An investment in UW leadership
The University of Washington president’s salary is a sum to behold - but then, so is the record of the man who earns it.
Mark Emmert has been everything the university’s regents hoped for when they hired him away from Louisiana State University in 2004. No wonder they just gave him a raise that puts him at the top for presidents at U.S. public universities.
On Thursday, the regents boosted his annual salary by about $150,000 to $905,000. Of that total, $250,000 is deferred compensation, money he’ll receive if he stays for a while. And the raise is aimed at making sure he does, continuing his leadership across the university.
Emmert is skilled at schmoozing corporate investors and persuading state lawmakers. He is doggedly committed to academic excellence and defending it against critics, including Walt Disney Co., which took issue with one UW study this year critical of overuse of baby videos.
To those skills and values, add the heart of a true Husky - Emmert is a 1975 graduate, political science - and you get a potent combination.
He has pushed state government for more support of the state’s largest research university - and has won it. He has also delivered by facilitating aggressive initiatives at the university, such as the underwater Neptune project and the new Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. He also ensures the university is a partner with the state and private sector in maximizing its economic impact.
Emmert is worth fighting to keep. And, the regents wisely have made it more difficult for other universities to steal him away.