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July 12, 2005 - President Susan Hockfield announced today that she has appointed Professor L. Rafael Reif as provost of MIT, succeeding Robert A. Brown, who is leaving MIT to become president of Boston University. Reif's appointment will be effective Aug. 1.
In making the announcement, Hockfield said, "Professor Reif has held
leadership positions at MIT for much of his 25 years on the faculty and is
widely regarded as a deeply thoughtful, collaborative leader. His early championing
of MIT's engagement in micro- and nanotechnologies, his concern for the broader
impact of those technologies on society, his engagement with industry and
government on both technical and policy matters in this country and abroad,
his guidance on a wide range of policy matters at the school and Institute
level, and his outstanding teaching and student mentorship all promise to
serve MIT very well. I am delighted that he has agreed to take on this new
responsibility and look forward to working with him to increase MIT's great
strengths."
Commenting on his appointment, Reif said, "It is a tremendous honor and responsibility to be the provost of this university. I am thrilled at the prospect of working with President Hockfield and the faculty to help create the MIT of the future, building on the remarkable history of this institution."
The provost is the senior academic officer of the Institute, with overall responsibility for MIT's educational and research programs, as well as for faculty development, including the recruitment, promotion and tenure processes. As provost, Reif will work closely with the academic deans to establish academic priorities on an ongoing basis. Working with the executive vice president and other senior officers, he will have responsibility for financial planning to meet those priorities. The provost is also responsible for the libraries and for a number of major interdisciplinary laboratories, centers and programs on campus, as well as Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington.
(excerpted from: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/provost.html)
