The University of Michigan will hire Santa Ono, a biomedical researcher and experienced higher education administrator, as its 15th president and first of Asian descent. The decision was made via unanimous vote by Michigan’s eight-member Board of Regents at a special meeting Wednesday morning.
A few hours after the announcement, Ono, wearing a new maize-and-blue Michigan tie, told Inside Higher Ed he was thrilled to accept the job.
“The University of Michigan is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of higher education, and has shaped it not just in the U.S. but globally,” he said. “It’s almost an irresistible place to accept an invitation to lead.”
