NEWARK - Dr. Laura Carlson has been named as the new interim president for the University of Delaware following the announcement of Dr. Dennis Assanis' upcoming resignation.
She has served as provost to the institution since 2022 and brings a significant research and education-related background to the job, according to the university. The board's hunt for a permanent president will begin soon.
Her predecessor, Assanis, took his current role as the 28 president of UD back in 2016 following the departure of now former President Patrick Harker, Along with the troublesome COVID-19 pandemic, Assanis is known for increasing access to financial aid and supporting the university through several major expansion initiatives like the STAR Campus.
During his presidency, he was also listed as a faculty member of the mechanical engineering department, sharing his interests in clean energy and environmental concerns, as well as heat transfer and thermodynamics.
Carlson, whose primary research interest is in spatial cognition, graduated with a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, a master's degree from Michigan State University and a doctorate from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus. She came on board as the 12th provost for UD in 2022.
Along with her own academic journey and time as UD's provost, she spent more than 20 years working in higher education environments, primarily at the University of Notre Dame, for which she received several teaching awards through the Association of Psychological Science.
In leaving that role, a press release from Notre Dame stated that Carlson "played a key role in increasing the Graduate School's diversity pipeline and cultural competencies" as just one of the many ways she contributed to that institution.
Leaders say she brought that "fresh perspective" to Delaware, as well, by spearheading the adoption of a multiyear strategy integrating financial, enrollment and hiring plans, according to the press release from UD.
Carlson was not available by phone before press time. However, she expressed her appreciation to Assanis and the board for offering her the opportunity to continue serving the school as its interim president.
"I am grateful to President Assanis for his vision and dedicated service. Since coming to the University of Delaware three years ago, I have fallen in love with UD -- the passion of our students, the brilliance and enduring commitment of our faculty and staff, and our close-knit Blue Hen community that extends from campus throughout the state and beyond," Carlson said in a press release.
"I am honored and humbled to be stepping in to guide this very special institution, and I thank the Board of Trustees for their confidence and support. I look forward to convening campus conversations this summer and fall to reaffirm our mission and identity and to together design a path forward that is uniquely our own," she continued.