Niko Pfund has been named director of Yale University Press, effective July 1. He succeeds John Donatich, who has led the press since 2003 and announced plans to retire last year.
 |
|
| Niko Pfund | |
Pfund has held a variety of roles at Oxford University Press during the last two decades, and currently is global academic publisher and president of the U.S. division. He previously was director and editor-in-chief of New York University Press. In addition, Pfund has served as a mentor in publishing programs, including those affiliated with Oxford, Columbia, and Pace universities, Amherst College, and the Association of University Presses. He has also been an active member of many boards, including the governing board of Stanford University Press, the advisory board of the George Washington University Graduate Program in Publishing, and the board of directors of the Digital Public Library of America.
Yale President Maurie McInnis said, "We have found in Niko a leader who prizes the time-honored tenets of rigorous scholarship and bold, future-oriented thinking in equal measure. He brings with him an immersive understanding of scholarly publishing and serious non-fiction as well as a proven track record, with experience in broadening the mandate of an academic press while abiding closely by its vital mission of contributing to a global understanding of human affairs....
"Niko joins us at a time when our ambitions for Yale University Press are growing, as we seek to build on the strong groundwork [laid by] John Donatich. With his thoughtfulness and precision, Niko is well-equipped to help us realize these aims."
Pfund commented, "Under John Donatich's leadership these past 22 years, Yale University Press has consolidated its standing as one of our most influential university presses. It is a great privilege to join this impressive institution, and I look forward to meeting my new colleagues and with members of the Yale community, and to all that lies ahead."