Stanford University named business school dean Jonathan Levin its new president Thursday, seven months after its former top executive resigned amid allegations of research misconduct.
Levin, a 51-year-old economist and Stanford alumnus who has led the business school for eight years, will take over the Palo Alto campus on August 1.
He replaces Richard Saller, a professor of European studies who became interim president after Marc Tessier-Lavigne resigned in August due to accusations of research misconduct.
Levin will lead the university, one of the nation’s top-ranked and wealthiest with a $36 billion endowment, at a time of turbulence in higher education.
Nationally, enrollment is declining, costs continue to skyrocket, and many are questioning the value of an expensive college degree. Public and private universities are on the defensive as conservative activists and politicians attack curriculum, courses and campus culture on race, gender and sexuality. Amid controversy over anti-Semitism, the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania recently resigned.
In 2022, Stanford was rocked by a Stanford Daily report questioning Tessier-Lavigne’s neurobiology research. An independent committee later concluded that Tessier-Lavigne “did not personally engage in research misconduct” but had repeatedly failed to correct errors in published research and to supervise laboratories that had manipulated data. Announcing his resignation last summer, he said he was stepping down “for the good of the University.”
Last year, the university announced it would return $5.5 million in donations to FTX, the bankrupt crypto exchange whose founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison for fraud. Bankman-Fried is the son of two Stanford law professors.
Since the fall, campus conflicts have erupted because of the war between Israel and Hamas. In December, the U.S. Department of Education said it was investigating allegations of campus discrimination, such as anti-Semitism, after accusations that it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The law prohibits discrimination based on race, national origin, common ancestry, and ethnic characteristics. The probe is one of several the federal government is conducting at U.S. universities in the wake of protests that have divided campuses since Oct. 7, when the line between free speech and hate speech has become a hotly debated issue. .
Stanford faced intense pressure in the fall over his statements on the war between Israel and Hamas. Two days after the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, the leaders said they were “deeply saddened and horrified by the deaths and human suffering” in the Middle East, but did not name Hamas. On October 11, a new statement condemned all “terrorism and mass atrocities,” including “the deliberate attack on civilians this weekend by Hamas.”
At a Faculty Senate meeting in January, Levin suggested that the university should not quickly address global issues. “I think it doesn’t model the right thing for our students and it actually undermines our core educational mission…” he said. “We want them to think slowly, to hear from different people, to weigh things carefully, and we should model that and focus, after an event in the world, on listening and learning.”
In a statement released Thursday, Levin said it would “reinforce our commitment to academic excellence and freedom; foster the principles of openness, curiosity and mutual respect; and lead our faculty and students as they advance knowledge and seek to contribute meaningfully to the world.
Levin earned undergraduate degrees in English and mathematics at Stanford before studying at Oxford University and MIT. He joined the Stanford faculty in 2000. Former chair of the economics department, his research has focused on industrial organization and market design. In 2016, he became dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business after the resignation of its director. In 2021, Levin was appointed to President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Levin will be the university’s 13th president.
“When I was a student, Stanford opened my mind, nurtured my love for math and literature, and inspired me to pursue an academic career,” Levin said. “In the years that followed, it gave me the opportunity to pursue ideas collaboratively with brilliant colleagues, teach exceptional students, and bring people together to achieve ambitious collective goals around university. »
University administration is also a family affair. Levin is the son of former Yale University President Richard Levin.
Levin was selected by a 20-member committee including faculty, students, staff and administrators.
Jerry Yang, chairman of Stanford’s board of trustees who announced the search committee in September, said in a statement that Levin brings “a rare combination of qualities: a deep understanding and love for Stanford, an impressive track record in academic success and leadership, the analytical prowess needed to tackle complex strategic questions, and a collaborative, optimistic work style.
“He is consistently described by those who know him as principled, humble, genuine, thoughtful and inspiring,” Yang said. “We are excited about Stanford’s future under Jon’s leadership.”
California Daily Newspapers
