ChancellorUniversity of Kansas
Robert Hemenway's life has been marked by accomplishment as an administrator, teacher, and scholar. As the 16th chancellor of the University of Kansas (KU), he is the chief executive for the university. In 2002, Hemenway was elected to chair the 18-member NCAA Division I board of directors, a position he held through January 2005. This appointment follows two terms as chairman of the board for the Big 12 Conference. From 2005-2006, he served on the NCAA Division I President's Task Force.
Under Hemenway's leadership, KU has set a goal to be recognized as a Top 25 public university. Research funding at KU, a major source for Kansas economic development, has climbed steadily, reaching a record $281 million in fiscal year 2005. In Kansas, Hemenway has performed a complex balancing act, positioning KU as a major player in the movement to make the Greater Kansas City area a national center for life sciences and information technology, while at the same time forging stronger connections with the rural counties of western Kansas. Hemenway remains a committed scholar and teacher. He is known for his biography of African-American novelist Zora Neale Hurston, a "Best Books" pick by the New York Times in 1978 and a Quality Paperback Book Club selection in 1991. The chancellor and his wife, Leah, live in the Outlook, the KU chancellor's official residence. Four of the Chancellor's eight children are graduates of KU. The Hemenways have six grandchildren.