Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Domenico Grasso as U-M Dearborn’s new chancellor, beginning Aug. 1. The Board of Regents approved the appointment at today’s meeting.

Dr. Grasso comes to UM-Dearborn with distinguished academic credentials and solid, proven administrative leadership experience. His career has been marked by thoughtful and creative initiatives and a deep commitment to the transformative nature of higher education.

He is a professor of environmental engineering and public policy and served as provost at the University of Delaware. Previously, he was vice president for research and dean for graduate education at the University of Vermont, the founding dean for engineering at Smith College, and served in the U.S. Army. Like many in the UM-Dearborn community, Dr. Grasso was a first-generation college student.

The appointment of Dr. Grasso follows a thorough and competitive search process. The search committee included strong representation from the UM-Dearborn community, and I’d like to thank them and in particular, my co-chair Prof. Ghassan Kridli. Their insights and commitment, combined with the excellent feedback we received from town halls, panels and via our search email address, helped us to understand Dearborn’s needs and ambitions allowing us to identify strong and appropriate candidates.

I also offer my special thanks for the outstanding ongoing leadership of Chancellor Dan Little. The special, nationally recognized campus that he has helped to build is a testament to his deep commitment to the community. He will remain chancellor through July 31, and I look forward to celebrating Dan’s impact on the campus in the coming months.

Please joint me in welcoming Dearborn Chancellor-Elect Domenico Grasso.

Sincerely,

Mark S. Schlissel
President