AUSTIN, Texas — Darrell Bazzell has been appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer of The University of Texas at Austin. He is currently the vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bazzell’s appointment begins April 18.
“Darrell brings to the university 13 years of experience in developing strong campus services and efficiencies at a top-ranked public university,” UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves said. “I am pleased to welcome him to UT Austin. His collaborative style and his financial expertise will allow us to continue to support our teaching, research and service missions and to move the university forward.”
Bazzell graduated from UW-Madison in 1984 with a degree in sociology and went on to hold various policy and budget analyst positions in state government. From 2001 to 2003, he served as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, capping off 10 years of service to that department.
“I am honored to be selected to serve as the chief financial officer at one of the world’s pre-eminent public research universities,” Bazzell said. “As I considered this role and the financial challenges that confront public research universities, I was very impressed by the consistently high level of enthusiasm for UT Austin.”
At UW-Madison, Bazzell collaborated to develop and implement new financial models, led the university through several state budget-writing processes, and oversaw budgeting and financing for UW-Madison’s medical school and academic medical center.
He championed the First Wave initiative at UW-Madison, the first university program of its kind in the country centered on urban arts, spoken word and hip-hop culture to inspire engagement, learning and activism for diverse communities.
He has also served as president of numerous community service organizations and is currently a Big Brother and on the board of the United Way chapter in Madison.
In a letter to UT Austin students, faculty members and staffers, Fenves expressed gratitude toward Mary Knight, who has served as interim CFO at UT Austin since February 2015, leading the office and university through key transitions. Fenves also recognized the search committee, which was led by Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement Gregory Vincent.
Bazzell’s appointment comes after the recent appointment of Maurie McInnis as executive vice president and provost. McInnis will be joining UT Austin from the University of Virginia.
“I am excited to bring in senior executives from top-ranked public research universities with new ideas that will enable UT to pursue excellence with effectiveness and efficiency,” Fenves said.
