Theobald Moving to New Role in UW College of Education

University of Wyoming Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Neil Theobald is moving to a new role in UW’s College of Education aimed at raising the attainment of college degrees and workforce credentials across the state.

As an executive professor in the School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy and Design, Theobald will teach in the educational leadership and administration programs. Additionally, he will lead a degree and credential attainment initiative involving partners in Wyoming’s community colleges, the governor’s office and the staff of the Wyoming Innovation Partnership, among others.

“Dr. Theobald has a distinguished career at the executive level at top-tier land-grant, flagship and public universities and has made substantial impacts on fields and disciplines that are important to academic programs at the University of Wyoming,” says Scott Thomas, the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean of the College of Education. “His knowledge of Wyoming and expertise in leadership will enhance the university’s ability to fulfill its academic and outreach mission and achieve the goals of the Wyoming Innovation Partnership.”

Theobald has been UW’s senior vice president for finance and administration since July 2020, after serving as the university’s acting president for one year. He came to UW as vice president for finance and administration in 2018, after two decades as a tenured professor at Indiana University, where he served in a number of administrative roles -- senior adviser to the president (2017-18), senior vice president and chief financial officer (2007-2012), senior vice chancellor (2002-07) and director of the Indiana Education Policy Center (1993-2002). From 2012-16, he was the president of Temple University.

“Neil has helped guide the university through challenging times, and we appreciate his many contributions,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “I’m delighted that we will be able to continue drawing upon his experience and expertise in the state’s efforts to achieve its college completion and workforce training goals.”

“I am just thrilled,” Theobald says. “Almost 40 years ago, I had the privilege of first coming to UW to help create the Wyoming School-University Partnership, which continues its crucial work to this day. I simply couldn’t love this place more or believe more strongly in the importance of what we do.

“I want to thank President Seidel for giving me this opportunity to help address a critical problem facing our state -- the large number of Wyomingites with significant college credit, but no college degree or certificate,” he says. “As the first person in my family to attend college, I have experienced the exceptional opportunities that a degree or certificate can provide to everyone who calls Wyoming home.”

With Theobald’s move to the College of Education, Associate Vice President for Budget and Planning Alex Kean has been promoted as deputy vice president for budget and finance, overseeing the offices of Budget, Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, Housing, Dining and Catering.

Vice President for Campus Operations Bill Mai oversees UW Operations, the UW Police Department, Transit and Parking Services, the Real Estate Office and Jacoby Golf Course. He will continue to fill the vice president for government relations role until March 2022.