University of Colorado President Bruce D. Benson today named Interim Chancellor Phil DiStefano the sole finalist for the chancellor position at CU-Boulder.
DiStefano, 62, will meet with key campus constituencies over the next two weeks as part of the interview process. He was selected as finalist after a search committee representing internal and external campus stakeholders conducted an internal search.
"Phil DiStefano has the integrity, experience and skills to lead our Boulder campus at this important time in its history," Benson said. "He is a team player and a proven leader who is respected on campus and in the community, and I have a great deal of confidence in his abilities and trust in him personally."
DiStefano has served CU-Boulder in several capacities in his 35 years on campus. He has been a professor of education, associate dean, dean, vice chancellor, provost and twice served as interim chancellor.
"I am honored to be named the sole finalist as chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder," DiStefano said. "I am eager to continue my 35 years of service to this great university, and I look forward to meeting with our students, faculty, staff and alumni to discuss my candidacy.
"This is an exciting, yet challenging time, but with the vision and talents of our great leadership team, faculty, staff and students, I believe we will transcend present difficulties and take advantage of new opportunities that will ensure greatness for CU-Boulder," DiStefano said.
Benson said conducting an internal search not only allowed CU to tap into the talent on campus, but also to provide continuity as the campus addresses key issues such as budget challenges, a national re-accreditation process and implementation of the campus's Flagship 2030 strategic plan.
"Dr. DiStefano will provide a steady hand as we deal with these important issues," he said. "But he will also build on CU-Boulder's stature as one of the top public research universities in the United States."
Benson spent considerable time with the search committee and other university constituents during the process. He said that after receiving more feedback from internal and external groups, he expects to make a decision about the position before commencement on May 8. The permanent chancellor will replace G.P. "Bud" Peterson, who became president of the Georgia Institute of Technology in April.
A first-generation college graduate, DiStefano earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and a master's degree in English education from West Virginia University. He holds a doctorate in humanities education from Ohio State University, where he served as a teaching and research associate. He began his educational career as a high school English teacher in Ohio. Since then, he has authored and co-authored numerous books and articles on various topics in language arts and education. DiStefano and his wife, Yvonne, have been married for more than 35 years and have three grown daughters.
The University of Colorado is a three-campus system with four locations: the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the University of Colorado Denver's Downtown Campus and Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. Nearly 54,000 undergraduate and graduate students are pursuing academic opportunities on CU campuses. CU is a premier teaching and research university, and is ranked sixth among public institutions in federal research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. Academic prestige is marked by the university's four Nobel laureates, seven MacArthur "genius" Fellows, 18 alumni astronauts and 19 Rhodes Scholars. For more information about all of the CU campuses, go to .