VANCOUVER - University of British Columbia president and vice-chancellor Santa Ono is leaving his post, and Canada, to become president of the University of Michigan.
It has been an honour and privilege to serve the University of British Columbia. I shall forever be proud of what we have accomplished together. UBC and the many friends we have made in the UBC family will always be close to our hearts. https://t.co/vg05wAYQXe pic.twitter.com/yonvjysRP6
— Santa J. Ono (@ubcprez) July 13, 2022
A board at that university voted earlier today to confirm the appointment, which begins in October.
After six years as President and Vice Chancellor at UBC, Prof. Santa J. Ono has announced he is moving on to assume the presidency of the University of Michigan. https://t.co/0sVZhcBuhr pic.twitter.com/g6RFv5mXut
— University of British Columbia (@UBC) July 13, 2022
Vancouver-born Ono has been the president of the University of B.C. since 2016.
In remarks accepting his new job, the 59-year-old biologist, researcher and administrator told an audience at the University of Michigan that it was an honour and privilege to serve UBC, the campus he grew up on while his father was a mathematics professor.
Before returning to British Columbia in 2016, Ono was president of the University of Cincinnati, becoming the first person of Asian descent to hold the post when he was appointed in 2012.
He says he is moving to Michigan because it is one of the great public universities in the United States and he and his wife would be living closer to their aging parents.
Photo courtesy of Twitter (UBC)
