We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Menard has accepted a new role as Associate Director of the University’s Office of Public Engagement, working closely with Director Carol Polifroni, who also serves as Dean of Nursing. The Office of Public Engagement coordinates, advocates, and builds capacity for all facets of engagement, including scholarship, community based learning, civic engagement, and community outreach.
Michael is an experienced University administrator, having served in various leadership roles since he joined UConn in 1994. He was previously the director of what is now called the Early College Experience program beginning in 1999, and led a significant rejuvenation of that program. His role expanded when he was named the University’s executive program director for educational outreach in 2002. Then, in 2004, Michael was asked to direct the Torrington Regional Campus. For the past twelve years, Michael served as Director at Torrington and then the Hartford Regional Campus. Most notably, as Hartford Campus Director, he has built the foundation for the transition of the campus to its new downtown location. He has led the effort to strengthen the campus’s ties to the Hartford community, created many opportunities for new programs and initiatives in Hartford, and set the campus on a path to success in its new home.
He will be greatly missed at the Hartford Campus, but the campus and the University as a whole will benefit from his passion to advance UConn’s public engagement agenda. He will now bring his expertise, his deep knowledge of the University, and his robust relationships with a wide array of external constituents and community organizations to support an expanding new university-wide public engagement, community outreach, and service learning agenda at a critical juncture in our efforts to build upon the foundation UConn attained with the Carnegie Foundation designation as a Community Engagement Institution and our place on the president’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
We are grateful for Michael’s many years of dedicated service to UConn, and especially his important contributions to the Hartford Campus. We look forward to the enhanced success of the Office of Public Engagement with him in a key leadership role there. Michael has agreed to continue his service as Campus Director until October 15th to allow the University time to appoint a new Director before he fully transitions to his new role.
Please join us in congratulating Michael on his new appointment!
Mun Choi
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Sally Reis
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Amy Donahue
Vice Provost for Academic Operations
For more information, contact: Office of the Provost at provost@uconn.edu