Lisa Bayer, director of the University of Georgia Press, took over as president of the Association of University Presses last week at the conclusion of AUPresses's annual meeting. She succeeds Niko Pfund, president of Oxford university Press USA.
In remarks, Bayer said, “It is my hope that in the coming year, I can lead the Association as it helps guide our membership beyond a time of uncertainty to a restorative and renewed focus on our collective power as a publishing community. This can be a year to begin to recover, re-envision, realign our individual and overlapping strengths and commonalities as global members of the growing AUPresses.”
Bayer has directed the University of Georgia Press since 2012 and she is the association’s 71st president and the 17th woman to serve in that role.
In addition, Charles Watkinson, associate university librarian for publishing and director of the University of Michigan Press, is president-elect. Mike W. Bieker, director of the University of Arkansas Press, remains treasurer. Amy Schultz, business manager of Northwestern University Press, was is the new treasurer-elect.
And new a slate of AUPresses board members will begin three-year terms: Colleen Lanick, publicist at Harvard University Press, and Saleem Dhamee, director of client services and business operations at the Chicago Distribution Center of the University of Chicago Press.
