Renowned Researcher Elevated To UConn Presidency

STORRS, CT — Radenka Maric, a UConn faculty member who has been hailed as "an acclaimed innovator in clean energy technology" and whose leadership as a vice president "helped propel UConn to new heights in research funding," has been selected as the university's 17th president.

The UConn Board of Trustees made the choice official Wednesday. Maric has been serving as UConn's interim president since Feb. 1. Trustees said that was a period in which she "raised (UConn's) national profile by hosting leaders of several top federal agencies for on-campus visits to demonstrate UConn's successes in various areas of research and academia."

She also brought a "highly student-centric focus" to her interim presidency and says she will continue and expand those efforts "in concert with others at UConn to prioritize student success and inclusion, access to mentoring and life-transformative educational experiences, and their personal and professional fulfillment," according to the announcement.

While unanimously confirming Maric's appointment Wednesday, trustees said she rose to the top of a highly competitive pool of candidates during the national search.

Her five-year term begins immediately.

Maric had served as UConn's vice president for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship since 2017. Maric has been a faculty member and researcher since 2010 at the University, where she also is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor.

Maric holds multiple patents, is an elected member of several professional organizations, has published hundreds of scholarly works and has received more than $40 million in research grants. She is fluent in four languages with a working knowledge of others.

"Each year UConn is hitting a new high in its academic excellence, creativity, research, global engagement, partnerships, and entrepreneurial activities," Maric said. "With the support of our state government, communities, and industry, we will continue to keep our students at the center of who we are and prepare them not just for good jobs, but also for leadership roles in addressing societal challenges."