Centennial State News

Colorado University Boulder COO Patrick O'Rourke announced the appointment of Robyn Fergus as the university's new senior associate vice chancellor and chief people officer, beginning Oct. 31.

Fergus is currently the vice president and chief human resources officer at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. She succeeds Merna Jacobsen, who has served as temporary director of human resources at CU Boulder since 2021.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join CU Boulder and am thankful to university leadership for the opportunity,” Fergus said. “I look forward to advancing the campus’s efforts to ensure employee well-being, belonging and professional fulfillment, and position the university as an employer of choice for Coloradans and higher education professionals.

Fergus has been at CSU since 2019. She led the modernization of the HR information systems in addition to guiding the campus's HR operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, implementation of the voluntary retirement program, adoption of a telework policy to allow for a hybrid workforce and the launch of You@CSU for employees. 

O’Rourke notes that Fergus’ “expertise covers the full life cycle of employment and she has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as fostering employee engagement―two values that are key priorities for our university.”

Before joining CSU, she was the human resources director for Jeffco Public Schools, where she was responsible for the yearly talent acquisition plan for 4,000 operational and instructor roles. She also had a number of human resources leadership positions throughout her 15-year tenure with Denver Public Schools, which included stops at Vail Resorts and Daimler Chrysler.

Fergus graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies and is on the board of Zuma's Rescue Ranch, a charitable animal rescue and rehabilitative services facility that provides equine-assisted learning programs.