Former UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz Named Clemson University President
Former UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will lead Clemson University as its 16th president, leaving a $2 million salary at Michigan State to return to the Carolinas.
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Clemson University’s governing board has selected former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz as the institution’s 16th president, bringing the neuroscientist back to the Carolinas after a brief tenure at Michigan State University.
Guskiewicz will leave his current position as president of Michigan State University, where he has served since March 2024, to lead the nearly 30,000-student college in South Carolina’s Upstate region. He replaces former President Jim Clements, who departed the role after 12 years.
The leadership change comes after Clements abruptly retired in December following conflict-of-interest questions about his seat on the corporate board of a homebuilding company pursuing a major development in nearby Oconee County, including a satellite Clemson campus. Clemson maintained that Clements’ position on the corporate board did not influence his decision to leave his post.
Financial Sacrifice for Career Move
To make the transition, Guskiewicz is giving up a nearly $1 million raise at Michigan’s 52,000-student land grant university. Michigan State trustees voted at a specially called meeting Sunday to nearly double his salary to $2 million in an attempt to convince him to stay, according to the Michigan Advance.
By comparison, Clements was earning a $1.5 million compensation package at the time of his departure. The University of South Carolina’s governing board raised President Michael Amiridis’ compensation to nearly $1.2 million following a performance review last June.
In a May 17 meeting, Michigan State trustees said Guskiewicz was being “aggressively pursued” by other colleges, the Michigan Advance reported.
Distinguished Academic Career
Guskiewicz, who grew up outside Pittsburgh, started his career in higher education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995. The neuroscientist helped develop protocols used in assessing concussions in high school, college, and professional football players during his time there.
He worked his way up through the academic ranks, becoming dean of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences before being appointed chancellor in 2019. He held that position until departing for the college presidency in Michigan’s capital city in 2024.
The appointment represents a homecoming of sorts for Guskiewicz, who built his reputation in the Carolinas before his recent move to the Midwest. His selection signals Clemson’s commitment to maintaining strong academic leadership following the unexpected departure of his predecessor.
