University of Colorado President Names Phil DiStefano CU-Boulder Chancellor
DENVERUniversity of Colorado President Bruce D. Benson today named Phil DiStefano the 11th chancellor of the CU-Boulder campus.
DiStefano , 62, has served CU for 35 years as an education professor, associate dean, dean, vice chancellor, provost, and as interim chancellor during pivotal periods in the university's history. As chancellor, he will focus on extending CU-Boulder's legacy as a national comprehensive research university, working closely with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, the CU Board of Regents, and business and community leaders.
"He is absolutely the right leader to guide CU-Boulder as it addresses critical issues such as re-accreditation, budget challenges and implementing the Flagship 2030 strategic plan," Benson said. "Phil has served the university in so many capacities for nearly four decades. His insight and perspective will be a significant asset during these tough economic times. I have every confidence that his integrity, skills and expertise will make him an excellent chancellor."
DiStefano's appointment comes two weeks after the president named him the sole finalist for the chancellorship. In March, a search committee comprising internal and external campus stakeholders launched an internal search for a candidate to replace G.P. "Bud" Peterson, who left CU-Boulder in April to become president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. For the past two weeks, DiStefano has met with key campus constituencies as part of the interview process.
"I humbly accept this appointment on behalf of all CU students, faculty, staff and alumni," said DiStefano. "Together, we will achieve great things for CU-Boulder in an exciting new century, and we will fulfill the university's highest ambitions in research, teaching and service. I am deeply honored to be a part of this important work."
Before appointing DiStefano as chancellor in a permanent role, Benson spent considerable time with the search committee, and evaluating feedback from university constituents. Benson decided to tap into internal talent when searching for candidates to lead the University of Colorado's largest campus, where more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students from Colorado and around the globe are pursuing academic opportunities.
With four Nobel laureates and a research awards profile of more than $280 million, CU-Boulder is one of the nation's most prestigious and well-recognized public research university campuses.
DiStefano, a first-generation college graduate, earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University, and a master's degree in English education from West Virginia University. He holds a doctorate in humanities education from OSU, where he served as a teaching and research associate. He began his educational career as a high school English teacher in Ohio. Since then, he has authored and co-authored numerous books and articles on various topics in language arts and education. He and his wife, Yvonne, have been married for 40 years and are the parents of three grown daughters and one granddaughter.
Learn more about DiStefano at www.colorado.edu/chancellor/ and about the CU-Boulder campus at www.colorado.edu .
The University of Colorado is a three-campus system with four locations: the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the University of Colorado Denver's Downtown Campus and Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. Nearly 54,000 undergraduate and graduate students are pursuing academic opportunities on CU campuses. CU is a premier teaching and research university, and is ranked sixth among public institutions in federal research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. Academic prestige is marked by the university's four Nobel laureates, seven MacArthur "genius" Fellows, 18 alumni astronauts and 19 Rhodes Scholars. For more information about all of the CU campuses, go to www.cu.edu .