Duke provost named president of MIT. What she said in her first press conference.
Duke University Provost Sally Kornbluth has been appointed president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the universities announced Thursday.
Kornbluth, a cell biologist, has served as Duke’s chief academic officer since 2014, and is the university’s first woman in that role. She has been part of the university’s faculty since 1994.
Kornbluth will assume the MIT presidency in January, becoming the 18th president of that university after an eight-month search process that began with approximately 250 candidates.
“I’ve really loved my life and my roles at Duke,” Kornbluth said at a press conference at MIT Thursday. “I’ve had lots of reasons to stay, and really no reasons pushing me to leave, which tells you the strength of the pull I felt drawing me to MIT.”
Emphasized faculty equity, diversity at Duke
In her role as Duke provost, Kornbluth oversaw Duke’s 10 schools and six institutes, and held “ultimate responsibility for admissions, financial aid, libraries, and all other facets of academic and student life,” MIT said.
“As Duke’s provost, Sally has been a bold leader, a respected voice in the academy, and — above all — a committed advocate for Duke’s students, faculty and staff,” Duke President Vincent E. Price said in an article on Duke Today online.
“I am deeply grateful for her efforts, which have transformed Duke into a more innovative, inclusive community of scholars and will benefit our university for many years to come.”
During her eight-year tenure, Kornbluth created and oversaw hiring initiatives focused on faculty excellence, diversity, equity and science, aiming to “make Duke more diverse and inclusive,” MIT said. In 2017, she created the Office for Faculty Advancement, which increased the number of Black faculty members on campus and provided funding intended to create “a more inclusive environment for underrepresented faculty.”
She also emphasized diversity in building her own leadership team on campus, including deans, vice provosts and unit directors, Duke said.
“Sally has assembled a world-class team of leaders who are delivering on our vision for Duke’s future, and who will collaborate closely with her successor to continue this work,” Price said.
Kornbluth also spearheaded efforts to make Duke “more accessible and affordable for undergraduate and graduate students,” the university said, including creating new scholarship programs for first-generation and low-income students.
“My greatest joy as a leader has always been in facilitating and amplifying the work of others,” Kornbluth said in a news release from MIT.
Kornbluth has existing tie to MIT
At Thursday’s press conference, Kornbluth said her ideas and initiatives at Duke “emerged from extensive conversations with the Duke community” — and she hopes to have similar conversations in her new role.
“I want to approach the MIT community the same way,” she said. “I want to spend time really getting to know the people and the institution. I want to hear the full range of views and perspectives, and I want to help the people of MIT make MIT even better.”
Kornbluth, who herself holds degrees from Williams College, Cambridge University and Rockefeller University, will have a familiar face on campus when she begins at MIT: her son, who is a PhD student in electrical engineering and computer science at the university.
Kornbluth’s husband, Daniel Lew, is also a member of Duke’s faculty. Their daughter is a medical student at at the University of California at San Francisco.
“As anyone knows who has ever held a major leadership role, it would be impossible to do the job without great support from your family,” Kornbluth said at the press conference.
Calling the presidency role at MIT “a wonderful responsibility,” outgoing MIT President L. Rafael Reif said in a news release that Kornbluth is a “terrific choice” lead MIT, and he is looking forward “to seeing MIT continue to flourish under” her leadership.
Duke’s executive vice provost, Jennifer Francis, will serve as interim provost while the university conducts a national search for Kornbluth’s successor.
