New University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella said Wednesday that providing a wide range of opportunities to help students succeed will be a focus of his tenure.
“It takes a village (to) provide the best education we can for them (students), the opportunities for studying abroad, internships, keeping them safe, their mental health, all of that,” Garimella told a collection of faculty, students and others from the campus community during a short speech outside of Old Main. “So, I think we all have to focus on that.”
Garimella, appointed to be the university’s 23rd president in August, began his tenure Monday. His contract is set to run through Sept. 30, 2027.
Garimella had three talking points in his short address, which he cited as a habit.
Following the point of focusing on the success and experience of UA students, he talked about focusing on research, saying “one of the most exciting things” for him about the university was “what a research powerhouse it is.”
Suresh Garimella, the new president at the University of Arizona, greets students, staff, and faculty during a short address Wednesday morning outside of Old Main.
“There are so many great strengths in research here (and) have been for so long,” said Garimella. “The University of Arizona was established before Arizona became a state, and so, we have a long history of great research, and I will do all I can do to further move us along that trajectory.”
Finally, joined by his wife, Lakshmi, at his side and the UA’s band and mascots behind him, Garimella addressed the UA’s “land-grant mission.” He said for him, that means to “serve our students and to serve our state.”
“It seems simple to say, but it’s really a high calling, to keep that land-grant mission in mind in everything we do,” said Garimella. “So, I am here to work with each one of you to move that mission forward and be seen as a partner for everyone in the community.”
Garimella, former president of the University of Vermont since 2019, will be making a base annual salary of $810,000, a hike from his previous position’s annual salary of $630,000, according to prior reporting by the Arizona Daily Star.
Garimella takes a selfie as Interim Provost Ron Marx and his wife, Lakshmi Garimella, stand nearby.
“He’s obviously a successful leader of great universities, having come here from the presidency of the University of Vermont and prior to that, the Vice President for Research at Purdue University,” said Interim Provost Ron Marx.
“He’s a scholar of great renown. He values research, continues to publish in mechanical engineering and teach. He’s a collaborative leader with a commitment for the values we hold here – commitment to our students, to access and affordability, to success and completion, and of course, to the great research that a university like we perform from year to year.”
Former UA President Robert C. Robbins announced his resignation in April this year following the debacle of the university’s financial crisis. The university earlier this year had stated a deficit of $177 million. It is predicted to be reduced to $53 million by the end of next year.
When he first expressed interest in leading the UA in June, Garimella told the search committee in a letter that he would work towards “long-term financial vigor“ and work “to gain a deep understanding of the financial outlook, and collectively plan a pathway to sustainability and growth.”
