Following the announcement from CU Denver Chancellor Michelle Marks earlier this week that she would step down as chancellor in August, CU President Todd Saliman has named Ann Schmiesing, PhD, vice chancellor for academic resource management at CU Boulder, interim chancellor of the Denver campus effective Aug. 26. Schmiesing will return to the Boulder campus when a new CU Denver chancellor is on board and will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

“I am pleased Dr. Schmiesing will serve as interim chancellor of CU Denver and will work closely with Chancellor Marks to ensure an effective transition as we conduct a national search for the next chancellor of our Denver campus,” Saliman said. “Dr. Schmiesing is a longstanding and respected faculty member and an effective administrator at CU Boulder. I know she will provide the strong interim leadership that will keep the CU Denver campus on its upward trajectory.”

“I am honored to undertake this temporary role at a vital time for CU Denver,” Schmiesing said. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and students to help advance their success at one of the nation’s premier public urban research universities.”

Marks announced July 9 that she would step down as CU Denver’s chancellor Aug. 25 to address a family medical issue. She will join the faculty in the CU Denver Business School as a professor. Schmiesing, a CU Boulder faculty member since 1995, will become interim CU Denver chancellor at that time. As vice chancellor for academic resource management at CU Boulder, Schmiesing leads multiple strategic projects and oversees the graduate school, continuing education, CU Boulder Online and the campus’ research infrastructure. In addition to her faculty role, she has served as a department chair, director of a residential academic community and dean of the graduate school. Schmiesing holds a PhD from Cambridge University, an MA from the University of Washington, and a BA from Willamette University.

Saliman also announced the national search for the next CU Denver chancellor will begin soon with a focus on identifying a highly qualified pool of diverse candidates. The search process will be guided by CU Regent Policy and assisted by AGB Search, the firm engaged in the recent successful CU Boulder chancellor search. 

Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, PhD, CU’s senior diversity officer, will chair the search committee and will soon communicate the next steps in the search process.