Nancy L. Zimpher - University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

At UC, she worked to eliminate the previous divisions among the colleges (such as by creating a single university commencement) and continuously championed UC|21, an academic plan which redefined UC as a "new urban research university" for the 21st century. It has also positioned Cincinnati as a candidate for AAU status. Her work was complicated by controversy over her ouster of longtime basketball coach Bob Huggins. Shortly after her arrival at UC, Huggins had been arrested for driving under the influence. This arrest, combined with the poor performance of Huggins' players in the classroom, were among many factors that led Zimpher to force Huggins to resign in 2005. Subsequently Zimpher's post-Huggins hire, Mick Cronin, has re-established Cincinnati as a national power while having his student athletes recognized for their academic excellence. Cincinnati football, under Butch Jones has also emerged as a Top 25 national power on the field and an academic power in the classroom.