As president of the University of Connecticut, Thomas Katsouleas leads the state’s flagship public research university with his hands in everything from workforce development to supporting startup companies.
Katsouleas replaced Susan Herbst last August, and out of the gate announced plans to bolster UConn’s position as a research university. He talked about putting UConn on track to becoming a destination for entrepreneurs and researchers intent on creating and commercializing new products.
He said he intends to spend this year laying the foundation for doubling annual research funding at the university over the next decade from $265 million to $500 million.
However, his attention lately has been battling headwinds from the coronavirus pandemic, which forced Katsouleas in March to cancel all in-person classes and move to remote learning for the rest of the spring semester.
Not only does he have to make sure staff and students remain safe and healthy, but he’s got to deal with the financial implications of the campus shut down — UConn expects to take a $30-million hit from housing, parking and dining refunds.
Katsouleas is also overseeing UConn’s move back to the Big East conference for all sports except football, which will become an independent program for the foreseeable future, and a free tuition program that he announced in October that will provide students whose families have an annual income of $50,000 or less with the ability to come to the school tuition-free.