The University of Michigan has hired its first Asian American president, Dr. Santa J. Ono
On Wednesday, The University of Michigan announced that it has hired Dr. Santa J. Ono, who will become the university’s first-ever Asian American president. Dr. Ono is of Japanese descent and was born in Vancouver but grew up in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Currently, he serves as president and vice chancellor of The University of British Columbia. Dr. Ono is a biomedical researcher who is well-regarded for his work in experimental medicine with a focus on the immune system and eye disease. He is also known for his work toward college accessibility and affordability, his leadership in climate change, and his efforts for truth and reconciliation for indigenous groups.
Additionally, Dr. Ono is a strong and vocal advocate for mental health. After the suicide of a student at the University of Cincinnati, where Dr. Ono served as president at the time, he revealed that he tried to commit suicide twice before. The first time was when he was just 14-years-old. "Someone was there for me to help me work my way through that with medication and also seeing a professional to help me through very dark times in my life," Ono said in an interview with The Enquirer. "There's light at the end of the tunnel. If you have the proper counseling and support, it's really possible for you to move past that and move back into functioning life." While serving as the senior vice provost and deputy to the provost at Emory University, Dr. Ono did mental health research that focused on the high suicide rates among Korean students who were said to have felt extreme shame in failure.
Dr. Ono is the successor to Mark S. Schlissel who was unexpectedly fired for having what the university deemed an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, saying it was “in a manner inconsistent with the dignity and reputation of the university.” Dr. Ono’s five-year term as the university’s 15th president will begin on Oct. 13, 2022.
“The University of Michigan is recognized worldwide as being at the pinnacle of public higher education,” Ono said. “It is a singular honor to be chosen to lead such an extraordinary institution.
