Chris Roberts was confirmed as Auburn University’s next president at the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday morning.
Chairperson Wayne Smith moved to suspend the bylaws to consider the confirmation of the University's 21st President, which was not an item that was included on the agenda.
All members were in favor to confirm Roberts, and he will be the President of the University, effective May 16, 2022.
In June 2021, former President Jay Gogue announced his retirement from serving his second term as president. In September, Smith announced that an exploratory committee selected Greenwood/Asher & Associates, LLC, an executive search firm, to find a new president. The Presidential Search Advisory Committee, chaired by trustee Sarah Newton, had also been formed to vet candidates before recommending them to the Board of Trustees.
Last month, the board announced the search had narrowed to five individuals that they met with earlier that month.
According to Newton, the finalists had been diverse in terms of race and gender, and many of them were sitting provosts or deans at other institutions.
Three of those individuals were invited to campus to meet within the spirit of "understanding the importance of transparency and shared governance," according to an email sent to students announcing the update.
Roberts, formerly the dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, was the only candidate to accept the invitation and became the sole candidate under consideration as the search for 21st president neared completion.
In mid-January, Roberts met with the Auburn and AUM communities, and stakeholders in open forums where they were offered the chance to voice questions and concerns.
Smith said Roberts' visit to campus was an "unequivocal success" and he is "excited about Roberts' ability to lead Auburn."
"Dr. Roberts' passionate commitment to students, to faculty, to staff and to alumni, and his success in research and fundraising are impressive," Newton said. "But the most impressive thing is he loves Auburn, and it makes him a natural choice for presidential consideration. I feel very confident he is ready to lead Auburn University to new heights."
Roberts came to Auburn in 1993 after receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and his master’s in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Roberts served as chair of the chemical engineering department for 10 years before spending the last 10 years as the dean of the college of engineering.
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Destini Ambus, senior in journalism, pursuing a minor in sociology is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
