Announcing the new vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education

Dear members of the MIT community,

I write to share the terrific news that David L. Darmofal SM '91, PhD '93, Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, has accepted our offer to serve as the next vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education.

A champion of innovative approaches to teaching, advising, and student professional and personal development, Dave brings decades of leadership in MIT’s educational ecosystem. His thinking is also informed by a rare breadth and depth of first-hand knowledge of our community – as a leader in his department, a current head of house, a recent MIT parent, and an alum. He will begin work on February 17, reporting directly to me.

Role of the vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education

The chancellor’s office oversees "all things students," both academics and student life – and in his new role, Dave will lead the academic side of that mission for both undergraduate and graduate students. The units he will oversee span students' entire experience with us, from undergraduate admissions and financial aid, to first-year and graduate education and advising, to career advising and professional development. His portfolio also includes MIT’s international students office, ROTC, and experiential learning programs, including UROP and the PKG Public Service Center.

Dave will also be the primary educational point of contact for key student organizations such as the Undergraduate Association and the Graduate Student Council and will serve as the Institute’s liaison with the MIT Graduate Student Union.

Dave will work hand in glove with his counterpart Vice Chancellor for Student Life Suzy Nelson and coordinate the work of our office with school, college, and department leadership and faculty members.

You can read more about Dave and his aspirations as vice chancellor from MIT News.

The experience he brings to the role

Among Dave’s many accomplishments, several stood out to me as reflecting exactly the sort of practical, creative, student-centered leader we were looking for:

• For instance, from 2008 to 2011, when he served as associate and later interim department head in AeroAstro, Dave led work that succeeded in increasing the selectivity and yield of their graduate admissions, revamped the graduate program, and spearheaded innovations to the entire AeroAstro curriculum, including helping to develop the department’s first flexible engineering degree, Course 16-ENG.
• As co-chair of two important Institute-wide committees focused on improving personal and professional development and career exploration for students, Dave championed popular ideas such as a graduate student professional development requirement. As faculty advisor to the Fall Career Fair, he worked with students and Career Advising & Professional Development (CAPD) to guide the transition to a CAPD-led fair. He also created an advising seminar and exploratory subject on career exploration for first-year students.
• Named a MacVicar Fellow prior to tenure, Dave has actively advanced research-based best practices in teaching and digital learning. An early adopter of digital technologies in education and flipped classroom techniques, his novel campus courses include two undergraduate electives – 16.100 (Aerodynamics) and 16.90 (Computational Methods in Aerospace) – and most recently the Common Ground subject 9.C20/16.C20/18.C20/CSE.C20 (Introduction to Computational Science & Engineering). He has created two open online learning classes, 16.101x (Introduction to Aerodynamics) and CSE.002x (Introduction to Computational Science & Engineering), which are used on campus for blended learning in Unified Engineering, 16.100, and C20. He has also helped lead national initiatives to improve engineering education through both the National Academy of Engineering and the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.

I know Dave is eager to dive into the work and to quickly engage faculty, instructors, staff, and students on key efforts such as the Task Force on the Undergraduate Academic Program; the next phase of the Undergraduate Advising Center; and the Office of Graduate Education’s work to help our graduate students thrive.

With gratitude

Please join me in thanking Dan Hastings, Cecil (1923) and Ida Green Education Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, for serving so admirably in an interim capacity these past months. On short notice, he gladly stepped into a role similar to one he served in two decades earlier, lending his expertise, wisdom, and trademark sense of humor as we faced a variety of complex and critical issues in areas from admissions to graduate unionization to student support.

I also wish to extend my gratitude to the search advisory group, led by Professors Laurie Boyer and Will Tisdale. The advisory group’s counsel and thoughtful process were invaluable to me as was the extensive input from students, staff, and faculty.

I look forward to working with Dave to enhance our students’ academic experience.

Sincerely,

Melissa Nobles
Chancellor

Search Advisory Group

Laurie Boyer, co-chair, School of Science, School of Engineering

Will Tisdale, co-chair, School of Engineering

Nick Allen, graduate student

Natalie Barnouw, undergraduate student

Eran Ben-Joseph, School of Architecture and Planning

Enoch Ellis, undergraduate student

Saahir Ganti-Agrawal, graduate student

Leslie Kolodziejski, Schwarzman College of Computing

Katrina LaCurts, School of Engineering

Deborah Liverman, Office of the Vice Chancellor

Anne McCants, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Jim Orlin, MIT Sloan School of Management

David Randall, Division of Student Life

Michael Santoro, Office of the Vice Chancellor

Denzil Streete, Office of the Vice Chancellor

Lauren Tyger, Office of the Vice Chancellor

Jill Bassett (staff to committee)

Kristin McCoy (staff to committee)