ABOR Appoints Eugene G. Sander as UA President
Sander, vice provost and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will serve on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is named for Robert N. Shelton, who is leaving the UA to head the Fiesta Bowl.

By Jennifer Fitzenberger, University Communications
June 18, 2011

The Arizona Board of Regents today appointed Eugene G. Sander as president of the University of Arizona.

Sander will serve on an interim basis until a permanent replacement for Robert N. Shelton is named. He will transition into the role immediately in coordination with Shelton, who begins his new job as head of the Fiesta Bowl Aug. 1. 

Sander is vice provost and dean of the UA's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He was scheduled to retire on July 1 but will postpone retirement to fill the UA's top post.

He served as executive vice president and provost of the University from July 2007 through April 2008 during the search for a permanent provost, and he also served as vice president for University Outreach from 2006 to 2009.

"I'm honored that the Arizona Board of Regents has asked me to accept the leadership of the University and continue President Robert Shelton's excellent work," Sander said. "The University of Arizona is both a state and national treasure that has an excellent management team. I'm really enthused about joining that team as we move forward this next year."

Said ABOR Chair Anne Mariucci: "Dr. Sander is not only an accomplished academic leader, he is also a very well-respected member of the UA and Tucson community who will easily transition into the role of president. I am very confident that Dr. Sander will be a steady hand at the helm during our search for a permanent president."

ABOR also announced that regents Dennis DeConcini and Rick Myers, both from Tucson, will co-chair the UA Presidential Search Committee. The search for a permanent president will begin immediately.

Sander holds degrees from the University of Minnesota (B.S.) and Cornell University (M.S., PhD.) and has completed post-doctoral study at Brandeis University. Prior to his move to Arizona, Sander served as the as deputy chancellor for biotechnology development, director of the Institute of Biosciences and Technology, and head of the department of biochemistry and biophysics at the Texas A&M university system. 

He was chairman of the department of biochemistry at West Virginia University Medical Center and associate chairman of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at the College of Medicine, University of Florida. As an officer in the USAF, he was the assistant chief of the biospecialties section at the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory. 

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