Ex-President Espy
Ex-Wayne State University President Kimberly Andrews Espy, who only lasted two years before the Board of Governors forced her to resign on Wednesday, will get a nice departing gift: more than $760,000 in a lump sum within 30 days, Crain's Detroit Business reports.
The money is part of her separation agreement.
As part of her departure, her husband, Paul Kaufmann, has agreed to resign his role as the university's senior attorney and director, Crain's reports.
Friction between Espy and the board continued to grow over time.
One Wayne State employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Deadline Detroit last week that the president had made her fair share of enemies and was perceived as silent, overly cautious, and “missing in action” after President Trump took office and threatened to withhold research funding from universities like WSU if they didn’t comply with White House policy.
When it came to issues of academic freedom, free speech, and supporting faculty, the person said Espy failed to speak up. However, they added that Espy was in a tough position and had to be careful not to jeopardize government research funding, which could have harmed the university, particularly since it doesn't have healthy endowments like Harvard or the University of Michigan.
Espy, the university's 13th president, began serving as president on August 1, 2023, and was formally installed by the Wayne State Board of Governors during an investiture ceremony on March 18, 2024.
She previously served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Before that, she was the senior vice president for research at the University of Arizona.
Espy earned a bachelor's degree from Rice University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Houston. She completed a clinical internship at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
