Provost Shirley Willihnganz announced Dec. 9 that Nichols will assume the new role effective Dec. 24. She will replace Hannelore Rader, who is retiring Dec. 31 after 13 years as head of the library.
Hannelore has taken the library to unprecedented heights over the past 13 years, and following her will be a big task, Willihnganz said. I am confident Diane will continue to provide outstanding leadership for the libraries and I look forward to working with her to ensure their future success.
Nichols joined the university faculty as an instructor in health sciences bibliography in 1970. She steadily moved through the ranks, being promoted to assistant professor (1971), associate professor with tenure (1976) and professor (1989). She was named an associate in the schools of Medicine and Dentistry in 1977.
Nichols began her administrative career in 1994, when she was appointed acting director of the Kornhauser Health Sciences Library. She has been in her current post since 2006.
