University of Vermont President Suresh Garimella will step down to become the next president of the University of Arizona.
Earlier this week, the Arizona Board of Regents named Garimella as its top candidate for the position following a national search. On Friday, the board officially appointed Garimella as the 23rd president of the institution. No start date has been determined yet.
"I am honored to be chosen by the board as the next president of the University of Arizona," Garimella said in a statement. "I have long admired the U of A and its stature in the state of Arizona and far beyond. The institution demonstrates the best qualities of a land-grant university with exceptional leadership in research and health sciences, highly acclaimed faculty and staff, and a diverse student population comprised of the best and brightest from around the world."
Current U of A President C. Robbins announced in April that he would step down at the end of his current contract in 2026, or earlier if a successor was found. His departure comes as the university faces a $177 million shortfall due to financial mismanagement and miscalculations.
The school is also undergoing a second rebranding effort, after announcing last month it was returning to using U of A after calling itself UArizona since 2019.
Here's everything we know about U of A's new president:
Garimella is the 27th president of the University of Vermont and has led the institution since 2019. During that time, he has overseen the expansion of the university's endowment and enrollment, and a major increase in research funding at the university.
He launched several tuition assistance programs during his tenure, including a freeze on tuition increases during his five years as president.
Under Garimella, the university cut its liberal arts programs and faculty in 2021, citing a $21 million budget deficit. Some faculty criticized the salary increases of university leaders and administrators during the same period, including that of Garimella. At the time, he made $560,000 per year.
Last year, the university agreed to resolve a U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights investigation into reports of antisemitism on UVM's campus. When it was announced that federal officials had launched the probe in 2022, Garimella denied some of the allegations, saying that news reports "painted our community in a patently false light."
Before joining UVM, Garimella was a professor and executive vice president for research and partnerships at Purdue University. "He led Purdue's $660 million research enterprise, reaching five consecutive record years in sponsored funding, and helping seed about 50 startups annually," according to his LinkedIn.
Garimella earned his bachelor's degree from a school in India, and later received his master's from Ohio State University and a doctorate from University of California, Berkeley, in mechanical engineering.
He's been a member of the National Science Board since 2018.
