Kristin Sobolik is the eighth chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis and leads the region’s premier public research university which enrolls nearly 16,000 students, employs more than 2,300 and generates an annual economic impact of more than $430M. As an anchor institution and a workforce driver, UMSL has the largest alumni base in the metro region with alumni generating a $13.4B annual economic impact to the state.

Kristin first joined the UMSL community in 2017 as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs – quickly rising to the role of executive vice chancellor, interim chancellor, and then chancellor in 2020. Prior to UMSL, Kristin served in administrative and faculty roles at Wright State University and the University of Maine, graduating with a degree in Biology from the University of Iowa and a master’s and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University.

Throughout her time at UMSL, Kristin has led the university’s strategic focus on student success, educational relevancy, inclusive prosperity, and economic growth and development with collaborative asset alignment with other regional and national partners. Under her leadership, UMSL has introduced over a dozen new academic programs, increased student graduation rates while decreasing student debt, increased private philanthropy by more than 20 percent, grown research expenditures by 157 percent, and received unprecedented legislative support of over $100M to implement the Transform UMSL Campus Master Plan and grow workforce programs in Engineering, Geospatial Technology, Nursing, and Entrepreneurship.

Kristin serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) and is on the Advisory Council for the Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, as well as numerous regional boards including Greater St. Louis, Inc., Cortex Innovation District, BioSTL, Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis, Greater St. Louis Area Scouting Council, and Christian Hospital.