Justin Schwartz hired as newest Boulder chancellor
The University of Colorado hired Justin Schwartz, the executive vice president and provost at Pennsylvania State University, to be the new chancellor of the Boulder campus Friday.
“It is an incredible honor to serve the University of Colorado, our students, faculty, staff and alumni, and the people across our state,” Schwartz said in a release. “CU has incredible momentum, and we will carry the torch into a new era for the institution, elevating every aspect of our university. It was clear throughout my conversations with members of the search committee and my engagements during my public visit that the CU community has a deep passion for the university, the city of Boulder and the state of Colorado. I am thrilled to be a part of it all with my family.”
CU’S Board of Regents, which oversees the CU system, unanimously approved a three-year employment agreement for Schwartz, effective July 1.
“I’ve heard a lot of excitement in the community for Dr. Schwartz and him coming and building on the strong foundation at CU ,” Regent Ilana Spiegel said .“He’s an extraordinary leader to lead us into the future.”
Schwartz will be paid a base salary of $ 829,800, according to his employment memorandum. He will receive $50,000 for moving allowance a nd a $ 125,000 sign- on bonus. He will live on campus in the chancellor’s residence.
“I think he’ s going to be an outstanding leader for the campus,” CU President Todd Saliman said, adding, “I’m really excited about him coming to join us in July.”
A search committee made up of 2 1 faculty members, staffers, students and community members evaluated nearly 90 applications for the position.
The process was led by the AGB Search firm, and the committee delivered seven candidates to Saliman.
He announced Schwartz as the sole finalist for the position April 2.
“I am very excited after meeting Dr. Schwartz. I think he’ll do great things for CU,” Regent Wanda James said .“I would be a miss, though, if I did not bring up the fact that we now have no people of color at the head of any of our universities and this is an ongoing issue with the University of Colorado in general.
“So I am hoping that diversity becomes a cornerstone of what we are doing and that CU as a whole begins to figure out ways of putting more Black and Brown people, more Black and Latinos, and the very top of the food chain, and I look forward to seeing that happen.”
The second Boulder chancellor at CU, appointed in 1976, was the first Black and first female chancellor of the university. Mary Frances Berry served for one year and remains the only woman and only person of color to hold the position.
“My vote w ill signify how excited I am a bout Justin Schwartz coming as the chancellor ,” Regent Glen Gallegos said. “I would echo on what Regent James s aid, that we need to make sure that we’ re fulfilling some of our other goals. I think the search went well. We cast a net long and wide, but I also think at that point that we also need to continue to fulfill that we look like the rest of Colorado in our leadership.”
Chancellor Phil Di stefano will continue in his position until Schwartz takes over in July.
Distefano has held the position for nearly 15 years, making him the longestserving Boulder chancellor, and he’s been at CU for 50 years and counting. Distefano plans to rejoin the School of Education as a faculty member.
“I, too, am thrilled with Dr. Schwartz, his impeccable research qualities. He seems like a very good human being, and I look forward to seeing him build on the solid foundation Chancellor Distefano has laid,” Regent Callie Rennison said.
Schwartz is the executive vice president and provost at Penn State.
Previously, he was t he Harold and Inge Marcus dean of engineering at at the university.
Before Penn State, Schwartz was a faculty member at Florida State University and department head at North Carolina State University.
Schwartz earned a doctorate in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois.
He has more than 30 years of experience in higher education as a faculty member, dean and administrator.