After more than three decades at the University of Utah, and a long and distinguished record of accomplishments, Chief Global Officer Chris Ireland will retire in 2021.

Ireland, who led the Utah Asia Campus and served as head of the Office for Global Engagement (OGE), will transition to phased retirement next year. His retirement will open a search for another leader of OGE.

“In addition to his outstanding research and administrative contributions, Chris Ireland has led the university through a period of tremendous innovation and growth in our global outreach efforts,” said Dan Reed, senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “His leadership has positioned our international programs well in an era of globalization, where domestic and international students learn from one another and enrich the U and our communities.”

Ireland joined the U as an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry in 1983. During his 37 years on the faculty, he established himself as a world leader in the field of natural product drug discovery—publishing extensively, managing a $25 million portfolio in extramural research funding, and training dozens of graduate and postdoctoral students. He served as chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry from 1992 to 1999 and as dean of the College of Pharmacy from 2009 to 2014. In 2015, Ireland was appointed chief administrative officer of the Utah Asia Campus, overseeing its significant expansion. He also supported a revitalization of the Korean Alumni Association, which now has 2,000 members. In July 2018, he was appointed interim chief global officer.

“The University of Utah offers incredibly robust opportunities for cross-cultural study and research,” Ireland said. “It has been an honor to support and advocate for our international students, who are a critical part of every aspect of academic endeavor at the University of Utah—from the classroom to the laboratory.

“The Asia Campus and Office for Global Engagement provide unlimited opportunities for intellectual growth, collaborative work and broader understanding of the world around us,” he added. “I know I will be leaving these efforts in good hands.”