UC President Mark G. Yudof Names Interim Chancellor for UC Riverside

Jane Close Conoley is currently dean of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education

Share this article:

Jane Conoley is the interim chancellor at UC Riverside. Photo credit: Peter Phun

University of California President Mark G. Yudof announced Nov. 20 that he will appoint Jane Close Conoley, dean of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, to serve as interim chancellor of UC Riverside.

The appointment was approved by the UC Board of Regents on Nov. 27. Conoley will serve until the appointment of a successor to Chancellor Timothy White, who will become chancellor of the California State University system at the end of December. Her official appointment will begin Dec. 31, the day after Chancellor White steps down.

“Jane Close Conoley has long been a nationally recognized education expert, and she is a treasured member of the UC community,” UC President Mark G. Yudof said. “With her serving in this interim role, I am confident that the Riverside campus will keep moving forward on several fronts, especially student success.”

Conoley, 65, a professor of counseling, clinical and school psychology at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, became dean in January 2006 after serving for 10 years as dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University, where she was a professor of educational psychology. She expects to return to her position as dean of the Gevirtz School at the conclusion of her appointment at Riverside.

“I am very pleased that Jane Conoley will serve UCR as interim Chancellor,” White said. “She has a keen interest in advancing UCR’s strategic goals, supporting our students, and engaging with our community. Her combination of experience and enthusiasm will serve UCR well during this time of transitional leadership.”

The author or editor of 21 books, she was the Edith S. Greer Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1996; she had chaired the Department of Educational Psychology from 1989 to 1994 and served as associate dean for research and curriculum at the university’s Teachers College from 1994 to 1996. She also taught educational psychology as a faculty member at Syracuse University and Texas Woman’s University between 1976 and 1996.

“I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to serve as acting chancellor for UCR, a dynamic and forward-looking institution that has rightly received national recognition for its commitment to student success,” Conoley said. “I’m eager to meet with faculty and students. I’m sure I will learn much from my association with UCR.”

The regents approved an annual salary of $245,600, funded by state and other sources, for the duration of the appointment. Conoley also will receive an annual auto allowance of $8,916, and a university-provided house on campus, as has Chancellor White, whose annual salary at UC Riverside is $325,000. While her appointment does not officially begin until Dec. 31, the new salary will take effect immediately, in recognition of the fact that she plans to spend most of the next month on transition activities.

Archived under: Inside UCR, Board of Regents, chancellor, educational psychology, Jane Close Conoley, uc santa barbara

Top of Page