University of Connecticut Interim President Andrew Agwunobi to Step Down

Andrew Agwunobi

Share

TwitterFacebookCopy LinkPrintEmail

University of Connecticut Interim President and CEO of UConn Health Andrew Agwunobi is leaving the university for a job at Humana, a Kentucky-based health insurance company. 

Agwunobi, who has been interim president of UConn since July of last year and CEO of UConn Health since 2014, will step down effective February 20. 

“While I am excited about this new opportunity, the decision to leave UConn and UConn Health was extremely difficult. This is an amazing university and special place. It has truly been an honor to serve as a leader here and to work with all of you,” Agwunobi said in a letter to the UConn community on Friday. 

The Board of Trustees expects to name Radenka Maric, currently Vice President for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as the interim president of the university beginning on February 1, according to a press release. The board also expects to name Bruce Liang, current Dean of the UConn School of Medicine as the interim president of UConn Health.

Daniel Toscano, Chair of the Board of Trustees of UConn, said that the university planned to immediately begin a nation-wide search for a president, whom they hope to name in the fall of 2022. 

“Dr. Andy is an executive of the highest caliber who has been both an outstanding leader and a great partner to the Board of Trustees and the UConn Health Board of Directors. While we are sad to see him go, Andy is pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead a ground-breaking effort to transform health care delivery as we know it,” Toscano said in a statement Friday. 

The Board of Trustees will meet January 26 to determine the new appointments. 

Toscano, who will lead the search committee for the new president, said in the statement that he plans to hold “listening sessions” for members of the University community to collect feedback from students and faculty about the qualifications they would like to see in the next president. 


Emilia Otte

Emilia Otte covers health and education for the Connecticut Examiner. In 2022 Otte was awarded "Rookie of the Year," by the New England Newspaper & Press Association.

e.otte@ctexaminer.com