Following five years of service to UW-Madison, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Sarah Mangelsdorf is leaving to fulfill her dreams as president at the University of Rochester.
At the end of the 2018-’19 academic year, Mangelsdorf will be leaving the university to start her new position in Rochester, New York.
“I love Madison, but the chance to lead a campus has been a dream of mine throughout my years in academic administration,” she said in a press release. “During my time in Madison, I’ve met and enjoyed working with many dedicated and talented faculty and staff.”
While at the university, she shepherded a series of initiatives, including the revival of the faculty cluster hiring process, supporting an increase of digital tools utilized in academic planning, and developing the new Office of Strategic Consulting. She also boosted faculty diversification through her support of the Targets of Opportunity Program.
Throughout this academic year, she oversaw the preparation of the university’s institutional accreditation. She is also managing the merger of Cooperative Extension and Public Broadcasting upon its return to campus as a result of the restructuring this past summer.
Mangelsdorf, a world-renowned scholar of socio-emotional development of infants and young children, joined the university in 2014 after leaving behind her past as dean of the arts and sciences programs at both Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
As provost, she is university’s chief academic officer. Here, she oversees all academic aspects on campus as well as provides direction to campus diversity initiatives, faculty and staff development and enrollment management.
“Sarah has been a valued and trusted leader at the University of Wisconsin,” Chancellor Rebecca Blank said. “During her time with us, she’s elevated the quality of our faculty, expanded academic programs and improved our student outcomes. While I’m very sorry to see her depart, we all wish her success in Rochester.”
Upon the start of a new semester, UW-Madison will begin the search for Mangelsdorf’s replacement. The university aims to find the right candidate by next fall, according to Blank.
