Auburn announces departure of university president Steven Leath
By Andrew Olson
Published:
A big change is coming on the Plains.
It was announced on Friday night that Steven Leath is out as Auburn University president. The announcement came following Leath and members of the Board of Trustees’ presidential assessment working group had “extensive discussions about the university’s leadership” and agreed on a mutual parting.
“Dr. Leath arrived with vision and enthusiasm to take Auburn to the next level,” Wayne T. Smith, president pro tempore of the university’s board, said in a school release. “We’re grateful for his dedication and commitment as Auburn made strides as a world-class public university. We wish Steve and Janet all the best.”
Leath came to Auburn in 2017 after serving as president of Iowa State University and vice president for research and sponsored programs for the University of North Carolina System.
“As I’ve said many times, serving as Auburn’s president has been the highlight of my career,” Leath said in the release. “I’m confident we leave Auburn stronger than when we arrived.”
Tigers fans will certainly be watching closely to see if the change in academic leadership has any impact on the athletic department.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
