FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State University has named its first female president in the college's 150-year history.
Joyce McConnell, who currently serves as provost and vice president for academic affairs at West Virginia University, will become CSU's president following a vote from CSU's board of governors.
"My decision to leave West Virginia and West Virginia University after more than 20 years of service to both the university and the state was not an easy one, but CSU's mission, values and character presented an irresistible opportunity to lead one of the nation’s great land-grant universities into the future," McConnell said.
McConnell will take over the CSU position on July 1, 2019, succeeding outgoing president Tony Frank, who will become chancellor of the CSU System.
“I think that higher education is facing some significant challenges everywhere.” McConnell told 9NEWS. “Colorado State is actually in a really good place to be able to move forward, given those challenges, if we see them also as opportunities for how to move into the future.”
Rico Munn, chair of the CSU System board, said McConnell is an experienced leader with the ability to bring diverse groups together.
"The board was immensely impressed with both her outstanding credentials and with the way her personality and determination fit so well with CSU’s mission and character," Munn said.
She has been with West Virginia University since July 2014.
McConnell has experience in overseeing university budgets; building partnerships with political, governmental, business and nonprofit leaders at the state, national and international levels; and playing a lead role in fundraising.
"The CSU community in particular is independent but always ready to lend a hand, surviving and thriving on innovative problem-solving but proud of tradition and accustomed to quietly accomplishing great things without being arrogant," McConnell said.
McConnell described becoming the first female president of the university as a "phenomenal honor."
“Colorado is an incredible state, it has a great western tradition of independence. I think hiring the first female president of CSU is really reflective of that Colorado spirit."
McConnell's contract involves a five-year employment agreement, effective July 1. McConnell will earn a base annual salary of $550,000.
WATCH | Our full interview with Joyce McConnell