Carnegie Mellon University
June 01, 2017

Suresh To Step Down as President of Carnegie Mellon University

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Carnegie Mellon University President Subra Suresh will be stepping down from his post as president, Chairman of the Board of Trustees James E. Rohr announced Thursday. Rohr said that in coming weeks, the university would announce an interim president.

"I want to thank Dr. Suresh for his vision and efforts on behalf of Carnegie Mellon, at an important time in our history. With his guidance and articulation, the university's strategic plan provides a clear road map for how CMU can move forward," Rohr said. "We wish Subra the very best in his next chapter."

Suresh was appointed the ninth president of Carnegie Mellon University in 2013, after serving as director of the National Science Foundation, and before that, as dean of the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As CMU's president, Suresh presided over an inclusive, campus-wide process that led to the creation of Strategic Plan 2025. He further distilled the plan's goals into three priorities: recruiting and retaining outstanding and diverse talent; enhancing the CMU experience; and building excellence across all disciplines and elements of the university's work.

In support of those goals, Suresh presided over the creation of the Presidential Fellowships and Scholarships program to support access for undergraduates and graduate students. During his tenure, CMU has undertaken an historic expansion of campus facilities, supported by more than $500 million in investments. And during that period, the university recorded several of its most successful years of fundraising.

"I knew of CMU's distinct and important role in higher education long before I arrived on campus, and I enjoyed the chance to support and experience every day the outstanding work of our faculty, students and staff," Suresh said. "I want to extend my gratitude to all of those talented and dedicated colleagues for all that we have been able to accomplish, and I wish them the best as Carnegie Mellon continues to make its mark."

"Carnegie Mellon University stands at an extraordinary time of achievement and potential," Rohr said. "The immense talent of our faculty, students and staff, together with the university's distinctive culture of creative problem-solving and unbounded ambition, position this institution well to continue building on its mission of enhancing human life through education, research and creativity."

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