Regents appoint Johnson UNR interim president

The Board of Regents today unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Marc Johnson as interim president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

“During our visits with the various campus constituents, it became clear to me, Vice Chair Jason Geddes and Chancellor Dan Klaich, that Dr. Johnson was the best choice to assume the UNR presidency,” said Board of Regents Chairman James Dean Leavitt. “He has the experience, the knowledge and the vision to lead this university. He is the right person at the right time to continue to move UNR forward.”

Johnson’s appointment is effective May 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. The Board of Regents will commence a national search for a president this fall.

Johnson joined UNR as provost and executive vice president in June 2008 and previously served as the dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University from 2003-2008.

Johnson received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Emporia State University in Kansas, which named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 1994. His advanced degrees include a master of technology in international development from North Carolina State University, a master of economics from Michigan State University and a doctorate of agriculture economics from Michigan State University.

About the University of Nevada, Reno

Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of more than 17,000 students. The University is home to the state’s medical school and one of the country’s largest study-abroad programs, and offers outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties. For more information, visit www.unr.edu. The University of Nevada, Reno is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education.