Announcing New Graduate School Dean, 1-26-23

Dear students, fellows. faculty and staff, 

We are pleased to announce the new dean of the Graduate School. Jennifer Richer, PhD, will assume her duties as dean on February 1, 2023, and we look forward to all that she will bring to the role. Having led a long and distinguished career in academic medicine and the field of pathology, Professor Richer holds the qualifications to further elevate our campus as a destination for premier graduate education and training. 

Professor Richer has been a part of the University of Colorado for nearly three decades. She has been a member of the CU School of Medicine faculty since she became an instructor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1996. She is currently a tenured professor in the Department of Pathology and co-leader of the Tumor Host Interactions Program at the CU Cancer Center. Professor Richer’s research expertise lies in steroid hormone receptor action in breast and gynecologic cancers, and endocrine therapy resistance. In addition to serving as the Graduate School’s dean, Professor Richer will continue her research program. 

We are fortunate to have a scholar and leader of Professor Richer’s caliber at the helm at an exciting time in the continued evolution of the Graduate School. As a longtime member of the CU Anschutz community, she has witnessed the tremendous growth of our university as a nationally recognized leader in medicine and health sciences. Her work has advanced vital research efforts and led to cancer clinical trials, and she has mentored many early career faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students embarking on their research careers.

Professor Richer is well-equipped to lead us in building on the many strengths of the Graduate School and identifying new opportunities for innovation in recruitment and admissions, postdoctoral support, career development and other areas key to our future development. 

We are grateful to Vice Chancellor of Research Tom Flaig, MD, for leading the search for our next dean, and to David Engelke, PhD, for preparing us well for this leadership transition ahead of his retirement. 

Please join us in welcoming Professor Richer to her new role as we look forward to a fruitful next chapter for the Graduate School.

Sincerely,

Don Elliman
Chancellor

Roderick Nairn
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs