Since assuming office in 2017, University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins has led the U of A through years of growth, innovation and unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Robbins will end his tenure as the university's 22nd president on Sept. 30. 

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"It has been a true honor to lead the University of Arizona for so many years, particularly during a time of transformational change in higher education and with challenges in the world around us," he wrote in an April 2 email to the university community, announcing his decision to step down.

"I am proud of the many advancements we made together in elevating the institution by enhancing the student experience; by attracting and retaining world-class faculty and staff; by increasing our research funding and philanthropy; by achieving significant milestones in science, astronomy and medicine, among many other disciplines; by engaging our Indigenous tribes and rural communities; and by improving the lives of Arizona residents and the global community," he wrote.

Robbins will be succeeded by Suresh Garimella, who assumes the U of A presidency on Oct. 1. Robbins, a globally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon who previously chaired the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, will likely join the Department of Surgery as a tenured faculty member. According to the Arizona Board of Regents, each university president’s contract provides for a faculty appointment for the president.

President Robert C. Robbins' key accomplishments at the U of A

Under Robbins' leadership, the university saw a number of major achievements, including:

• Strategic Planning and Fundraising: Robbins spearheaded the creation of a new Strategic Plan with input from hundreds of internal and external stakeholders, and launched the public phase of the Fuel Wonder fundraising campaign, which has already raised more than $2.3 billion of its $3 billion goal  to support students, faculty, staff and research initiatives.
• Academic Excellence: The U of A maintained its No. 1 National Science Foundation ranking in astronomy and astrophysics research expenditures and its top-five U.S. News & World Report ranking in management information systems. Robbins also solidified the U of A's standing among the top 20 public research universities in the United States and strengthened the university's position as a leader in NASA-funded activities.
• Exploring Space: During Robbins' tenure, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, under the leadership of principal investigator and U of A Regents Professor of planetary sciences Dante Lauretta, delivered to Earth the largest asteroid sample ever collected. Study of the sample from near-Earth asteroid Bennu is already providing insights into the formation of life on Earth. University researchers also made significant contributions to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which was launched in December 2021. University researchers built the telescope's Near Infrared Camera under the leadership of Regents Professor Marcia Rieke, the instrument's principal investigator. Regents Professor George Rieke serves as the science team lead for Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument. 
• Campus Expansion: Robbins oversaw numerous campus projects, including the opening of the Student Success District, the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center, the Honors Village, the Health Sciences Innovation Building and the Applied Research Building. Tech Parks Arizona experienced significant growth during his tenure, including the opening of the Tech Park at The Bridges. The U of A also began developing the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, a 200,000-square-foot biomedical research hub on the Phoenix Bioscience Core focused on advancing treatments for cancers, infectious diseases and autoimmune conditions. 
• Diversity and Inclusion: In 2018, the U of A was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of its efforts to enroll and serve Latino students. Also under Robbins, the university established the Office of Native American Advancement and Tribal Engagement in 2020, which opened the Pascua Yaqui Tribe – University of Arizona Microcampus and launched the annual Tribal Leaders Summit.
• COVID-19 Response: During the pandemic, Robbins led a swift transition to remote learning, upgrading technology and supporting faculty in online teaching. The U of A implemented a comprehensive campus health protocol and a testing and contact tracing program, and also developed a COVID-19 antibody testing program. The university's pandemic response was widely lauded and was covered in an in-depth article published in The Atlantic. U of A researchers also contributed to the study of vaccine effectiveness, helped trace the origins of the coronavirus, and worked with Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University to advance worldwide COVID-19 research. The university hosted a large-scale on-campus vaccination site serving the Southern Arizona community and housed more than 1.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in an ultracold storage facility to support distribution efforts throughout Arizona.
• Sustainability: In 2019, Robbins joined the University Climate Change Coalition and signed a large-scale renewable energy agreement, reducing the university's carbon emissions by nearly one-third.
• Record-Breaking Enrollment: Robbins' tenure saw the enrollment of the largest and most diverse classes in U of A history, including record numbers of nationally recognized scholars.
• Fundraising Milestones: Robbins oversaw significant philanthropic contributions, including a $20 million pledge from James C. Wyant to the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences; a $25 million gift from William A. Franke and his family to name the W.A. Franke Honors College; a $50 million gift from R. Ken Coit, which named the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy; and a $15 million commitment from Dr. Andrew Weil to support integrative medicine. These gifts are all part of the university's Fuel Wonder campaign, which reached 77% of its $3 billion goal during Robbins's tenure.
• Online Education: Robbins led the U of A in the acquisition of Ashford University to establish the University of Arizona Global Campus in 2023. The deal ensured continued, high quality educational experiences for nearly 24,000 UAGC students across the country.
• Athletics Achievements: Hires made by Robbins led Arizona Athletics into a new era of college sports, including Desireé Reed-Francois, who was named National Athletic Director of the Year in 2024; head basketball coach Tommy Lloyd, the 2022 National Coach of the Year; head football coach Jedd Fisch, a National Coach of the Year finalist in 2023; and Fisch's successor, Brent Brennan.
• Commitment to the Arts: The U of A acquired the David Hume Kennerly archive, which includes the photography of 10 U.S. presidents, hosted the "Linda McCartney Retrospective" at the Center for Creative Photography and celebrated the return of the painting "Woman-Ochre" to the University of Arizona Museum of Art after it was stolen in 1985.
• Campus Safety: In an effort to improve campus safety and coordinate safety initiatives throughout campus, the U of A established the Office of Public Safety in 2022 and created the position of chief safety officer. Robbins named Steve Patterson, a Tucson native and FBI veteran, to the position.

Before leading the U of A, Robbins had a distinguished medical career. He served as the president and CEO of Texas Medical Center in Houston after his leadership position at Stanford. Over the course of his career, Robbins has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and pioneered research in cardiac regeneration and transplantation.

In recognition of his leadership, Robbins was named the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 2021 Transformational Leader for his focus on preparing students for the workforce and driving innovation.

"As I reflect on my time at the University of Arizona, I am thankful for the dedication and resilience of the university community and its many supporters," Robbins said. "Together, we navigated unprecedented challenges, celebrated historic milestones and worked tirelessly to create a brighter future for our students, faculty, staff and the people of Arizona. I am proud of what we accomplished, and I have no doubt that the university will continue to thrive and lead the way in innovation, research and education. It has been the honor of my life to serve as president, and I will forever cherish my time here at the U of A. Bear Down."