Vice Provost Philip Khoury to step down

Dear colleagues,

I write today to announce that Philip Khoury will step down as vice provost for the arts effective August 31. Philip plans to return to the faculty following a sabbatical.

A record of accomplishment

Since arriving at MIT in 1981, Philip has championed what he calls the Institute’s “artistic ecosystem,” which sits at the intersection of technology, science, the humanities, and the arts. Thanks to Philip’s vision, this ecosystem is now a foundational element of MIT’s educational and research missions and a critical component of how we advance knowledge, understanding, and discovery in service to the world.

An accomplished political and social historian of the Middle East, Philip joined the faculty as an assistant professor and later served as dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) from 1991 to 2006. In 2002, Philip became the inaugural Kenan Sahin Dean of SHASS.

Philip was appointed associate provost in 2006 with a dual portfolio of beginning a review of MIT’s international activities and enhancing the Institute’s nonacademic arts programs. As the Institute's first coordinator of MIT international activities from 2006 to 2011, he led the production of an influential report on the state of MIT’s international activities and sought ways to encourage more partnerships with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and parts of the Middle East.

Under Philip’s nearly two decades of arts leadership, our artistic ecosystem has flourished. He stewarded and cultivated the financial resources and facilities required to advance the arts at MIT by helping to lead the cross-disciplinary Center for Art, Science, and Technology (CAST) and by collaborating with the Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT). And, during his service, physical testaments to the arts have sprung up across campus, from the Theater Arts Building to the new MIT Museum and Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building.

Most recently, Philip and his team – in partnership with faculty, students, and staff from across the Institute – oversaw MIT’s new festival of the arts, known as Artfinity. Launched in February and open to the public, the Institute-sponsored, campus-wide festival featured a series of 80 performing and visual arts events.

To learn more about Philip’s record of accomplishment, please read the MIT News article  published today.

Looking ahead

Last June, I announced – in partnership with Philip, Dean Hashim Sarkis of the School of Architecture and Planning, and Dean Agustín Rayo of SHASS – that the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee would advise the Institute on new ways to envision the place of the arts in our community. Last week the committee shared a draft report that contains recommendations to guide the Institute in writing the next chapter on the arts at MIT.

With this blueprint in hand and with Philip staying through the end of the summer, President Kornbluth, my successor as provost, and Philip will reflect on the Institute's path forward in this critical space.

With gratitude

I am grateful to Philip for all he has done to nurture a thriving artistic ecosystem at MIT. Please join me in thanking him for leadership and dedication to the MIT community.   

Sincerely,

Cynthia Barnhart
Provost