John Simon, University executive vice president and provost, will become the next president of Lehigh University, the school announced last Friday. His term will begin July 1.
Simon has served as University's chief academic officer since 2011.
"U.Va. is an outstanding institution," Simon said in an email. "I have enjoyed working with the faculty and fellow leaders to advance academic excellence. I will miss the people, especially [University] President [Teresa] Sullivan, the student and faculty leaders I have had the privilege to get to know, and the team of vice provost and vice presidents I have so much enjoyed working with."
Simon said his work with the University has prepared him for serving at Lehigh.
"I have greatly enjoyed getting to know the Lehigh community during the search process and am impressed with their commitment to teaching, research, and service," he said. "I think U.Va. has prepared me well."
Members of the University community praised Simon's work at the University. Sullivan said she was grateful for the work he has accomplished.
"John has an abiding commitment to academic excellence," Sullivan said in a press release. "Working in close collaboration with the faculty, staff, students and academic leadership, his support of our mission of teaching, research, patient care and service has positioned the University for even greater success. U.Va. is extremely grateful for his leadership and contributions, and we wish him the very best as he assumes the presidency at Lehigh University."
Simon said there have been a number of changes he has witnessed at the University, but felt his term here has been a successful one.
"There [have] been substantial leadership changes over the past three years, and this has resulted in the hiring of a great cohort of deans and senior administrators to lead the institution forward," Simon said. "Perhaps the largest changes currently occurring are the implementation of a responsibility-centered management budget model and integrating the entire health care enterprise under the new EVP for Health Affairs."
He said he was particularly proud of the Provost Office’s work in establishing the Advance Research Institute and the Data Science Institute, in addition to addressing faculty pay through the salary equity study released earlier this semester.
During his remaining time in Charlottesville, Simon will be involved with the implementation of the Cornerstone Plan, the University’s five-year strategic plan.
The University’s provost oversees the academic administration of the institution’s 11 schools, in addition to its library system, museums, foreign study programs and public service activities. With a budget of $1.4 billion for the University’s academic department, he is responsible for the academic endeavors of 2,200 instructional and research faculty, 14,500 undergraduate students and 6,500 graduate students.
Simon's replacement has not yet been determined, but Sullivan said the search will begin soon.
Lehigh officials voiced excitement at the announcement of Simon’s decision and Brad Scheler, Lehigh’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said Simon's past experience makes him ideal for the post.
“I could not be more proud that John Simon will become Lehigh’s 14th president,” Scheler said in a Lehigh University press release. “He has achieved at the highest levels as a scholar, as an administrator, and as a dynamic leader in higher education, and his record of success speaks for itself.”
Prior to his work with the University, Simon served as the vice-provost for academic affairs at Duke University and oversaw the school's strategic planning and its efforts to connect the humanities, social sciences and sciences. Prior to acting as vice provost, Simon chaired the university's chemistry department for five years. Before joining Duke in 1998, Simon spent 12 years with the University of California, San Diego.
Simon has published three books and authored more than 250 publications. He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society.
He received his bachelor's degree from Williams College in 1979 and his master's and doctorate from Harvard University, in 1981 and 1983, respectively.
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