Julie Emms, MSEd, a seasoned higher education professional having served in all facets of university administration in increasingly progressive roles ranging from external relations, communications, research, fiscal and academic administration to continuing education programming in several prominent teaching and research institutions in Chicago and the Midwest, such as Purdue University, The University of Chicago, and DePaul University. Since moving to Tucson, AZ she served as the Administrative Director of the NSF-ERC Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) at the University of Arizona, James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences where she successfully led the Center’s strategy to a $26m renewal.  She currently serves as the Associate Director for the Center for Biomedical Informatics and Biostatistics (CB2) at the University of Arizona, Health Sciences.

In addition to her professional experiences, Julie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her work in the civic sector serving on several prominent Chicago and National executive boards such as The Chicago Loop Alliance, Near South Planning Board, The International Town and Gown Association and America’s Urban Campus®, an organization she co-founded in 2011. Having relocated to Tucson in late 2021, she is an alum of Greater Tucson Leadership, Lead Tucson Class of 2022. 

In the spirit of bringing communities together beyond her higher education work, Julie successfully brought to Chicago, CityAge, a professional conference that curates networks of people to turn ideas into reality. She has also participated in a national consortium about the future of college campuses, Campus 2050, and presented that work at The Society for College and University Planners.

Julie holds a Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Administration from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Purdue University.