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Sander, who served as the UA’s 20th president from 2011 to 2012, died Feb. 22 at age 90.

±á¾±²õÌý as top administrator at the university happened as he was preparing to retire in June 2011, after then-President Robert Shelton left to become executive director of the Fiesta Bowl. Sander stayed in the role until Ann Weaver Hart, of Temple University in Pennsylvania at the time, stepped in as the UA’s 21st president in July 2012, after which he .

Sander spent 24 years at the UA before becoming its president, in roles including vice provost and dean of what was then called the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, executive vice president and provost of the university, and vice president for university outreach.

Toni Massaro, a former dean of the UA’s James E. Rogers College of Law who worked with Sander for many years, said he was kind, funny and smart.

“He wasn’t afraid to lead, but he would bring you with him,� Massaro told the Star Wednesday.

“He embodied service and excellence. He was an extraordinary dean,� Massaro said. “I learned more from him than I can convey, both in terms of direct advice, his relationship to external communities, his devotion to the land-grant mission and understanding of what it was, his vision and just plain shoe-leather hard work every day, all day long, on behalf of students, their families, communities and his faculty. Really, an unbelievably good leader.�

Land-grant institutions are public universities that were defined by the federal Morrill Acts of 1862, 1890 and 1994 as those whose mission is to receive federal land or funds to provide practical education in agriculture, science, engineering and other fields.

“Eugene Sander is an iconic leader in the history of the University of Arizona,� said Suresh Garimella, UA’s current and 23rd president, in a written statement. “His long service to the university left an indelible mark. The enduring strength of our agricultural programs and engagement throughout the state owes much to his decades of leadership as a faculty member and dean. Many here at the U of A remember him fondly and admire his generous service, including postponing retirement to lead the U of A as our 20th president. We extend our condolences and gratitude to President Sander’s family and loved ones.�

Peter Likins, who was the 18th president of the UA, when Sander led the agriculture and life sciences college, said he was a “magnificent and creative dean.� “He had stature,� Likins said.

“It was easy to see Gene as a leader, kind of automatically. I don’t know what qualities some individuals have that make it clear to everybody around them that they are a leader, not just part of the team,� Likins continued. “In the Arizona context, when I arrived, he was an important member of the team of deans and very creative in establishing research initiatives in the life sciences.�

During Sander’s year-long presidency, he advocated for increased state support for medical education to address Arizona’s physician shortage, urging the state Legislature to fund the expansion of UA’s College of Medicine-Phoenix.

“He was reliable and straightforward and honest and the kind of guy you could count on,� said Likins. “When you’re the president and you look through the field of danger around you, it’s important to see that quality in a dean.�

“He and his wife were a great team, and that should be noted,� Likins added. “It helps any leader to have a partner of the quality of his spouse and she provided that extra dimension to his leadership.�

The Arizona Board of Regents, the governing board that oversees the state’s three universities, said in a statement Thursday that during Sander's tenure as dean, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences “grew its research activity, strengthened its academic programs and earned broader national recognition.

"A dedicated academic, researcher and proud Wildcat, Sander devoted his career to improving the lives of people in Arizona and beyond," the regents' statement said. 

George Davis, a Regents professor of geosciences and former UA executive vice president and provost, said Sander was a “larger-than-life figure� who loved serving the UA in a leadership capacity. He did “everything along the way," he noted of his rise to the top. 

“He was a really good communicator, enjoyed broad-ranging conversation, had very high standards of what faculty and staff and student recruitment is all about,� Davis told the Star.

Massaro said Sander knew how to make tough decisions that were transparent and justifiable, saying he was “an ethical leader and strategic, but in all of the best senses of that word.�

“And I miss him. I think about him a lot, I talk about him a lot as a model and somebody to whom I owe a great deal in learning how to lead on campus,� she said.

 grew up in the rural community of Dodge Center, Minnesota, where he learned about agriculture and animal science on his family's farm, setting him along his career path. 

His education included a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, a master of science and Ph.D. from Cornell University and postdoctoral study at Brandeis University. Before moving to the UA, he held roles at the Texas A&M University system, West Virginia University Medical Center, the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, and the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory.

After retiring, Sander lived in Texas with his wife, saying at the time they moved there that he wanted to be near his daughter and her two sons and spend time with his grandchildren. He also said he wanted to work on his hobby of restoring old automobiles.

He is survived by his wife, Louise, and his two children, Jay and Kathy, both of whom are UA alumni.

°Õ³ó±ðÌý established the Eugene G. Sander Endowed Faculty Fundraising Award in 2008, given annually to a faculty member who has shown fundraising leadership at the university.

“Together with his wife, Louise, Sander established an endowment for graduate students in the College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences,� the UA said in a statement Wednesday. �Community members who wish to support the endowment can  through the UA Foundation.�