A longtime researcher and administrator in higher education will be UC Riverside’s new chancellor, it was announced Wednesday.
Dr. S. Jack Hu, currently vice president for academic affairs at the University of George, was officially appointed by the UC Board of Regents during a special session Wednesday at the UC Student & Policy Center in Sacramento.
“Over his distinguished career at leading public research institutions, Dr. Hu has championed innovation and academic initiatives that have increased opportunities for students and faculty and have positively impacted their lives and the communities they serve,” UC President Michael Drake said. “UC Riverside has established itself as a global leader in providing world-class scholarship. Hu has the academic acumen and collaborative mindset to move the campus forward with integrity and purpose.”
Hu’s career in higher education spans four decades.
He was hired into his post at the University of George in 2019 after reaching tenure at the University of Michigan, where he enrolled as a graduate student in 1985. He was ultimately named vice president of research there.
“I am honored to join this outstanding university (UCR), whose mission is to transform lives through discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge,” Hu said. “As a nationally recognized institution for academic excellence … and an engine for innovation in the state, nation and world, UCR has immense potential ahead that I believe will put the campus at the forefront of shaping the future of higher education.”
Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly, who was among those appointed to the search advisory committee that identified Hu as a prospect, characterized him as a “results-oriented team player,” who will “bolster UC Riverside’s impact on students and the region through robust research, economic development and community engagement.”
Outgoing UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox said he was “overjoyed” by Hu’s selection.
“He has proven himself to be a thoughtful and collaborative leader, who cares deeply about the faculty and students he leads and the communities he serves,” Wilcox said. “With decades of academic leadership, his ability to translate vision into action positions the university for a promising future.”
Hu began his academic journey in his native China, earning a bachelor’s degree at Tianjin University before receiving approval to study abroad. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering at UM.
“As a researcher, he secured $46 million in external funding from federal agencies and industry to support research conducted by students, faculty and staff in his laboratory,” according to a statement by the UC Office of the President. “At UM, he oversaw a $1.5 billion research enterprise across the university’s campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint.”
He will officially begin his UCR chancellorship on July 15, receiving an annual salary of $824,000, officials said.
Wilcox announced last September that he intended to retire after completion of the 2024-25 academic year, setting the stage for a nationwide search for a replacement.
The outgoing chancellor was hired in 2013 following years of executive-level service at the University of Kansas and Michigan State University.