Mark Emmert Selected As NCAA President

April 27, 2010
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INDIANAPOLIS - University of Washington President Mark A. Emmert was named Tuesday by the NCAA Executive Committee as president of the organization.
Emmert will become the NCAA's fifth chief executive. He is expected to assume his duties no later than November 1.
Emmert will take over duties of the office from Interim President James L. Isch, who has led the Association since Myles Brand's death in September 2009.
"We are gratified to hire an individual of Mark Emmert's stature and experience to head the NCAA," said Executive Committee chair Ed Ray, president of Oregon State University. "President Emmert emerged from a field of exceptional candidates who presented a broad range of skills, knowledge and experiences.
"Our options were considerable and the decision was difficult, but we are confident in our decision that Mark is uniquely qualified to lead the organization."
Emmert has been president at his alma mater since 2004. He has led Washington to its standing as second among all public and private institutions in research funding with $1 billion in grants and contracts per year. He previously was chancellor at Louisiana State University from 1999-04.
"It is my great honor to accept this assignment," Emmert said. "It is more than a new job for me. This is special. This is an opportunity to help shape one of the great American institutions."
Emmert, a Washington native, earned his bachelor of arts degree in political science from Washington. He has both a master's degree and a Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University.
Emmert also was chief operating and academic officer at the University of Connecticut (1995-99), provost and vice president for academic affairs at Montana State University (1992-95), and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Colorado (1985-92).
Among his many professional activities, Emmert is a member of the Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues as part of the Council on Foreign Relations, chairs the Executive Group of the Worldwide Universities Network and serves on the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board.
He was a National Academy of Public Administration Fellow, an American Council on Education Fellow and a J. W. Fulbright Administrative Fellow. He has written extensively on higher education and public administration over a career that spans the last 30 years.