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By Mark Wilcox, News Writer
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University President Glenn Mroz has appointed Julie Seppala as vice president for finance. Her appointment was effective on Dec. 18.
Previously, Seppala was appointed treasurer of the Board of Trustees, the executive director of financial services and operations and treasurer of the Michigan Tech Fund Board of Directors. She will keep those duties in her new position.
Seppala is responsible for all financial functions of the University and the Michigan Tech Fund, including financial reporting, investment and treasury management and overseeing all accounting functions.
In making the announcement, Mroz says “Julie is a remarkable, no-nonsense leader and we are looking to her to continue to make significant strides to organize our ever-increasing financing reporting responsibilities using Lean principles.”
Mroz says Seppala has been advancing the visibility of Michigan Tech through the National Association of Research Administrators and her highly-respected work with the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP).
“She’s been leading efforts to combine the reporting of finances of the University and the Michigan Tech Fund and has brought us through clean audits for both organizations for several years now.”
Seppala says “I am honored and humbled that President Mroz has given me this opportunity to take on a new role as vice president for finance. I’m looking forward to working with the University community to support the strategic initiatives of the University.”
Seppala has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and has completed Lean Facilitator training. She has facilitated numerous campus process improvement events since 2008.
Through her work with FDP, a cooperative initiative of 10 federal agencies and 155 research universities, she seeks to reduce the administrative burdens associated with research grants and contracts.
“Michigan Tech was one of three FDP universities to participate in a national pilot on documenting time and effort charged to federal grants and contracts,” Seppala says.
She led the four-year Project Payroll Certification Pilot and the two-year federal audit of the project.
Seppala is a member of the National Association of Business Officers and the National Association of Research Administrators.
She participates in the Council on Governmental Relations and the Michigan Association of State Universities State Business Affairs Officers Committee.
