Thank you and congratulations to Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy

April 18, 2018
President Robert C. Robbins

Dear Colleagues,

Please join me in congratulating Kimberly Andrews Espy on the news that she has been selected as the new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
 
Dr. Espy has been a tremendous asset to the University of Arizona since her arrival four years ago. During her tenure as Senior Vice President for Research, the UA has achieved near record research expenditures – $622.2 million for FY17, an increase of over $34 million since 2014. Our distinguished UA faculty have realized a record number of prestigious honors and awards, and more faculty than ever hold an active award. Dr. Espy is a particular champion of transdisciplinary scholarship – and new collaborative cross-college awards increased 46% during her tenure.

  • Working with faculty and university leadership at all levels, she made numerous improvements that have set a strong foundation for the UA moving forward. 
  • Established several new interdisciplinary institutes aligned with Arizona industry sectors.
  • Partnered in the design and sponsorship of cluster and strategic hiring initiatives.
  • Invested substantially to improve our research core facilities.
  • Developed new faculty advancement programs, like Research Development Service and Corporate Engagement Services, to support and promote faculty success.
  • Helped to secure a $30M gift to support academic programs at the UA’s signature Biosphere 2 facility.

She helped broaden participation in research, discovery and innovation across campus including facilitating new awards for scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences and museums. Dr. Espy was instrumental in the UA gaining the designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution from the Department of Education in collaboration with the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Strategic Initiatives.
 
I have enjoyed working with Dr. Espy during this past year and I will miss her leadership. She has served our institution with distinction – turning the trajectory of change of our research enterprise into positive growth and setting a foundation for continued success in the future. We all owe a big debt of gratitude to Dr. Espy for her work and her service to the University. Please join me in wishing her well on her new appointment.
 
Sincerely,
 
Robert C. Robbins
President
University of Arizona