Dear members of the University of Rochester community,
I am excited to finally welcome our new provost, David Figlio, to the University of Rochester. David will officially join the University of Rochester July 1. He will join the University at an exciting time, bringing not only his extensive academic and administrative background, but also his energy and enthusiasm, as well as a commitment to our shared values. As we ready the university to begin our new strategic plan, David will play a key role in contributing to the vision of positioning UR as a global research university of the future.
David and I were colleagues at Northwestern, and I have seen firsthand the dedication and passion he brings to his work – and many of you have already noted that even before he starts the job in July, he has already devoted many hours to meeting with our faculty, staff, and students to ensure a seamless transition. The University will benefit greatly to have such an outstanding leader and scholar aid our efforts to fulfill our mission to learn, discover, heal, and create.
I am looking forward to formally welcoming David to the University, but I also want to thank Sarah Peyre for her service as interim provost during a very challenging period. Sarah was a key figure in the University’s COVID response and in the strategic planning process, in addition to the myriad duties and responsibilities that fall to the provost of a large and complex research university. I’m grateful to the Warner School of Education for “loaning” their dean to us for a time, and I can’t wait to see how Warner flourishes as Sarah returns to the dean’s role. We are fortunate to have leaders like Sarah as part of our community.
I hope you’ll join me in welcoming David Figlio to the University of Rochester and in thanking Sarah Peyre for her many months of service as interim provost.
Meliora!
Sarah C. Mangelsdorf
President and G. Robert Witmer, Jr. University Professor