Charles Nies, PhD, is the 10th chancellor of the University of Minnesota Duluth. Nies brings over 25 years of experience in higher education, most recently serving as vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of California, Merced. One of 10 campuses in the University of California system, UC Merced was formed in 2005 and became the youngest university in the nation to earn the Carnegie R2 designation — the second highest classification for American research universities. Nies joined UC Merced in 2006 as its first associate vice chancellor and dean of students, a role in which he oversaw the development and growth of student life programs on campus.
Prior to his work at UC Merced, he served as an assistant dean of an interdisciplinary school at Miami University in Ohio and a program director for a minor in leadership studies at Washington State University. As an instructor, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership theory, organizational theory and student development.
Nies holds two degrees from Washington State University — a doctorate in education administration and leadership and a master’s in counseling psychology. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He grew up in Hutchinson, Minnesota.
Nies succeeds Interim Chancellor David McMillan, who was in the role through June 2024, and Chancellor Lendley Black, who retired in the summer of 2022.