March 22, 2004
University of Washington Regents offer UW presidency to LSU’s Mark Emmert
The University of Washington Board of Regents today authorized Board president Jerry Grinstein to offer the presidency of the University of Washington to Mark Emmert, chancellor of Louisiana State University, subject to successful negotiation of an agreement.
Emmert, 51, has been chancellor of LSU since April 1999. Before that, he served five years as chancellor and provost at the University of Connecticut.
“Mark Emmert is a dynamic, forward-looking, energetic leader who has the skill, experience, and character to accelerate the University’s already considerable momentum,” said Jerry Grinstein, president of the UW Board of Regents. “We are excited about his appointment and confident that he will provide the kind of leadership this great University requires in the coming years. As an alumnus of the UW, he has the added benefit of already knowing where the president’s office is. It’s a good match.”
“The search advisory committee is immensely impressed with Dr. Emmert,” said committee chair Paul Ramsey, vice president for medical affairs at the UW. “We looked at many candidates of exceptional merit during the past year and a half. When Dr. Emmert appeared as a candidate, you could see the enthusiasm and intensity in the committee rise. He brings great leadership skills and considerable knowledge and experience to this position. I believe the many constituencies represented on the committee will be served well by him, most notably our students, faculty, and staff.”
At LSU, Emmert developed the National Flagship Agenda: 2003-2010, which aims to increase research and scholarly productivity while enhancing the quality and competitiveness of undergraduate and graduate students. The strategy is designed to place LSU among the finest public universities in the United States, and to support the state of Louisiana’s economic development.
At UConn, Emmert played a critical role in implementing the university’s strategic plan, which included enhancing the institution’s academic standing, increasing endowment support and strengthening education.
Before assuming the chancellorship at UConn, Emmert served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Montana State University. He also held faculty and administrative positions at the University of Colorado.
Emmert has been an American Council on Education Fellow and a J.W. Fulbright Administrative Fellow. He also participated in a J.W. Fulbright Administrative Seminar in the former East Germany in 1994.
Emmert holds doctoral and master’s degrees in public administration from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington. He is a native of Tacoma.
He is married to DeLaine S. Emmert. They have two children, Jennifer, 18, and Steve, 24.
