USF Sarasota-Manatee chancellor to retire

Karen Holbrook, the regional chancellor of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, has announced she will retire at the end of the year.

"Joining USF Sarasota-Manatee has been a treasured experience, made meaningful by our dedicated students, faculty and staff who bring our campus values to life,” Holbrook said in a news release.

Since her appointment in 2018, Holbrook led the campus through significant growth, including becoming a residential campus for the first time with the opening of the new Student Center and Atala Residence Hall this fall, receiving the largest gift in campus history with the naming of the Baldwin Group School of Risk Management and Insurance in 2022, and developing many important partnerships across the community. 

USF President Rhea Law announced that Brett Kemker, regional vice chancellor and vice provost of academic affairs and student success on the Sarasota-Manatee campus, will serve as interim regional chancellor beginning in January.

Holbrook has been a strong advocate for enhancing research opportunities for faculty and students throughout her time at the university.

After beginning her career as a biomedical researcher, faculty member and administrator, Holbrook held leadership positions at the University of Georgia, the University of Florida, the University of Washington and The Ohio State University, where she served as the institution's first woman president for five years. 

At USF, prior to the regional chancellor position, she held several key leadership roles, including senior vice president for global affairs and international research and senior vice president for research and innovation.

“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Holbrook for her dedicated leadership, substantial contributions to the Sarasota-Manatee campus and impact on the broader University of South Florida community throughout her time serving as regional chancellor,” Law said.