Sally A. Kornbluth, a cell biologist whose eight-year tenure as Duke University’s provost has earned her a reputation as a brilliant administrator, a creative problem-solver, and a leading advocate of academic excellence, was selected as MIT’s 18th president on Thursday.
Kornbluth, 61, was elected to the post by a vote of the MIT Corporation. She will assume the MIT presidency on Jan. 1, 2023, succeeding L. Rafael Reif, who last February announced his intention to step down after 10 years leading the Institute.
A distinguished researcher and dedicated mentor, Kornbluth is currently the Jo Rae Wright University Professor of Biology at Duke. She has served on the Duke faculty since 1994, first as a member of the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology in the Duke University School of Medicine and then as a member of the Department of Biology in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.
