Office of the Provost

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Fumiko Hoeft as the next director of UConn Waterbury. She will begin transitioning to the permanent position immediately, and we expect her to begin the role officially on December 30, 2022.

Dr. Hoeft was selected from a talented pool of applicants. She has demonstrated a commitment to student success in academics and beyond and has shared an exciting vision for the future of the UConn Waterbury campus and its connections with the wider Waterbury community. Her involvement in creating and developing several programs and centers to enhance student success in the sciences has established her as an advocate for experiential and transformative learning. She is also deeply passionate about community engagement and the impact that UConn can have on the state, region, and nation. Dr. Hoeft will drive initiatives in economic development, academic excellence, and service to the greater Waterbury community. Her experiences as director of the Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) and mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students have given her the skills and expertise to sustain and enhance UConn Waterbury and its diverse population of students, faculty, and staff.

Dr. Hoeft is a prolific researcher and an exemplary member of the UConn community. Dr. Hoeft joined UConn in 2018 as director of BIRC and professor of psychological sciences. She came to us from the Weill Institute for Neurosciences at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF). In addition to her appointment as professor of psychological sciences, she also holds appointments as professor of computer science, mathematics, neuroscience, psychiatry, pediatrics, and educational psychology at UConn. She is also a senior scientist at Haskins Laboratories. Dr. Hoeft received pre- and postdoctoral research training at Harvard, UCLA, Caltech, and Stanford, and held faculty positions at Stanford and UCSF before joining UConn. She holds undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. degrees from Keio University in Tokyo, where she is also an adjunct faculty member at its School of Medicine.

Dr. Hoeft was recently interviewed by President Maric for an episode of “Worth Repeating.” Click here to watch the interview.

I want to express my gratitude to the search committee, chaired by Dean Indrajeet Chaubey, and the entire Waterbury campus community for your active participation in this process. Your input was critical in informing the evaluation of candidates.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Hoeft. I look forward to continuing our work together in supporting UConn Waterbury.

Sincerely,
Anne

Anne D’Alleva
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs