OUS Chancellor George Pernsteiner sent out an email to the University community, announcing Michael Gottfredson, executive vice-chancellor and provost of University of California, Irvine, as the finalist for the University president search. Here is the text of the email.
 I am excited to announce to you this morning that a finalist for the next president of the University of Oregon has been named and will be announced publicly later today.
The finalist is Dr. Michael R. Gottfredson, currently the Executive Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of California, Irvine, and a Professor of Criminology, Law and Society.
Dr. Gottfredson’s name was forwarded to me and the State Board of Higher Education by the UO President Search Committee last week. The State Board will be meeting this Friday, June 15, to vote on the appointment. Beginning tomorrow, Dr. Gottfredson and his wife Karol will be in Eugene to meet with the campus community in meetings and public forums through Wednesday morning. A schedule for these is located at: http://president.uoregon.edu/search.
Dr. Gottfredson is a well regarded scholar and a successful academic leader with a strong record of achievement, including his research work in the field of Criminology. In his current role at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and in his prior positions, Dr. Gottfredson has been able to create new programs and departments, focus on improving the undergraduate experience, hire more faculty, and improve research productivity. He has led a wide and diverse array of university efforts, always with a focus on investments in quality, even during times of immense budget challenges, and most recently, rapid and drastic funding cuts throughout the University of California system. He is also extremely effective at engaging with faculty, students, staff and the university community at large to advance student success and outcomes important to all stakeholders. He is a thoughtful colleague and a collaborator who instills confidence through his leadership approach. A summary of Dr. Gottfredson’s background is below.
We know that this is not the ideal week for Dr. Gottfredson’s visit, but due to the need for an accelerated search process, the timing of the search has led us to the conclusion of the process this week. I know many of you are engaged in taking or marking exams and papers, but hope you can take some time to attend the meetings and forums.
My gratitude goes out to Chair Allyn Ford and the twenty-two member search committee, who worked so hard through an accelerated schedule to identify the highest quality candidates for the University of Oregon. The energy, time and commitment from the committee are a testament to the UO community and your care, dedication and love for this University.
If you have any comments regarding Dr. Gottfredson after your attendance at one of the campus events, you can reply to me at this email or: [email protected]. Thank you again for your commitment to the University of Oregon and for welcoming Dr. Gottfredson and Karol to campus.
Background on Dr. Gottfredson:
Dr. Gottfredson has served as executive vice chancellor and provost, and professor of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. At UCI, Gottfredson is responsible for a $1.8 billion annual operating budget, a medical school and an academic medical center, annual grants and contracts of $350 million, 1,500 faculty and 27,000 students. Additionally, he is responsible for strategic planning, and a new fundraising campaign. During this time he has led efforts to significantly grow enrollment, faculty, degree programs, facilities, new schools, and departments, including Statistics, Biomedical Engineering, Informatics, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Mathematical Behavioral Science and Comparative Literature. Dr. Gottfredson helped to create the California Institute for Telecommunications and Technology, including the construction of a $55 million research facility, and the new public law school. He is also known for substantially increasing representation of women and under-represented minority faculty and administrators; and for his extensive work to enhance the undergraduate experience within a large research university. He also led a major expansion of the campus infrastructure, blending state, campus and private support.
Prior to joining the UCI, Dr. Gottfredson served in several positions at the University of Arizona from 1985 to 2000, including interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, vice provost and vice president of Undergraduate Education, acting director of the School of Public Administration and Policy, head of the Department of Management and Policy in the College of Business and Public Administration; and was professor of Management and Policy, Law, Sociology and Psychology.
Other academic positions Dr. Gottfredson has held include associate professor at The Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, California from 1983-1985; associate professor of Sociology, University of Illinois, Urbana from 1981 to 1983; assistant professor at the Graduate School of Criminal Justice, State University of New York at Albany from 1977 to 1979; and director of the Criminal Justice Research Center in Albany, New York from 1976 to 1979.
Dr. Gottfredson’s board and professional service is extensive, and includes current appointments as a Trustee of the University of California Foundation; Executive Committee of Chief Academic Affairs Officers with the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities; the Orange County Technology and Action Network; and the Elliott Family Foundation, among others. Current and past service includes member of the AAU Chief Academic Officers; Budget Committee of the University of California; and chair of the UC’s compensation re-design committee, and many others.
Gottfredson’s academic awards include Extraordinarius, UCI (2012); elected fellow of the Western Society of Criminology (2012); UCI Advance Gender Equity Award (2006); American Justice Institute award for Outstanding Contributions to Crime Theory (2003); and many others, reflecting his contributions to leadership in higher education, criminology, equity, and scholarship.
Dr. Gottfredson holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. from the State University of New York at Albany; and an A.B. from the University of California, Davis.