Launch of search for next vice provost for the arts

Dear members of the MIT community,

I write to announce the search for our next vice provost for the arts, succeeding Philip Khoury. I would like to add my sincere thanks to Professor Khoury for his tremendous impact on the arts at MIT.

The vice provost for the arts is charged with advancing the arts as a central pillar of MIT’s mission, providing vision, strategy, and advocacy for the arts at the Institute. Overseeing the Office of the Arts, the List Visual Arts Center, the MIT Museum, the Council for the Arts at MIT, and the MIT Center for Arts, Science, and Technology, the vice provost is a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration across schools and units, and a champion for integrating creativity with science, engineering, design, and entrepreneurship. I hope that our next vice provost will build upon our existing strengths while reaching across the Institute to open new opportunities.

I am delighted to announce that Professor John Ochsendorf, founding director of the Morningside Academy for Design, has agreed to chair the search. The committee – comprising faculty from across the Institute and prominent arts leaders (listed below) –  will identify candidates who can:

• advance the arts as a core strategic priority for MIT,
• strengthen staffing, infrastructure, and space for the arts,
• expand curricular and research opportunities, including interdisciplinary programs,
• increase visibility and global stature for MIT’s arts enterprise, and
• lead significant fundraising efforts in collaboration with MIT Resource Development and the arts community beyond campus.

Informed by the Future of the Arts at MIT report, shared in draft form in late April, the committee will engage widely with our community to gather perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing the arts at MIT. I am deeply grateful to the Future of the Arts Committee and its chair, Professor Peter Fisher, associate vice president for research, for their vision and dedication. Their work provides a strong foundation for advancing the arts at MIT and will be invaluable as we undertake the search for our next vice provost. The committee’s final report will be posted shortly.

I invite you to share nominations or a CV and statement of interest with the committee by emailing vparts-search@mit.edu. All submissions and inquiries will be treated as confidential. The committee aims to submit its report to me by the end of the fall term, and I thank its members for undertaking this important responsibility.

I also wish to thank Executive Vice Provost Paula Hammond, who is providing interim oversight until a new vice provost for the arts is in place.

The arts are foundational to MIT’s culture of innovation and discovery. I look forward to working with the next vice provost for the arts to build on our momentum and to ensure that the arts continue to flourish at MIT and beyond.

Sincerely,

Anantha Chandrakasan
Provost

Vice Provost for the Arts Search Committee

John Ochsendorf, Professor, Department of Architecture and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (chair)

Members

Vladimir Bulovic, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Jill Medvedow, Director Emerita, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

Emily Richmond Pollock, Associate Professor, Music and Theater Arts

Katharina Ribbeck, Professor, Department of Biological Engineering

Daniela Rus, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Jay Scheib, Professor, Music and Theater Arts

Pawan Sinha, Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences

Gediminas Urbonas, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture

Bradley Vernatter, General Director and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Lyric Opera

Susan Whitehead, Life Member, MIT Corporation

Dan Delgado, Senior Director of Human Resources and Finance, Office of the Provost, Staff to the Committee