Mary Sue Coleman, the first woman president of the University of Michigan, has announced that she is stepping down from her post at the end of the 2013-2014 academic year. After stepping down from her position as president of the University of Michigan, she will continue to be involved in higher education and research by serving on the advisory committee of the director of the National Institutes of Health and on the board of directors of the Society for Science and the Public.
In making the announcement, President Coleman said, “Leading the University of Michigan is the most challenging and rewarding work of my career. It is a tremendous privilege and one that continually energizes me. I have often said I have the best job in higher education, and I look forward to continuing to work with faculty, students, staff and alumni in the upcoming year. The University of Michigan deserves the best in a leader, and I want to give the Board of Regents ample time to select the next president.”
Dr. Coleman was named president of the University of Michigan in 2002. Previously, she was president of the University of Iowa for seven years.
A graduate of Grinnell College in Iowa, Dr. Coleman earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.