FHSU University Communications
LAWRENCE - Kelly Chrisman Jacques will be the next director of the University Press of Kansas, following an appointment by the UPK board of trustees, which is composed of provosts from each of the six Kansas Regents institutions.
As UPK’s current assistant director and managing editor, Chrisman Jacques brings more than 15 years of experience in scholarly publishing. She oversees daily on-site operations of the Press, including the production of multiple publications each year, and managing a team of fulltime staff, freelancers, interns and printing vendors. In 2023, she served as interim director of the Press.
“Kelly has been a cornerstone of the Press for many years, and her promotion to director is a reflection of her exceptional leadership, deep knowledge and unwavering commitment to the mission of the Press,” said Brent Thomas, chair of the UPK board of trustees and provost of Emporia State University. “We’re thrilled to welcome her into this new role and look forward to the continued impact she’ll make.”
Chrisman Jacques will succeed Tim Paulson, who has accepted the position of executive vice president and publisher of Andrews McMeel Publishing. His last day was Oct. 10.
"Over the past two years, Tim’s transformative leadership has driven innovation and placed the Press in stable financial footing amid the challenges of scholarly publishing,” Thomas said. “With her experience and understanding of the Press, Kelly is well positioned to continue the momentum of the current strategic direction.”
As the director, Chrisman Jacques will lead organizational decision-making, strategic development and public outreach for the Press.
She will continue to work closely with staff, editorial board members, authors, scholars and reviewers to acquire and publish scholarly and regional books. Among other responsibilities, Chrisman Jacques will also collaboratively develop strategies to build the publishing program of the Press and promote the Press to the faculty at consortium universities and other constituent groups.
“It is my honor to lead the dedicated team at the University Press of Kansas to serve our consortium, authors, Kansas, and beyond. As the Press heads into its 80th year of publishing excellence, we’re committed to publishing sound scholarship that makes an impact and eager to elevate voices from America’s Heartland via our new imprint, Plainspoken,” Chrisman Jacques said.
Chrisman Jacques first joined UPK in 2007 as a production assistant. She has held multiple leadership positions within the Press since then, including production editor and managing director, before assuming the roles of assistant director and managing editor.
Chrisman Jacques, a native of Winfield, earned her master’s degree in English from KU and her bachelor’s degree in English from Fort Hays State University.
About the University Press of Kansas
The University Press of Kansas was founded in 1946 and represents the six state universities in Kansas: Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University. The Press is located in KU’s West District and functionally operates as a department of KU, while being governed by the board of trustees.