KRISTIN SOBOLIK, PHD
CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–ST. LOUIS
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 $488M. As an anchor institution and a workforce driver, UMSL has the largest alumni base in the metro region with alumni generating a $14.3B 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 135% and university endowment by 52%, grown research expenditures by 295%, and received unprecedented state legislative support of over $115M to implement the Transform UMSL Campus Master Plan and grow workforce programs in Engineering, Geospatial Technology, Nursing, Advanced Workforce Development, and Entrepreneurship.
Kristin serves on the Executive Committee of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) as well as numerous regional boards including Greater St. Louis, Inc., Cortex Innovation District, Missouri Botanical Garden, BioSTL, Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis, Greater St. Louis Area Scouting Council, and Christian Hospital.
Her accomplishments on and off campus led to the following awards:
- Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
- Most Influential Business Women award from the St. Louis Business Journal
- Frankie Muse Freeman/Norman R. Seay Commitment to St. Louis Award from the NAACP
- Distinguished Women’s Leadership Award from the Urban League of Greater St. Louis
- St. Louis Titan 100 Award
- UMSL Women Trailblazers Award
- The Good Scout Award from the Greater St. Louis Area Scouting Council
- Inaugural St. Louis Business 500 edition of St. Louis Magazine