UW Names Provost Ana Mari Cauce As Interim President

The University of Washington has named its new interim president. As KUOW’s Sara Lerner reports, Ana Mari Cauce is a veteran of the institution.

TRANSCRIPT

She's currently the provost and executive vice president, but she's been at the UW awhile.

Cauce: “I’ve been chair of two different departments. I was director of clinical training and helped to run a clinic. I was director of the honors program. I was in the provost’s office. I was dean of arts and sciences.”

She says she believes her familiarity with the nuances of the university will set her apart from previous presidents. Cauce says item number one on her agenda is getting the state to better fund higher education.

Cauce: “We know that it’s tough on the Legislature. They have limited funds. They’re facing tough decisions and I think that part of our job is to try and really have them focus not just on all of our four-year institutions, but the fact that we are an investment. We’re not just a cost, we’re an investment.”

Outgoing President Michael Young is leaving for Texas A&M.

Cauce was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. when she was 3 years old. She takes the helm of the University of Washington on March 2.