Andrew Agwunobi was named interim president of the University of Connecticut. When he begins his new role on July 1, he will be the first person of color to lead the university. Dr. Agwunobio will serve as interim president until a permanent replacement is found. The board of trustees stated that it is in no rush to start the search process.
Dr. Agwunobi is a pediatrician by training and has been serving as CEO of University of Connecticut Health since 2015. He will continue in that role while serving as interim president of the university.
“Having been here in Connecticut at UConn Health for several years, I know how much UConn means to the people of this state and our faculty, staff, students, and alumni everywhere. For many, I know UConn is more than just an educational institution or an employer, but an important part of their lives and their personal histories. It is fundamentally part of our identity as a state,” Dr. Agwunobi says. “UConn also of course plays a vital role in fueling Connecticut’s economy and its workforce. And we know we are not just graduating workers, we are graduating citizens, leaders, thinkers, and innovators of the future for Connecticut and beyond.”
Dr. Agwunobi was born in Scotland and received his medical degree at the University of Jos in Nigeria, performing his surgery clinicals in Dundee, Scotland, and his pediatric residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He also holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
