Carnegie Mellon Selects Ninth President

Dr. Subra Suresh

The Suresh Family

Carnegie Mellon University has selected Dr. Subra Suresh as its new president, succeeding Dr. Jared L. Cohon, who led the university to unprecedented growth during his 16-year tenure. Dr. Cohon will step down June 30, 2013.



Dr. Subra Suresh will assume office on July 1. "I am truly honored to have the opportunity to lead Carnegie Mellon University as its ninth president," Dr. Suresh said.



"The extraordinary ability of the CMU faculty and students in bringing together cutting-edge research and education across multiple disciplines positions CMU uniquely to address national and global challenges. I look forward to working with the CMU community to further our global impact."



Dr. Suresh is the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), a $7-billion independent government science agency charged with advancing all fields of fundamental science, engineering research and education. Dr. Suresh was nominated for the NSF in 2010 by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.



Previously, Dr. Suresh served as the dean of the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently on leave as the Vannevar Bush Professor of Engineering at MIT while serving as director of NSF.



In his leadership roles at MIT, Dr. Suresh helped create new state-of-the-art laboratories, the MIT Transportation Initiative, and the Center for Computational Engineering; led MIT's efforts in establishing the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Center; and oversaw the recruitment of a record number of women faculty in engineering.



A distinguished 17-member search committee was composed of members of CMU's board of trustees and faculty members representing all seven colleges and schools, and chaired by James E. Rohr, Chairman and CEO of PNC Financial Services Group, and faculty committee chair Anthony Rollett, former chair of the Faculty Senate and professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.



"Dr. Suresh possesses the strategic vision, international expertise and commitment to technology research and education that will continue to build CMU's reputation as a world leader in higher education," said Ray Lane, partner at Kleiner Perkins, chairman of Hewlett-Packard and chairman of Carnegie Mellon's board of trustees.



"Among hundreds of candidates, Dr. Suresh stood out as uniquely qualified to lead Carnegie Mellon — an institution internationally known for education and research in computer science, engineering, the arts and business. He also recognizes Carnegie Mellon's interdisciplinary capabilities — including its work in science, public policy, humanities and social sciences — to research and solve the world's most complex problems."



Dr. Suresh and his wife, Mary (Delmar), have been married since 1986. Mary is the former Director of Public Health for Wellesley, Massachusetts. They have two daughters, Nina and Meera. Nina, a 2010 MIT graduate in brain and cognitive sciences, is currently a medical student at the University of Massachusetts. Meera, a 2012 Wesleyan University graduate with a double major in biology and French, is a post-baccalaureate fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.



There will be a welcome celebration for Dr. Suresh and his family on February 21 on the Pittsburgh campus.



Alumni: join us for the live webcast. Register »



Dr. Suresh photo by Sandy Schaeffer

Related Links: Read the full Press Release | Leadership at CMU

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