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New appointments will fill leadership roles in the departments of Human Resources and Academic Affairs

COLUMBIA – Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Interim President Michael Middleton today announced two appointments in the leadership structure of the system, naming interim vice presidents for the Human Resources and Academic Affairs departments, subject to approval by the UM Board of Curators.

Kelley Stuck will assume the role of interim vice president for Human Resources of the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, replacing Betsy Rodriguez, who has accepted a position of vice president of Human Resources for Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Rodriguez announced her resignation at the end of October after serving the university for seven years. Robert Schwartz has been appointed as interim vice president for Academic Affairs, Research and Economic Development, replacing Hank Foley, who is currently serving as interim chancellor of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri-Columbia. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Stuck served for five years as associate vice president for Human Resources for the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ. In this position, she partnered with other human resource professionals on the four UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ campuses and health system to provide leadership in the areas of employee and retiree benefits, wellness, communications, workforce analytics and labor relations.

In her new role, Stuck will serve on the president’s executive team, lead the Human Resources Council, and be responsible for directing the university’s efforts in talent management, human resources policies, benefits and compensation, and human resources information system.

“We are fortunate to have a succession plan in place for the critical role of leading our HR department,” Middleton said. “Being the exceptional leader that she is, Vice President Rodriguez has worked closely with Kelley for the past five years and I expect a smooth transition of HR support for the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ.”

Prior to joining the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ in 2010, Stuck served as vice president for Aon Consulting, where she assisted employers with their overall employee benefits strategy, including benefit strategy, funding, administration, wellness, communication, data analytics and compliance. She also had experience working for Heartland Health as a process leader in human resources, marketing, communications and education. She received a master’s degree in administration from the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Central Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Truman State Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ.

Schwartz rejoins the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ leadership team after previously serving as chief of staff from April 2012 until September 2014, where he helped execute the priorities of the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ and the university’s mission statement. In this role, he served as the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ president’s liaison to the university’s general officers and Board of Curators, helped lead the university’s strategic planning process, and served as the custodian of records for the system. Most recently, he served as interim dean of the MU College of Engineering.

In his new role, Schwartz will work with a variety of campus leaders, including chancellors, provosts and chief research officers. He will also lead the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ’s strategic planning efforts, provide systemwide leadership in academic programs, promote economic development, advance research collaborations and enhance funding, as well as lead the student access and success, academic program review and eLearning functions of the system.

“The Academic Affairs department is vital to the university’s mission of teaching, research and economic development, and Bob will bring experience and vision to the position of interim vice president,” Middleton said. “This appointment will ensure that there is no interruption in the important work being performed by Academic Affairs in serving our four campuses.”

Prior to joining the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ in 2012, Schwartz served in a variety of leadership positions at Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Science and Technology between 2002 and 2012, including interim provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, vice provost for academic affairs, associate chair of the ceramic engineering department and faculty senate president. He began his career as an advanced research and development engineer at the B.F. Goodrich R&D Center and later as a senior member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. He received a doctorate in ceramic engineering from the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree in science education and master’s degree in chemistry from North Carolina State Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ.

Media Resources

Kelley Stuck Photo: /media/fa/ur/stuck.jpg

Robert Schwartz Photo: /media/fa/ur/schwartz.jpg

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