UMass President Marty Meehan appointed Dr. Nefertiti Walker, the system’s senior vice president for academic affairs, to serve as interim chancellor of UMass Boston starting Feb. 1, the university announced Thursday, Nov. 5. Walker will succeed Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, who announced in September that he would step down, State House News Service reported.
Related: Charlestown High Students Tell School Committee Closure Plan ‘Terrifies Me’.
What UMass announced
Walker is a tenured faculty member at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, the university said. She will begin spending time on the Boston campus this semester to work with Suárez-Orozco on the transition, according to the university.
“I have always had a special appreciation for the inspiring mission of UMass Boston and for the incredible faculty, staff, and students who bring that mission to life,” Walker said in the university’s announcement.
“The university has benefited from her leadership and commitment for many years,” Meehan said in the announcement.
Walker’s background
Walker joined Meehan’s leadership team in June 2023, first as deputy vice president, according to the university. She was later promoted to senior vice president for academic affairs, a role that covers academic quality, student success and equity across the five-campus system.
She leads the university’s AI Task Force, which works across the campuses on technology and innovation in teaching, learning and research, the university said. She also serves on the Advisory Council to Advance Representation in Education, a governor-appointed council, State House News Service reported.
Walker previously served as vice chancellor for equity and inclusion at UMass Amherst, according to the university. Before that, she was associate dean for an inclusive organization at the Isenberg School, where she established the business school’s first Office of Equity and Inclusion, the university said.
Why the post is open
Suárez-Orozco is leaving to focus on global climate resilience and the ethical development and use of artificial intelligence, the university said. State House News Service reported that he plans to leave in February after a seven-year run.
“I look forward to working closely and collaboratively with her to ensure a thoughtful and seamless transition,” Suárez-Orozco said in the announcement.
What happens next
Meehan said he would seek feedback from the campus in the coming months and conduct a “diligent, thoughtful, and inclusive national search process” for a permanent chancellor, according to the university. He expects to share more about the search during the spring semester, the university said.
Every permanent chancellor appointed during Meehan’s tenure has been recommended through a national search, the university said. For more local education coverage, see Boston school news and the Boston News hub.
Sources
- UMass System: UMass President Marty Meehan appoints Dr. Nefertiti Walker as interim chancellor of UMass Boston
- UMass Boston: UMass President Marty Meehan appoints Dr. Nefertiti Walker as interim chancellor of UMass Boston
- Dorchester Reporter (State House News Service): Top Meehan deputy named interim UMass-Boston chancellor
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