Nebraska Regents appoint new UNL chancellor
LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a new chancellor.
Dr. Rodney D. Bennett was approved by the Board of Regents during their meeting on Thursday. He had been selected as the prime candidate last month after a series of public forums and other public meetings, according to a news release from the University of Nebraska.
Bennett will take the helm of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on July 1, becoming the 21st UNL chancellor, succeeding current Chancellor Ronnie Green upon his retirement, which he announced in December.
Bennett will come to UNL after serving as president of the University of Southern Mississippi. He has also held various leadership roles at the University of Georgia, Winthrop University, and his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University.
The NU news release included a statement from the newly selected chancellor:
“The chance to serve the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as chancellor is the opportunity I have been preparing for for over 30 years,” Bennett said. “I’m so thankful to President Ted Carter for selecting me for this role, and to the Board of Regents for their vote of confidence today.
I continue to be excited about the university’s ability to set a new standard of excellence among flagship and land-grant institutions across our country and beyond. UNL is truly unique in building vibrant, economically competitive communities across Nebraska while preparing students to be successful in an evolving world in which they will live and work.
I cannot thank the UNL community enough for the warmth and engagement shown to me during both the screening and public vetting process. I also want to thank Chancellor Ronnie Green, his wife Jane and their family for their years of dedicated service to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Temple and I look forward to officially becoming Cornhuskers and cannot wait to get started.”
NU President Ted Carter expressed his confidence in Bennett’s ability to continue the University of Nebraska’s vision.
“The same qualities I saw in Dr. Bennett have resonated with Nebraskans — that he is a proven leader with a bold vision to lead the University of Nebraska-Lincoln forward. He has a deep appreciation for the land-grant mission, he puts students first, and he will build the relationships necessary for us to succeed in this rapidly changing environment for higher education. I am thrilled to welcome Rodney, Temple and their daughters to the University of Nebraska family.”
UNL is the largest institution in the NU system, which has 24,000 students and 9,000 faculty and staff, the news release states.
A 17-member search committee led the UNL chancellor search. Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, served as the chairwoman for that committee. National firm AGB Search also assisted in the candidate search.
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