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Kimberly Andrews Espy (WSU photo)
That was relatively quick.
After only two years on the job, Wayne State University's Board of Governors is expected to oust Kimberly Andrews Espy, the school's first female president, The Detroit News reports, citing unnamed sources.
Sarah Atwood of The News reports that the board and some senior faculty members have grown dissatisfied with Espy, but it is not yet clear whether she will be fired or given the opportunity to resign.
The News reports:
Part of the friction is rooted in the bipartisan board's growing displeasure with aspects of her management of the university, including concerns about her communication over the recent placement of the dean of the School of Medicine on paid leave in August, according to the two sources.
Dr. Wael Sakr was recently placed on administrative leave with no disclosure as to the reason for doing so. In an Aug. 15 email message to the Wayne State medical school community, Wayne State Senior Vice President for Health Affairs Bernard Costello announced the leave while asking the faculty not to contact Sakr while he was on leave.
The board also wanted her more involved in the community, The News reports. The university did not respond to The Detroit News’ request for comment.
One Wayne State employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Deadline Detroit that the president had made her fair share of enemies and was perceived as silent, overly cautious, and “missing in action” after President Trump took office and threatened to withhold research funding from universities like WSU if they didn’t comply with White House policy.
When it came to issues of academic freedom, free speech, and supporting faculty, the person said Espy failed to speak up. However, they added that Espy was in a tough position and had to be careful not to jeopardize government research funding, which could have harmed the university, particularly since it doesn't have healthy endowments like Harvard or the University of Michigan.
Espy, the university's 13th president, began serving as president on August 1, 2023, and was formally installed by the Wayne State Board of Governors during an investiture ceremony on March 18, 2024.
She previously served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Before that, she was the senior vice president for research at the University of Arizona.
Espy earned a bachelor's degree from Rice University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Houston. She completed a clinical internship at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
