Chris Wyrick Named UA Vice-chancellor For Advancement

University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart today announced that Chris Wyrick, currently the executive director of the Razorback Foundation, will join Gearhart’s senior administrative team as the next vice chancellor for university advancement.

Wyrick, 45 and a native of Greensboro, N.C., is a 1992 graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., and has won several awards for his fundraising leadership and successes. He and his wife Merrily have been married for 20 years. They live in Fayetteville with their daughters Caroline, 15, and Caitlin, 12.

Wyrick’s starting date as vice chancellor will be determined once he is able to work with the Razorback Foundation board and staff on a transition plan. In the meantime, Gearhart will continue to oversee the advancement division, which includes the university’s fundraising, communications, and alumni offices as well as the university’s special events and community relations units.

The vice chancellor for university advancement also has administrative responsibility for the university-affiliated World Trade Center Arkansas, based in Rogers.

“After several months of careful thought and consultation, I have selected our new vice chancellor for university advancement from within the U of A family,” Gearhart said. “Chris has more than 20 years of successful fundraising experience in higher education, including positions at the University of South Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Vanderbilt University. He has been with the University of Arkansas since 2008, and in that time has established himself as a superstar, highly regarded and admired by his colleagues.”