Naropa University in Boulder has selected Paul Burkhardt, who most recently worked as the provost at the University of Olivet in Michigan, to be its next president.

Burkhardt will take over for Naropa President Charles Lief on Aug. 1.

“I feel a profound sense of gratitude and responsibility,” Burkhardt wrote in an email. “Naropa’s mission — anchored in contemplative practice, social transformation, and ecological interdependence — gives me real hope for the future. I’m honored to join a community so profoundly committed to inner growth as a path to societal change.”

His salary would be between $250,000 and $325,000 — Naropa didn’t share the exact number.

Lief will retire as Naropa’s seventh president after holding the position for about 13 years. He’s been involved with Naropa since its founding in 1974, and his wife, Judy, is also a former Naropa president.

“The Naropa presidency has been a great honor and a highlight of my professional career,” Lief wrote in an email. “I am very aware that to have been engaged with the entirety of Naropa’s 50-year history was a unique opportunity to serve and to do my part in supporting the flourishing of the university that pioneered the evolution of contemplative education. I am confident that after 13 years, it was time for fresh leadership, so long as that new leader clearly understood the deep roots. The faculty and staff of Naropa are exceptionally effective and committed people, and seeing how quickly Paul has been able to appreciate them is very important. There is nothing more joyous to me than to have engaged so many Naropa students and graduates, supported their journey and see how impactful they are following their time at Naropa.”

Lief will remain at Naropa during the presidential transition. After that, he plans to explore new ways to serve, he said, including finding ways to be involved in the emerging field of psychedelic therapy.

Burkhardt’s most recent role was as the provost of the University of Olivet, according to a release. He also worked as the executive vice president and provost at Prescott College in Arizona. Since 2007, he has worked with the Higher Learning Commission, the largest regional accreditor, serving as an accreditation team member and team chair, as well as a consultant evaluator in dozens of site visits to universities across 19 states, including Colorado, according to the release. Burkhardt received his doctoral degree in comparative cultural and literary studies from the University of Arizona.

“Paul understands that Naropa’s strength lies in its ability to evolve while staying rooted in contemplative practice, radical compassion and personal transformation,” Lief wrote. “He has successfully led institutions through complex transitions and enrollment growth while prioritizing ecological sustainability and social justice — values at the heart of our university. He is skilled at creating cross-institutional collaborations, which is a very important way for smaller liberal arts institutions to thrive.”

As president, Burkhardt will focus on listening, collaboration and leadership, along with creating a vision for Naropa’s future, building a strategic plan and growing Naropa’s visibility as a global destination for contemplative education.

Burkhardt said he’s drawn to institutions that “embrace education as a vehicle for personal and collective liberation,” so Naropa felt like a natural next step. He’s excited to move to Boulder and get to know the community.