University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs (MC 288)
601 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60607-7113, (312) 996-3456, www.uic.edu/depts/paff

August 3, 2000

Contact: Mark Rosati (312) 996-5546; rosati@uic.edu

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO NAMES UIC PROVOST AS PRESIDENT

Elizabeth Hoffman, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, today was named president of the University of Colorado.

"We are delighted that Dr. Hoffman has accepted the challenge of being the University of Colorado's 20th president," said Jerry Rutledge, chair of Colorado's Board of Regents, following today's vote. "In my view, the search committee did an exceptional job. I believe Betsy Hoffman will bring a great deal of enthusiasm, academic management experience and leadership to CU."

"I believe the four-campus Colorado system is one of the great public universities in the country, and I am deeply honored by the opportunity to serve as its president," said Hoffman, who will take over Colorado's top post Sept. 1.

"Serving as UIC's provost will always be one of the highlights of my career," Hoffman added. "UIC is on its way to becoming the nation's premier public urban research university. It has been tremendously exciting to be part of UIC's growth and to work with a wonderfully talented and dedicated group of faculty, students, and staff. I'm particularly proud of the remarkable deans and nationally renowned scholars we recruited, and the consistent rise in the quality and diversity of our student body."

James J. Stukel, president of the University of Illinois, said: "Betsy Hoffman is a dynamic academic leader who has served as UIC's provost with great energy and creativity. Colorado made an excellent choice and I wish Betsy all the best."

UIC Chancellor Sylvia Manning said, "Betsy has done an outstanding job as our provost. She is an exceptional scholar and academic leader, and Colorado is very fortunate to have her as its next president."

Manning said an interim provost would be named shortly.

Hoffman, 53, has been UIC's chief academic officer since 1997 and holds concurrent academic appointments as professor of economics, history, political science, psychology, and in the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. She joined UIC after serving as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University. Previously, she held academic and administrative positions at the University of Florida, Northwestern University, Purdue University, the University of Wyoming and the University of Arizona.

She earned her first Ph.D., in history, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972, and a second Ph.D., in economics, from the California Institute of Technology in 1979. She received a bachelor of arts degree in history from Smith College in 1968 and a master's degree in history from Pennsylvania in 1969. Hoffman has served on more than 40 academic advisory councils, boards and committees, authored or co-authored three books and dozens of articles, and received consistent National Science Foundation funding for her distinguished research.

With 25,000 students, UIC is the largest and most diverse university in the Chicago area and one of only 88 national Research I universities. Located just west of Chicago's Loop, UIC is a vital part of the educational, technological and cultural fabric of the entire metropolitan region.

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