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The University of Michigan Board of Regents has appointed Domenico Grasso as the interim president of the institution, effective immediately.
“President Grasso enjoys widespread respect for his innovative leadership at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he has served as chancellor since 2018,” stated the Board of Regents in a correspondence to the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, along with Michigan Medicine. “We are fully confident that President Grasso will deliver consistent leadership during this essential transitional period.”
The appointment will be formally ratified at their upcoming board meeting on May 15, which is set to occur in Dearborn.
The regents highlighted several notable achievements at the Dearborn campus as indications of Grasso’s successful guidance, such as the shift to a need-based financial assistance framework, a 16% rise in the four-year graduation rate, and a tripling of external research funding that enabled the campus to attain R2 classification.
He managed two consecutive years of record-breaking first-year student enrollment, secured Rackham Graduate School approval for all doctoral programs, and developed the university’s inaugural strategic plan.
“Being invited to act as the interim president of the University of Michigan is a significant privilege,” said Grasso, who, in addition to his chancellorship and his role as an executive officer at the Ann Arbor campus, is a professor specializing in public policy and sustainable engineering at UM-Dearborn. “I express my appreciation to the board and commit to the community to approach this opportunity with enthusiasm, integrity, and dedication to our collective mission.”
Grasso will oversee the university during the search for the succeeding president. He has indicated his intention to serve solely in the interim capacity and will not seek the permanent presidency, as mentioned in the communication. Gabriella Scarlatta, the provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at U-M Dearborn, will assume the role of interim chancellor for the university.
Before his tenure at UM-Dearborn, Grasso held the position of provost and chief academic officer at the University of Delaware. Previously, he served as Smith College’s Rosemary Bradford Hewlett Professor and founding director of the Picker Engineering Program—the first engineering initiative at a women’s college and one of the few at a liberal arts institution in the United States. He also served as the dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and vice president for research at the University of Vermont.
Grasso obtained his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Michigan in 1987 and has extensively published in the fields of environmental science and engineering. Furthermore, he has held numerous prominent advisory positions, such as a fellow on NATO’s Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society, a technical expert for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, vice chair of the Science Advisory Board for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and president of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors.
Grasso is a U.S. Army veteran with over a decade of service on both active and reserve duty. He resigned his commission at the rank of Major after receiving various accolades, including the Army Commendation Medal and Army Parachutist Badge.
Grasso’s spouse, Susan Hull Grasso, is a distinguished engineer and Michigan alumna. They have four grown children together. He and Susan enjoy reading, cycling, hiking, skiing, and spending quality time outdoors with their dogs.
In the near future, the Board of Regents will initiate a search for the next president. Details regarding the search will be communicated soon.
Former president Santa J. Ono announced on May 4 that he has been designated as the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Florida.
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