Michigan State University welcomed its 21st president, Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., on Thursday.
Samuel L. Stanley Jr. began his term after two interim presidencies since Lou Anna K. Simon resigned in January 2018. The MSU Board of Trustees unanimously selected him May 28 after a nationwide search.
The State News held a Q&A session with Stanley shortly after he was announced as the new president.
Ex-MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon just retired, with a $2.45 million payout, from her tenured faculty position alongside the conclusion of preliminary hearings for allegedly lying to police officers about knowledge of Larry Nassar’s abuse in 2014.
Simon resigned in 2018 following the victim impact statements at Nassar's sentencing hearing.
Ex-Interim MSU President John Engler’s last public appearance was to reject interviews with the Michigan Attorney General’s office.
Interim President Satish Udpa steps down today with the arrival of Stanley. Stanley most recently served as the fifth president of Stony Brook University beginning in 2009.
“I am proud to join the Spartan community,” said Stanley in a statement. “MSU is a university with the scope and scale that few others possess.”
Stanley’s first days will be filled with orientations and meetings. He will live at Cowles House after renovations conclude in early 2020.
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