Sarah Mangelsdorf, dean of Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, was named provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mangelsdorf will be leaving Northwestern in August to assume the position.

She has worked at NU for six years, also serving as a professor in the department of psychology. She sent a note to her colleagues Thursday afternoon announcing her departure from the University.

“Although I am excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for me, I am also deeply saddened to be leaving Northwestern, and particularly Weinberg College,” she wrote. “It has been a great pleasure to work with all of you over the course of the last six years. I am very thankful for everything that all of you do to make Weinberg College the best place it can be, and I know that you will continue that great work in the years to come.”

The University of Wisconsin-Madison released a statement Thursday announcing Mangelsdorf’s new position. In the letter, UW chancellor Rebecca Blank noted several of Mangelsdorf’s accomplishments.

“Throughout her career, she has experienced success at four Big Ten institutions, both public and private,” Blank said in a university statement. “She is both a top-ranked professor and a first-class administrator.” 

Mangelsdorf said after researching the position, she had received positive feedback about University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I found that people I talked to had uniformly enthusiastic things to say about the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” Mangelsdorf said in the statement. “I am particularly excited to partner with Rebecca Blank and help build on the many strengths at UW.”

In order to apply for the position, Mangelsdorf had to be approved by a 17-member committee consisting of faculty, staff and students. As part of the application process, Mangelsdorf and the other four competing candidates gave a public presentation to the university’s committee.

The four other finalists for the position included Robert Blouin, dean of the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina, Katherine Newman, dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Science at Johns Hopkins University and Julie Underwood, dean of UW’s School of Education. 

Prior to coming to NU, Mangelsdorf worked at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, serving as the school’s dean between 2004 and 2008.

She received her bachelors degree from Oberlin College in 1980 and her doctorate in child psychology from University of Minnesota in 1988.

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Twitter: @beccasavransky