The University of Michigan president has moved to make longtime faculty member Gabriella Scarlatta the next chancellor at UM‑Dearborn, pushing the interim leader toward a permanent post after a year in the top job. The nomination heads to the U‑M Board of Regents for a vote at its May 21 meeting on the Dearborn campus. If regents sign off, Scarlatta’s five‑year appointment would begin May 22. She has spent nearly three decades at UM‑Dearborn, working her way up from adjunct instructor to tenured professor and then into senior academic administration.
“I am tremendously honored to be recommended as the seventh chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, my professional home for nearly 30 years,” Scarlatta said, according to UM‑Dearborn. President Domenico Grasso called her a highly respected leader who is strongly positioned to build on the university’s strong foundation and further elevate UM‑Dearborn’s impact as a campus of opportunity, the announcement said.
Grasso will formally present the recommendation to the Board of Regents at the May 21 meeting on the UM‑Dearborn campus, according to the Board’s public meeting information. The Regents site notes that requests to address the board for that session will be accepted May 14–18 and that speakers must appear in person.
Scarlatta first arrived on campus as an adjunct faculty member in 1996, became an assistant professor in 1998 and was promoted to professor with tenure in 2017, according to her UM‑Dearborn biography. She has served as provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and has helped steer initiatives, including consolidation of the campus' colleges, partnerships with local transit providers and the Great Lakes Scholarship, which extends in‑state tuition rates to qualifying students from neighboring Great Lakes states and Ontario.
Search Process And Next Steps
The recommendation caps a national search led by an advisory committee of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members that held town hall meetings to gather input, as reported by MLive. That coverage notes the committee was co‑chaired by UM‑Flint chancellor Laurence B. Alexander and UM‑Dearborn interim provost Ghassan Kridli.
Keeping the leadership in-house gives UM‑Dearborn continuity at a moment when the campus is pursuing strategic investments aimed at stabilizing enrollment and expanding affordability. Campus officials say Scarlatta’s likely elevation would allow the university to build on recent recruitment and retention efforts while deepening ties with community and industry partners.
The Board of Regents’ May 21 vote will wrap up the campus search process. If regents confirm the nomination, Scarlatta will begin her five‑year term and will serve as an executive officer of the University of Michigan. For meeting details and public comment information, see the Board of Regents.
