RIT Names Jeremy Haefner as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

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Jeremy Haefner, a veteran administrator and educator from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, has been appointed senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at Rochester Institute of Technology.

RIT President Bill Destler formally announced the selection today. Haefner was chosen from a field of five finalists and officially begins his new role on July 1.

“I am absolutely thrilled,” states Haefner. “RIT’s rich history, President Destler’s laser vision for the future, the renowned faculty, its superb students, along with a strong community connection is a powerful combination for future success. Finding creative and innovative solutions to affect positive impact is my passion. My experience, values and goals are closely aligned with those of RIT.”

Haefner currently serves multiple appointments at UCCS as associate vice chancellor for research and innovation, dean of the Graduate School and dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

According to Destler: “Dr. Jeremy Haefner has all of the experience necessary to fulfill the multiple responsibilities of RIT’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. He is an experienced administrator, educator and researcher who, in his various roles, has materially advanced educational and research programs at UCCS. He has initiated an innovative new ‘Bachelor of Innovation’ program, and he has encouraged increased technology transfer and entrepreneurial activity among faculty and students. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Haefner into the RIT family.”

“I offer my personal congratulations to Dr. Haefner as well as to the leadership of Rochester Institute of Technology which recognized his talents and abilities,” say UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak. “I am confident that Dr. Haefner's record of success will continue at RIT.”

During Haefner’s six years as engineering dean at UCCS, the college’s increasing prominence put it among the top 10 public institutions primarily offering master’s degrees, according to U.S. News and World Report. It also ranks seventh in the nation among public institutions for graduating percentage of women engineers by the American Society for Engineering Education.

Since last July, as associate vice chancellor, Haefner’s responsibilities have included supervising the Office of Sponsored Programs; overseeing the policies and procedures to ensure research integrity; directing the academic affairs of the National Institute for Science, Space and Security Centers; and directing the Colorado Institute for Technology Transfer and Implementation, a campuswide unit dedicated to supporting economic development through technology innovation.

Additionally, as Graduate School dean during the past year, he has led graduate programs across the UCCS campus, supervising staff for the recruitment and retention of graduate students.

Haefner began his academic career as an assistant professor of mathematics at UCCS in 1989. Following a series of promotions, he eventually served a three-year term as chair of that school’s Department of Mathematics.

“Mathematics has always given me an appreciation for the creative endeavor, and leading a college of engineering has guided me towards the vitality of innovation,” remarks Haefner. “RIT has both characteristics strongly represented in nationally recognized programs, and the institution is well poised to drive the future of 21st century learning.”

Haefner earned both doctorate and master’s degrees in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, and he received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Iowa. He replaces retiring RIT Provost Stanley McKenzie, who has served in that position for 14 years.

MEDIA NOTE: To arrange a phone interview with Jeremy Haefner, contact Bob Finnerty at (585) 475-4733 or bob.finnerty@rit.edu.

BACKGROUND: Rochester Institute of Technology, located in upstate New York, is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students with hearing loss. Nearly 16,000 full- and part-time students are enrolled in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs at RIT, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

For nearly two decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation’s leading comprehensive universities. The Princeton Review features RIT in its 2007 Best 361 Colleges rankings and named the university one of America’s “Most Wired Campuses.” RIT is also featured in Barron’s Best Buys in Education.