Stephen Agostini named UCLA’s vice chancellor and chief financial officer

Faculty and Staff

Stephen J. Agostini, a seasoned finance leader with extensive experience across higher education and government, has been named UCLA’s vice chancellor and chief financial officer. He will begin his tenure May 6.

Since 2019, Agostini has served as associate vice chancellor for finance and budget at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In that role, he has worked with senior campus leaders, health administrators and the greater campus community in strategic management of the university’s finances, maintaining oversight of the school’s budget, financial reporting, treasury, debt, procurement and accounting operations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Agostini led efforts to preserve university activities and employment while managing $48.2 million in pandemic relief funds. He also helped resolve a structural gap equal to 9% of expenses in the general fund and implemented a new allocation model for the university’s facilities and administrative reimbursements totaling $240 million.

In addition, Agostini spearheaded the university’s creation of its first “all-funds” budget, encompassing the 2021–24 fiscal years and totaling more than $4 billion annually. During his tenure, the campus’s AAA rating was affirmed by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch.

Previously, Agostini served as chief financial officer for several U.S. federal agencies: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of Personnel Management and the Economics and Statistics Administration.

“Given Stephen’s significant experience in financial leadership and administration for major public organizations, we are confident that he will be an extraordinary addition to our campus leadership team,” Chancellor Gene Block and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt wrote today in a message to campus.

Read more on UCLA Newsroom here.