Former U. dean to head Chicago

Once the University's dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Princeton University provost Hugo Sonnenschein has risen the ranks quickly to become president of the University of Chicago starting in July. "In a very short time, he's made substantial contributions", said Princeton president Harold Shapiro, praising Sonnenschein's work in faculty recruiting and budget planning. Sonnenschein has moved rapidly through the administrative ranks. He was a professor at Princeton just five years ago. Assitant to the President Nicholas Constan lauded Sonnenschein's accomplishments. "I think he is doing very well, very quickly," Constan said, describing the former University Dean as a "very sincere, dedicated and extremely warm-hearted individual." Sonnenschein succeeds Hanna Holborn Gray, who plans to return to teaching after 15 years as the university's president. Gray called her successor a "splendid choice." "[Sonnenschein] will be wonderful for the University of Chicago," Gray said in a statement. "I have greatly admired what he achieved at Penn and Princeton." Sonnenschein was jointly selected by a presidential search committee formed by Howard Krane, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and an advisory committee elected by the Council of the Faculty Senate at the University of Chicago. But some students at Chicago said they were unhappy with the selection process. Former Chicago student government president and senior George Donnelly criticized the lack of student input in the decision. He said that after the initial stage during which the administration "solicited suggestions from the entire university community," administrators never informed the students about the selection proceedings. Donnelly also said he thought the news of their president-elect was poorly announced. He said "all of a sudden, out of the blue, they announced their choice" after most students had left for their winter break. Chicago student government finance chair and junior Greg Miarecki said he hopes Sonnenschein will maintain a stronger rapport with the student body then their outgoing president. He claimed that Gray was chosen chiefly for her "ability to raise funds" and was "not interested in making an impact on student life." "I've heard good things about [Sonnenschein] from Penn and Princeton," Miarecki said. "We're looking forward to that kind of change."

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