Duane Boning Appointed Vice Provost for International Activities
Dear members of the MIT community,
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Duane Boning as vice provost for international activities (VPIA). In his new role, Duane, who is Clarence J. LeBel Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will provide intellectual leadership, guidance, and oversight of the Institute’s international engagements and policies. His appointment begins on September 1.
An impactful record of accomplishment
Duane first arrived on the MIT campus as an undergraduate student in 1980. He went on to earn his SB '84, SM '86, and PhD '91 degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Institute and has distinguished himself as a scholar, teacher, and leader since joining the faculty in 1992. In his leadership roles, his work helped the Institute untangle and address a wide range of issues, from responding to the impacts of Covid to strengthening the foundations of our undergraduate admissions and financial aid policies.
A trusted and effective administrator, Duane served as faculty director of the MIT and Masdar Institute Cooperative Program from 2011 through 2018 and director and faculty lead of the MIT Skoltech Initiative from 2011 through 2013. Since 2017, Duane has served on faculty advisory committees associated with the Jameel World Education Lab.
He has also held several MIT engineering leadership posts. Since 2016, he has served as faculty co-director of the Leaders for Global Operations dual MBA–Engineering master’s degree program. In 2013, Duane was appointed associate director for computation and computer-aided design for the Microsystems Technology Laboratories. He also served as the associate head for electrical engineering in the EECS Department from 2004 to 2011. He was associate chair of the faculty from July 2019 through June 2021 and, over the years, played a leadership role on more than 20 Institute-level committees, including Task Force 2021, the Committee on the Undergraduate Program, and the Committee on Graduate Programs.
A dedicated and talented educator, Duane was honored for his teaching in 2024 with the Burgess (1952) and Elizabeth Jamieson Prize for Excellence in Teaching and the Jerome H. Saltzer Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2019.
Duane is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and his research interests include the development and application of machine learning and statistical methods for the modeling and control of variation in manufacturing.
Vice Provost for International Activities role
The VPIA is an advocate for responsible international collaborations that advance the frontiers of knowledge and enable innovative, multidisciplinary partnerships in order to solve the world’s great challenges. The VPIA also champions the role international activities play in sustaining and enhancing MIT’s excellence in education and research.
The VPIA reports to the provost and is a member of Academic Council. The role sponsors the faculty-led International Advisory Committee and the International Coordinating Committee, and serves as president of MIT International, an MIT entity that supports and facilitates the Institute’s global presence. The VPIA is a member of the Senior Risk Group as well as the Gift Acceptance Committee, and also oversees a process for reviewing international engagements that may pose elevated institutional risks for MIT.
With appreciation
I’d like to again acknowledge Richard Lester for his nine years of exceptional leadership advancing MIT’s international collaborations. We are grateful for his contributions and fortunate that he will continue to play a leading role in the development of the MIT Climate Project. Effective September 1, Richard will step into the role of interim vice president of climate (VPC), reporting to President Kornbluth, while the search for a permanent VPC continues. Richard expects to complete his interim role and return to his MIT research activities at the end of the calendar year.
I am also very grateful to the search advisory group chair Rohan Abeyaratne and the group’s members for conducting such a thoughtful and thorough search process. Their thoughtful work led to my decision to appoint Duane, and the group’s insights will shape how we approach the challenges and opportunities in this critical area going forward.
I hope you will join me in congratulating Duane on his new leadership position. I am thrilled to be welcoming him to the Provost’s Office.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Barnhart
Provost
Members of the Vice Provost for International Activities Search Advisory Group
Chair
Rohan Abeyaratne, Berg Professor of Mechanics
Members
Suzanne Berger, Institute Professor
Duane Boning, Clarence J. LeBel Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science*
Chris Kaiser, Amgen Professor of Biology
Christoph Reinhart, Professor of Building Technology
Catherine Wolfram, William F. Pounds Professor of Energy Economics; Professor of Applied Economics
Beth Dupuy, Office of the Vice Provost for International Activities (staff to the committee)
Catherine Williams, Office of the Provost (staff to the committee)
*Duane served on the committee until he was identified as a candidate.