Mary Sue Coleman to Address UK Community

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 28, 2014) — Mary Sue Coleman, former University of Kentucky faculty member and former president of the University of Michigan, will address the UK community at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in the Lexmark Public Room of the Main Building, as the next speaker in the "see tomorrow." Speaker Series.

Mary Sue Coleman led the University of Michigan as its 13th president from August 2002 until she retired in June 2014.

As president, she developed numerous large initiatives that impacted the community, the campus, and future generations of students. These initiatives included enhancing interdisciplinary richness of university, strengthening student residential life, bolstering the economic vitality of the state and nation, increasing the university's global engagement, and encouraging innovation and creativity.

TIME magazine has named Coleman one of the nation’s “10 best college presidents,” and the American Council on Education has honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Coleman is a recognized national leader in higher education; President Obama selected her as one of six university presidents to help launch the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership-- a national effort bringing together the federal government, universities and industry.  And in 2010, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke named her co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

For 19 years she was a member of the biochemistry faculty at the University of Kentucky. Her work in the sciences led to administrative appointments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of New Mexico, where she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs.  From 1995-2002, Coleman was president of the University of Iowa.

The "see tomorrow." Speaker Series is co-sponsored by the University Senate and the Office of the Provost. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Geegan, (859) 257-5365; sarah.geegan@uky.edu