Mary Sue Coleman, a member of the University of Denver board of trustees, was named this week as the new president of the Association of American Universities (AAU), effective June 1, 2016. Coleman, a national leader on higher education and science issues, served as chair of the association in 2011-12.
Former president of the University of Michigan and the University of Iowa, Coleman also co-chairs the Lincoln Project, an initiative of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences to support public research universities. She is a national spokesperson on the educational value of affirmative action and diverse perspectives in the classroom.
“Mary Sue Coleman is one of the most distinguished higher education leaders in the world,” says University of Denver Chancellor Rebecca Chopp. “Her intellectual depth, personal warmth and ability to promote academic excellence and to garner investment in great ideas are legendary. As she leads this prestigious organization of America’s top research universities, I am pleased to have her also help lead DU in her role as a trustee.”
AAU is an association of 60 U.S. and two Canadian public and private research universities. It focuses on issues such as funding for research, research policy issues, and graduate and undergraduate education. AAU member universities are on the leading edge of innovation, scholarship, and solutions that contribute to the nation’s economy, security, and well-being. AAU’s 60 U.S. universities award nearly one-half of all U.S. doctoral degrees and 55 percent of those in STEM fields.
Read more about Coleman and her new position at aau.edu.