# Concussion researcher named Clemson's 16th president  
**Published:** 2026-05-27T17:51:42.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/27/repub/head-of-michigan-state-former-unc-chancellor-named-clemsons-new-president/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/concussion-researcher-named-clemson-s-16th-president

Clemson University's Board of Trustees selected [Kevin Guskiewicz as the university's 16th president](https://news.clemson.edu/guskiewicz-named-16th-president-of-clemson-university/) on Wednesday, drawing from the leadership ranks of Michigan State University's presidency and the University of North Carolina's chancellorship.

Guskiewicz, who started as Michigan State president in March 2024, brings decades of expertise in higher education and groundbreaking research on athletic brain injuries. Protocols resulting from his research are now widely used in high school and college sports and in the NFL.

A nationally recognized expert on sport-related concussions, Guskiewicz has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers in the areas of sports medicine and neuroscience. In 2011, he was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, receiving $500,000 to support his research.

The board voted unanimously to hire Guskiewicz at a salary package of $1.2 million, with $332,000 in taxpayer dollars and $884,000 from Clemson's private foundation. The nonprofit will cover $150,000 in moving expenses, annual raises of about 5%, and performance bonuses up to $250,000 annually over his five-year contract. Originally from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Guskiewicz has four children with his wife, Amy.

Guskiewicz is stepping into a leadership position at a significant moment for the university. Clemson is in the middle of a $1.889 billion fundraising campaign launched in February 2025. The odd amount reflects the school's 1889 founding as a land grant university.

"To be entrusted with leading a university as respected, ambitious, and beloved as Clemson is both humbling and inspiring," Guskiewicz said during a virtual board meeting. "Clemson is a university with tremendous momentum."

The decision comes just three days after Michigan State trustees doubled his salary to $2 million and extended his contract through 2031 in an unsuccessful effort to retain him. The search began in December and was assisted by Funk Associates, with the search committee receiving interest from highly qualified candidates.

Guskiewicz replaces Jim Clements, whose compensation package totaled $1.5 million when he left. A member of the University of North Carolina's faculty since 1995, Guskiewicz served as UNC's chancellor from 2019 until departing for Michigan State. He is expected to start at Clemson sometime in August and has family ties to the university through a nephew who is a sophomore.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/27/repub/head-of-michigan-state-former-unc-chancellor-named-clemsons-new-president/)
- [Official Clemson University announcement of Guskiewicz selection](https://news.clemson.edu/guskiewicz-named-16th-president-of-clemson-university/)
- [Clemson University president information page](https://www.clemson.edu/president/about/president-elect.html)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/27/repub/head-of-michigan-state-former-unc-chancellor-named-clemsons-new-president/.