AMHERST — A provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts since last summer is leaving her position at the end of July to take a similar role at the University of Washington.

Tricia Serio, who assumed the UMass position last summer, recently announced her anticipated departure, after six years at the Amherst campus that began as dean of the College of Natural Sciences.  She came to UMass after serving as professor and head of the department of molecular and cellular biology at the University of Arizona.

Serio called accepting the position as provost and executive vice president to academic affairs at the Seattle university “bittersweet.”

“In both roles, I have been honored to get to know, work alongside, and learn with talented staff, faculty, and students who are dedicated to our mission,” Serio wrote in the campus email. “I am proud to have been even a small part of this important work and hope that my contributions have helped to advance our collective aspirations.”

Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy praised Serio’s work.

“In her time at UMass Amherst, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to academic excellence, student success and faculty advancement,” Subbaswamy wrote. “Under her leadership, we launched new initiatives to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for faculty, staff and students, including an equity action plan for faculty with a focus on workload.”

Serio’s successor will initially be an interim that Subbaswamy will appoint in consultation with incoming Chancellor Javier Reyes.

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce also welcomed Serio.

“Her outstanding record as an educator, researcher and leader make her the ideal person to help drive our mission of creating and accelerating discovery, learning and service for the public good,” Cauce said.

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