Rebecca Cunningham Named President of the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents selected Dr. Rebecca Cunningham as the 18th President of the University of Minnesota System. The Board chose Cunningham...
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents selected Dr. Rebecca Cunningham as the 18th President of the University of Minnesota System. The Board chose Cunningham following a thorough and public search that engaged thousands of students, faculty and staff in listening sessions and public forums on all five U of M campuses.
Cunningham served as the vice president for research and innovation at the University of Michigan, where she is responsible for fostering excellence and upholding the institution’s public mission in research, scholarship and creative practice across three campuses. During her leadership tenure, U-M expanded its research volume to a record $1.86 billion annually as Cunningham led the design and implementation of the first comprehensive review of the U-M research, scholarship and creative practice enterprise. 
A faculty member in the U-M Schools of Public Health and Medicine since 1999, Cunningham previously served as the associate vice president for research-health sciences, where she oversaw research faculty affairs and partnered with colleagues across disciplines to facilitate and energize the University’s research agenda. Cunningham served in various leadership positions earlier in her career, including as associate chair of emergency medicine and director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-sponsored Injury Prevention Center at the University of Michigan. As a researcher, Cunningham has earned continuous federal research funding for more than 25 years as a principal investigator and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
“It’s the thrill of a lifetime to be appointed the next president of the University of Minnesota. I want to thank the Board of Regents for this opportunity and the trust they are placing in me to advance the U of M’s mission and incredible legacy,” said Cunningham. “I’m looking forward to building a partnership with Interim President Ettinger over the next four months to ensure a smooth transition. I’m eager to meet with U of M students, who are at the heart of the University’s teaching mission. I’m excited to meet the world-class faculty and staff that make the University a research and outreach powerhouse. And lastly, I look forward to meeting Minnesotans statewide who benefit from all the University of Minnesota does to improve our lives.”
WittKieffer’s Jim King, Zach Smith, Melody Rose, and Christine Pendleton led this search.
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