Meet the President

Michelle Rizk was appointed vice president of university relations in December 2015. Michelle previously served as associate vice president of budget for the university from 2006 to 2015. Since joining UA in 1998, she has also served in several other roles in Human Resources, the Office of Information Technology and at the UA Museum of the North

President-Designee Cooper spent 13 years in the UA Office of the General Counsel, including four as General Counsel from 2020 to 2024. He joined the office in 2011 and rose through increasing levels of responsibility, advising the Board of Regents, system administration, and the three universities on higher education law, board governance, and complex institutional risk. As General Counsel, he oversaw the finalization and implementation of the UA Land Grant Initiative, a decades-long university priority that will allow UA to receive its full federal land-grant allotment. He also actively participated in and assisted with many of UA's key priorities, including intellectual property commercialization and operational efficiency. His professional approach centers on solving conflict through consensus and collaboration, an orientation that has shaped his work as a trusted advisor to University leadership.