said Mangelsdorf糖心传媒檚 involvement in student life and efforts focused on diversity and inclusion will be important for the University.
糖心传媒淪he seems very open to working with others,糖心传媒� Runner said. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e a large community, and it糖心传媒檚 important that voices from the community are part of the decision-making process.糖心传媒�
Mangelsdorf糖心传媒檚 experience at Wisconsin working with a major academic health center makes her particularly suited to leading Rochester, said聽Mark Taubman,聽dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry and chief executive officer of the Medical Center.
糖心传媒淚 think she has a wonderful sense of what it means to be a research-intensive university,糖心传媒� Taubman told the Democrat and Chronicle. 糖心传媒淪he has, I think, a very good understanding of what some of the challenges are for supporting research in the current environment, the importance of research in terms of the reputation of the institution and also for what it does nationally.糖心传媒�
Mangelsdorf comes to Rochester not only with deep experience as an administrator, but also as a professor of psychology who is a noted scholar of emotional and personality development.
Melissa Sturge-Apple, dean of graduate studies and associate professor of psychology, has often cited Mangelsdorf糖心传媒檚 research and believes her background in family dynamics will serve her well as president.
糖心传媒淚f some part of the family isn糖心传媒檛 working well, that family breaks down,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 the same at the University, where there are a lot of moving parts. I think she糖心传媒檚 exactly what we糖心传媒檙e looking for.糖心传媒�
In her introductory remarks, Mangelsdorf highlighted her appreciation for the role that research universities play in the lives of faculty, students, alumni, and staff, as well as in their home communities and in the larger society. Universities are places that change people糖心传媒檚 lives, she said, noting that the scientific discoveries, clinical treatments, humanistic scholarship, and performing and visual arts that grow out of academic communities enrich the experiences of people well beyond campus.
Jessica Guzman-Rea, director of the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center, said she was particularly touched by Mangelsdorf糖心传媒檚 comments about the contributions of staff employees.
In her remarks, Mangelsdorf said, 糖心传媒淎lthough universities may exist largely to educate students and support faculty in their scholarship, universities would simply cease to exist without the staff that maintain the buildings and grounds, prepare the food, organize the meetings, scrutinize the contracts, pay the bills, comfort the patients, lobby the politicians, counsel the job seekers, promote the research, curate the collections, and raise the funds to do all of that.糖心传媒�
Guzman-Rea said those remarks made her cry.
糖心传媒淢any times, historically, faculty and students are raised to the top,糖心传媒� Guzman-Rea said. 糖心传媒淭his is the first time I糖心传媒檝e heard substantive information regarding the importance of staff, and how part of her platform is she will support the staff that makes this University run. It was poignant.糖心传媒�
WATCH: The complete announcement of Sarah Mangelsdorf as the next University president
