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UR names Sarah Mangelsdorf as its next president

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The University of Rochester has named a new president.  On Monday morning, UR announced that Sarah Mangelsdorf, currently the provost at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will succeed interim President Richard Feldman.

Feldman took over earlier this after after Joel Seligman resigned last February.  Seligman stepped down after saying that it was in the best interests of UR to have new leadership and a fresh perspective to focus on ‘healing’ the campus. That happened after a controversy over sexual harassment allegations against a university professor and how the administration handled that situation.

The announcement about Mangelsdorf says that she is “an experienced academic leader recognized for her work on issues of academic quality, educational access, and diversity and inclusion at some of the nation’s leading public and private institutions.”

She is also a professor of psychology who is internationally known for her research on the social and emotional development of infants and young children. She says she is a third generation academic, following in her grandfather and father's footsteps.

"I learned early on the fundamental importance, the essential importance of the academic enterprise. Institutions like the University of Rochester create value." 
 
In her first introduction to the community, Mangelsdorf talked about keeping education accessible.
"Higher education should and does change people’s lives. I have spent most of my career working to ensure that this formative experience is available to the widest number of people regardless of their gender, race, religion or economic background, and I will bring that perspective to my presidency." 

 
Mangelsdorf formally takes office in the summer of 2019.

University of Rochester Board Chair Richard Handler ’83 praised Mangelsdorf as a leader.

“We were in contact with more than 200 people in developing the pool of possible candidates to find the very best person to be the next president of the University of Rochester. I am thrilled that Sarah Mangelsdorf is that leader. Sarah is super smart, an empowering, compassionate, and kind leader, is expert at managing complexity and overcoming challenges, and will work tirelessly in tandem with our students, faculty, staff, and trustees to make the University of Rochester the best it can be. "

University Trustee Cathy Minehan ’68, who with Trustee Danny Wegman co-chaired the Trustees’ Presidential Search Committee (TPSC) that oversaw the process for identifying a new president, said Mangelsdorf clearly stood out from a large and diverse pool of impressive candidates.

“Sarah has a breadth and depth of experience that equips her well to be successful as the University of Rochester’s president,” Minehan said. “Throughout her career, colleagues have praised her as a collaborative trust-builder who works hard to understand how to help every part of her institutions succeed. She immediately stood out to the search committee as an exceptional candidate for our next president.”

Minehan also said over 5,000 people filled out an an online survey posted, asking people for the qualities they were looking for in a UR president.

"I think it all speaks to the depth of caring at the University. The depth of commitment. The depth of ownership that everybody feels and everybody wants for this university to succeed." 

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.