UConn removes interim tag, names Radenka Maric 17th president

After nearly eight months as UConn’s interim president following the departure of former interim Andrew Agwunobi, the UConn Board of Directors named Radenka Maric as the 17th president in school history. Maric, who has served as interim president since February 1, 2022, is the second female president in UConn’s history after Susan Herbst, who served from 2010-19.

Officially, Maric is the school’s first president since Thomas Katsouleas, who stepped down from the role in July of 2021. Agwunobi stepped in as the interim president while remaining CEO of UConn Health following Katsouleas’ departure, but left in January of 2022 for a private sector job at Humana.

“Being named president of the University of Connecticut is the honor of a lifetime. I am proud and humbled to have your confidence and your trust,” Maric said at Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting. “I will work every day to continue to earn it, as well as that of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, patients, and many supporters.”

During her time as interim president in Storrs, Maric welcomed numerous high-level government officials and ventured to Israel with Connecticut governor Ned Lamont on an economic development mission. Maric, who was selected and confirmed unanimously by the board and began her five-year term immediately, was selected out of 150 other applicants for the position, including four current university presidents. She is the first internal presidential hire since Harry Hartley in 1990.

Prior to her time as interim president, Maric joined UConn in 2010 as a faculty member in the School of Engineering. Since then, she’s shot through the ranks at UConn, earning the honor of being a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and being selected by Lamont to serve on the board of Connecticut Innovations.