Garrett P. Kiely, a leader in academic publishing who has expanded and elevated the work of the University of Chicago Press, has been reappointed as its director. He will serve a third five-year term beginning Sept. 1.
Kiely will continue to lead the nation’s largest academic press, which publishes award-winning books and journals for both scholarly and general interest audiences. The Press also serves as the largest distributor of academic publications in the United States through its Chicago Distribution Center.
“Garrett’s leadership continues to be essential to the Press at a time of great change in publishing,” Provost Daniel Diermeier said. “In the face of such seismic shifts, Garrett has not only grown the work of the Press and extended its global reach, but fostered a closer connection to the University of Chicago and its faculty.”
The Press publishes more than 350 new books and 73 journals a year including such recent titles as the critically acclaimed Henry David Thoreau: A Life. Long a leading academic publisher in areas of the humanities and sciences, the Press has in recent years expanded its offerings in law and economics and continues to deepen its connection to the mission of the University through new publishing relationships with faculty as well as centers, institutes and labs. Such relationships include a book series with the UChicago-affiliated Marine Biological Laboratory titled Convening Science: Discovery at the Marine Biological Laboratory and KNOW: A Journal on the Formation of Knowledge, a new journal with the Stevanovich Institute on the Formation of Knowledge.
“It is my great honor to work every day with the best people in publishing. Their passion, skill and expertise inspire me and are a reflection of the institution we represent. I appreciate the University’s support for its Press and I look forward to continuing and extending our tradition for excellence,” Kiely said.
In September, the Press will publish the 17th edition of its most famous title, The Chicago Manual of Style, in print and electronic versions. Under Kiely’s leadership, all new works appear simultaneously in print and digital editions, and the Press has expanded its print-on-demand program, which ensures titles are available around the world.
Kiely joined the Press in 2007 after more than 20 years at Palgrave Macmillan USA, a division of St. Martin’s Press, where he served as president, vice president of the Scholarly and Reference Division, and both sales and marketing director. He recently served as chair of a task force that developed a new membership structure for the Association of American University Presses.
—Prof. Kunle Odunsi
