George Washington University President Steven Knapp announced March 3 the selection of Steven Lerman as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and as the A. James Clark professor of civil and environmental engineering, effective July 1.
Dr. Lerman will join GW from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he currently serves as vice chancellor and dean for graduate education, acting as the chancellor’s chief deputy and working to develop strategic initiatives across the Office of the Dean of Graduate Education, Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education and the Division for Student Life.
“Dr. Lerman understands George Washington’s aspirations, its unique position in Washington and the world and its extraordinary opportunities,” says President Knapp. “He has a strong record of engaging students and working collaboratively and effectively with colleagues; those skills will help us build an ever stronger faculty, raise the university’s stature, and continue to enhance the academic experience of our students.”
Dr. Lerman comes to GW with more than 40 years of experience as a leader and scholar at one of the nation’s most prestigious research universities. He began at MIT as a student, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering; a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and a Ph.D. in Transportation Systems Analysis. He joined the faculty in 1975 as assistant professor of civil engineering and rose through the ranks, serving as chair of the faculty twice, as dean of graduate education since 2007 and as vice chancellor since 2008.
Dr. Lerman’s awards and honors have included the Advisor of the Year Award from the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students, the Maseeh Teaching Award for Best Departmental Teacher and the Class of 1922 Distinguished Professorship.
“I am honored that The George Washington University has selected me to serve as its provost. The opportunity to work as a member of President Knapp’s team to enhance the university’s well-deserved reputation for academic excellence and service is truly extraordinary,” says Dr. Lerman. “The combination of GW’s incredible faculty, staff and students, talented leadership and its location in the nation’s capital makes this one of the most exciting educational institutions in the world. This university has done great things in its history, but I believe that its future holds even greater promise. I am privileged that GW has asked me to be a part of it.”
President Knapp also announced that for the first time GW’s top two leaders will live on George Washington campuses.
“I look forward to getting to know the entire GW community over the coming months and years. My wife, Lori, and I will live on the Mount Vernon campus, and we plan to participate fully in the intellectual and social life of the community,” says Dr. Lerman.
The search was initiated following the announcement of the retirement of Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald R. Lehman, Ph.D. ’70, who has served the university for 38 years. Dr. Lehman will continue to serve as the university’s chief academic officer until June 30 and then will act as senior adviser to President Knapp until Dec. 31.
As part of a reorganization, Dr. Lerman will serve as the chief academic officer for George Washington’s nine colleges and will oversee all programs and offices associated with student life on campus. This change will bring GW in line with practice at most universities today, where the role of provost, who acts as second-in-command and serves as president in the president’s absence, is held by the chief academic officer. This management change establishes a single point of accountability, immediately below the president, for all academic and student-related programs.
President Knapp was deeply involved in the recruitment of the new provost, personally interviewing each of the 22 candidates considered in the rigorous, nationwide search. As part of the search process, candidates were brought to campus to meet with various groups, including student groups.
Professor of Political Science Forrest Maltzman led the search committee, which was composed of faculty members elected by their respective schools. Other committee members included Lydia Thomas, GW Board of Trustees; Beth Nolan, GW senior vice president and general counsel; David Dolling, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science; Michael Brown, dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs; Lilien Robinson, professor and chair of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee; and Jack Siggins, university librarian.
“We were looking for someone who has a first-rate scholarly reputation and who has the understanding, creativity, energy and diplomatic skills to be a transformative leader, and Steven Lerman is clearly such a person,” says Dr. Maltzman. “The fact that he was selected from such a strong pool is a testament to his extraordinary reputation and talents.”
MIT President Susan Hockfield says, “With integrity, thoughtfulness, enthusiasm and unfailing good cheer, Steve Lerman has lived the life of MIT in every dimension—as an undergraduate and graduate student, as a professor, as chair of the faculty, as a housemaster, as dean for graduate education, as vice chancellor, and as leader of vital educational and research initiatives, from Project Athena and the Singapore-MIT Alliance to the Center for Educational Computing Initiatives and the iLabs program. We are very sorry to lose this remarkable friend and servant of MIT.”