Michigan State Acting President Satish Udpa apologizes to Nassar survivors

EAST LANSING - Satish Udpa, Michigan State University's acting president, formally apologized to the survivors of Larry Nassar Friday morning prior to the start of the Board of Trustees meeting. 

“I want you to know that on behalf of this university I love, as acting president and executing officer and as a former dean and faculty member, I realize the need to formally apologize and effectively atone."

Satish was appointed MSU's acting president last month following the resignation of John Engler. 

“To each of you and to the survivor community, I’m truly sorry you were subjected to the pain and humiliation of sexual assault by somebody who you should have been able to trust," Udpa said. "We failed to comprehend and acknowledge your injuries. We were too slow to grasp the scope and enormity of the offense you endured. And we failed to treat you with respect and care you deserve even after we sought to make amends.”

Udpa thanked survivors for their courage in sharing their stories and promised more careful listening to their concerns.

Nicole Casady, an MSU alumna and one of more than 150 survivors still in litigation with MSU, thanked Udpa for his pledge to work collaboratively.

“I choose to believe that you are committed to the healing but felt compelled to come forward and share with you what I think needs to happen in order for the real healing can begin," she said. 

She and her fellow survivors want transparency, accountability and consequences for those who mishandled reports of abuse, allowing Nassar's conduct to continue for years, Casady said.

“This board has the singular ability to restore our trust in humanity and this institution. Together, we can rewrite the headlines. Tomorrow, can they read 'MSU trustees deliver on the promises they made to all survivors?'”

Other speakers advocated for greater transparency in the search for a new permanent president at MSU.

“I understand the arguments for a closed search, but I strongly believe that the risks taken by keeping this search fully closed until the end outweigh the potential benefits,” said Filomena Nunes, a physics professor and member of MSU's Faculty Senate.

Nunes said this search is unlike any other in MSU’s history and doesn’t have room for mistakes.

“I urge you to make sure that before any offer is made, the top candidates you identify in this search visit the campus, interact with students, post-docs, faculty and staff so they can get a real pulse for what such a presidency might look like.”

Dianne Byrum, who co-chairs the presidential search committee, said that the ongoing process of finding the next president has been the most transparent in MSU’s history, though board members did release the names of the finalists in the 1969 search that brought the university Clifton Wharton. The names of finalists were leaked to the pubic in the searches that brought Cecil Mackey in 1979 and Peter McPherson in 1993. 

Byrum noted that regular updates have been posted online, more than 20 input sessions with community groups were held this fall and that comments from those meeting were incorporated into its presidential job advertisement, . 

“So yes, it’s not exactly what everybody in the community wants, but we’ve been very transparent in the process and we have taken your input, we have internalized it and we are utilizing it to select the president.”

Related: Engler's impending departure from Michigan State prompts strong reactions

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr. Support our journalism. Find subscription deals here.