Provost Anantha Chandrakasan
Dear members of the MIT community,
I’m delighted to share the news that Anantha Chandrakasan – chief innovation and strategy officer, dean of engineering and longtime member of the faculty – has agreed to serve as MIT’s next provost. He’ll begin in the role on July 1.
The role of provost
At MIT, the provost is our chief academic and budget officer, with a wide-ranging portfolio that encompasses “all things faculty,” oversight of our educational enterprise and prime responsibility for MIT’s strategic planning. The provost also oversees several affiliated institutes and units and leads a team of vice provosts responsible for the arts; campus space management and planning; faculty; international activities; and Open Learning.
In short, the job truly could not be more central to MIT’s present and future vitality.
An outstanding record and distinctive strengths
Chosen from a group of outstanding internal candidates, Anantha brings to this post an exceptional record of shaping and leading important innovations for the Institute. In six years as department head in EECS and eight as dean of engineering, he played a key role in many efforts that have become defining features of the landscape at MIT, from The Engine and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing to the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health and the SuperUROP program.
You can read more about Anantha’s accomplishments in this story on MIT News.
In February 2024, I chose him as MIT’s inaugural chief innovation and strategy officer (CISO) because of his can-do attitude, creativity, enthusiasm, strategic insight, fluency across a wide range of subject areas, and gift for engaging industry allies and donors.
As CISO, he has been a terrific partner for me in thinking things through and getting them done, bringing all his strengths to bear in developing, launching and securing support for many of our major initiatives: the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC), the MIT Health and Life Sciences Collaborative (MIT HEALS), the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium (MGAIC, or “magic,”), the MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing, and multiple energy- and climate-related initiatives including the MIT-GE Vernova Energy and Climate Alliance.
While these initiatives emerged in response to intense faculty interest, each has required careful cultivation and tending. Anantha has been engaged at every level, from assessing and building faculty support, to envisioning the internal structure and identifying faculty leads, to securing new sources of funding and corporate engagement. We simply could not have achieved so much so fast without him.
The demands of this moment
Anantha steps into the provost’s role at a perilous time for MIT. Some of our most basic operating assumptions – including our ability to count on extensive federal support for our mission of research, education and innovation, and to attract and retain superb talent from around the world – are now uncertain.
In a time of such intense pressure and potentially historic change, I am particularly grateful that we will be able to draw on Anantha’s depth and breadth of experience; his nimbleness, entrepreneurial spirit and boundless energy; his remarkable record in raising funds from outside sources for important ideas; and his profound commitment to MIT’s mission.
Paula Hammond as executive vice provost – and Anantha’s next steps
As Anantha takes up the reins as provost, he will have vital support from Institute Professor Paula Hammond, who currently serves as vice provost for faculty. While retaining all her current duties, as of July 1, Paula will take on an expanded portfolio with the new title of executive vice provost. The details of this new role will be finalized shortly.
In addition, Anantha will take several important steps:
- He will launch a search for a new dean of our School of Engineering. Deputy Dean of Engineering Maria Yang has kindly agreed to serve as interim dean until the new dean is in place.
- He will identify new leadership to direct the initiatives he led as the chief innovation and strategy officer.
- And to help him stay connected to and grounded in the needs and perspectives of the faculty, he will create a faculty advisory cabinet with representatives from each school and the college.
Anantha will write to the faculty in the coming days with details.
With gratitude
I'm grateful to everyone who submitted nominations and especially to the faculty members who interviewed candidates and advised me on the qualities and strengths required for success in this crucial position.
I look forward to continuing my close partnership with both Anantha and Paula – and I hope you will join me in sending them congratulations and the very best wishes.
Sincerely,
Sally Kornbluth
President