Support for Our President-elect
Dear members of the Northwestern community,
A few moments ago, President-elect Rebecca Blank emailed you with the heartbreaking news that health concerns will prevent her from being our next president. When we offered her the job, we were incredibly excited to have such a dynamic and experienced leader join Northwestern. We are deeply disappointed that will not happen.
We have asked President Morton Schapiro to stay on as president until we select his successor. I want to thank Morty for agreeing to do so, delaying his return to Southern California and new ventures to continue to serve the University community that he loves so dearly. We are all grateful.
Peter Barris, who led the initial search committee and will become chair of the Northwestern Board of Trustees Sept. 1, will continue to lead the search for our next president. We will share more information with the University community in the coming weeks.
Our thoughts are with Rebecca and her family during this difficult time. We are appreciative of the time that she served as our president-elect, and we know she is thankful for the care and support of the entire Northwestern community.