Vice Provost Brent Ryan to step down

Dear colleagues,

I write today to announce that Brent Ryan will step down as vice provost for campus space management and planning effective December 31. Brent plans to return to the faculty following a sabbatical.

A faculty member in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), Brent assumed the role of vice provost (then titled associate provost) in November 2022, as MIT and the world were still charting a way forward from the Covid-19 pandemic. He immediately took a leadership role in devising a strategy for reimagining MIT’s use of space considering new work patterns, retrofitting space to better fit those new patterns, and thus strengthening collaboration. By reducing MIT’s footprint in off-campus leased space, this strategy has also had the benefit of generating financial savings for the Institute.

Among Brent’s many other accomplishments, he played a key role in the effort to move DUSP into the Metropolitan Warehouse building, which will open in 2026. This will not only yield the valuable benefit of co-locating DUSP with the Department of Architecture in one building but will also open much-needed space in the main group. As a co-chair of the Committee for Renovation and Space Planning (CRSP), Brent helped oversee the development of a cost-share model to bring a more balanced approach to financing CRSP renovation projects on campus, leading to greater efficiency and reduced costs.

The Institute has benefited from Brent’s work to identify future priorities for our capital program, including new space for quantum science and engineering, the renovation of undergraduate residences, and opportunities to create synergies between management and economics and the humanistic social sciences. He also supported numerous campus decarbonization efforts, including advancing innovation in design and construction and deploying AI to better manage energy usage.

Several major new buildings opened during Brent’s tenure, including the Schwarzman College of Computing, the Tina and Hamid Moghadam Building, and the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building. With each of these openings, Brent provided guidance on using the new spaces thoughtfully and strategically.

A priority for Brent was to engage actively with members of our community to learn how the campus could be better leveraged to strengthen MIT’s education, research, student life, and cultural vibrancy. Along with Julie Newman, director of the Office of Sustainability, Brent has co-chaired the Open Space Working Group, formed in late 2023 to review and advance community-driven proposals for the use of open space.

At its core, campus space management and planning aims to help MIT advance its mission and attract and retain talent by ensuring that we all have spaces that are conducive to excellent work and scholarship. Paula Hammond, executive vice provost, will assume oversight of campus space planning and management, working with Joe Higgins, vice president for campus services and stewardship, and Greg Raposa, space administrator.

I am grateful to Brent for everything he has done to make the MIT campus a vibrant, productive place for all of us. Please join me in thanking him for his service to the MIT community.

Sincerely,

Anantha Chandrakasan
Provost