The University of Washington named Ana Mari Cauce as the 33rd president of the university.
Cauce, formerly a UW provost, was named interim president in March after former president Michael Young left for Texas A&M earlier this year. She has been part of the UW faculty since 1986.
"The Board of Regents is delighted to make this appointment," Board chair Bill Ayer said in a statment. "President Cauce has proven over the past seven months serving in an interim capacity to be an extraordinary leader. Her dedication to the UW is unparalleled. Her love for the University is evident in her strong work ethic and in her vision: improving student access and affordability, creating a leading-edge student experience, fostering greater innovation, and delivering global impact. Because of her intimate understanding of the University and all that it stands for and all that it aspires to be, she is also a passionate spokesperson and advocate. Ana Mari has an unmatched ability to connect with people — students, faculty and staff, as well as those outside the University — to listen and understand their perspectives, and take action as necessary."
Dan Evans, a former Washington governor, U.S. Senator and former president of the U.W. Board of Regents praised Cauce to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
"I'm a great fan of Ana Mari," he told the publication on Tuesday. "She has acted as president and I wince every time when they introduce her as 'interim.' She is the president. She took over and has moved forward, and she has the real respect of legislators, faculty and students. The opportunity is for her to be a truly great president and I think she will certainly be here a very long time.”
Cauce joined the UW faculty in 1986 as an assistant professor of psychology after earning degrees in English and psychology from the University of Miami in 1977 and a Ph.D. in psychology in 1984 from Yale.
Cauce is a professor of psychology and American ethnic studies. She previously was director of the UW Honors Program, chair of American ethnic studies, chair of psychology, executive vice provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
"I am grateful to the Board and to the search committee for the confidence they are placing in me to lead this amazing University," Cauce said in a statement. "We have assembled here one of the great faculties of any university on Earth, and we attract the most ambitious and remarkable students. They come here to study and learn. They transform their lives and, we hope, the lives of others. I am immensely proud of who we are as a University — one that is dedicated to access and excellence. These values are the hallmark of what it means to be a great public university, and I am thrilled at the prospect of how much more we can do for our students, for the state of Washington, and for people around the world whose lives we touch in some way."
KIRO
