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Education News
MPR News Staff

University of St. Thomas president leaving for new role in California

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The University of St. Thomas campus seen at night. (Peter Cox | MPR News)
Nelson, Cody

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The president of the University of St. Thomas is leaving her position after nine years in the role.

Julie Sullivan will step down from leading the university in St. Paul at the end of the academic year, to become president of Santa Clara University in California.

"Leading St. Thomas has been an extraordinary privilege and opportunity,” Sullivan said in a news release. “Together with our accomplished and committed trustees, talented faculty and staff, and dedicated students and alumni, we continued St. Thomas’ longstanding trajectory to thrive and grow in new ways."

Sullivan said the move to Santa Clara is the right one for her both professionally and personally, as it will allow her to be closer to family in California.

"The unique combination of leading an outstanding Jesuit, Catholic institution, along with the strong pull of my family, makes this an opportunity that I cannot pass up," she said. "I leave confident that the momentum we have collectively built will seamlessly continue with the strong leadership at St. Thomas."

The university said Rob Vischer, dean of the Saint Thomas School of Law, will serve as interim president while a national search is underway for a permanent replacement. Vischer is in his 10th year leading the law school.

Sullivan was the first woman and first lay person to be named president of the University of St. Thomas when she assumed the role in 2013. She'll also be the first woman and first lay person to lead Santa Clara. Before she arrived, the university's presidents had all been priests.

“Julie Sullivan has been a beloved and inspirational leader, and we are grateful for her incredible contributions to St. Thomas,” Pat Ryan, chair of St. Thomas’ Board of Trustees, said in a news release. “She succeeded in elevating St. Thomas, building a team of strong leaders, and implementing several transformational priorities during her tenure.”