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Madison, Wis. —&�Բ�����;University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross announced today that Patrick Guilfoile has agreed to serve as 91��Ƭ’s interim Chancellor. Guilfoile, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at 91��Ƭ, will step into the new role Aug. 18.

After consulting with leaders of the UW System Board of Regents and members of the 91��Ƭ campus community, Cross identified Guilfoile as an effective leader for the 91��Ƭ campus during the search for a new chancellor.

Guilfoile has been serving as 91��Ƭ’s Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs since July 2015. He has extensive leadership experience in higher education. He has been published in multiple peer-reviewed publications and served on myriad committees in the university and community.

“The UW System is excited that Dr. Guilfoile has agreed to serve as interim Chancellor at 91��Ƭ,” Cross said. “Dr. Guilfoile has served with great distinction as Provost, and we are confident that 91��Ƭ will be in good hands under his leadership and direction while we search for a new chancellor.”  

In addition to providing daily leadership for 91��Ƭ, Guilfoile will be responsible for maintaining 91��Ƭ’s reputation as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, which has a 98.2% success rate for students finding employment or continuing their education after graduation.

“The UW System Board of Regents is confident that Dr. Guilfoile will provide seamless leadership after the retirement of Chancellor Bob Meyer,” said Board President John Robert Behling. “UW System campuses improve our communities in so many ways. We are grateful for Dr. Guilfoile and look forward to working with him in this new capacity.”

“Patrick will provide great leadership in the Chancellor’s Office,” Meyer said. “I will do everything I can to help him prepare for the transition.”

“I want to thank President Cross and the Board of Regents for this appointment,” Guilfoile said.  “I will work hard to ensure that we continue to make progress on the important initiatives currently underway.  I look forward to working with groups and individuals across campus to ensure their voices are heard before making decisions on important issues.”

Guilfoile obtained a B.S. in Biology and Outdoor Education from Northland College, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Biology from UW-Eau Claire, a Ph.D. in Bacteriology from UW-Madison, and worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Whitehead Institute at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

After his postdoctoral work, he accepted a position at Bemidji State University and stayed there more than 20 years as a faculty member, department chair, Associate Dean and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

A nationwide search for a new 91��Ƭ chancellor will be launched after Cross consults with 91��Ƭ shared governance groups including faculty, staff, students, and others about the best ways to organize the search committee.

The University of Wisconsin System serves more than 170,000 students. Awarding 36,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. More than 80 percent of UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System institutions also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.