Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to share that Provost David Madigan will step down from his position at the end of June upon concluding his fifth year as Northeastern’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. A search for David’s successor will begin this spring.

I am pleased to report that upon concluding his service as Provost, David will remain at Northeastern as a Professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences and a greatly valued member of our University community.

As Provost, David’s accomplishments have been transformative for our university’s learning and research mission. He spearheaded Northeastern’s most recent academic plan, “Experience Unleashed,” a bold and ambitious blueprint for the future.

David’s steadfast commitment to academic excellence has helped recruit more than 500 world-class faculty members and led to the development of impactful research solutions to global and societal challenges. He was instrumental in the expansion of Northeastern’s global university system and played a critical role in navigating the unprecedented disruptions of a global pandemic. Indeed, David’s extensive expertise in analyzing health data enabled the university to be a leader in COVID-19 management.

With an emphasis on interdisciplinarity, David has championed the importance of bringing together talent from all aspects of a challenge to create truly innovative solutions. He led our efforts to make bets in research areas with high impact, such as Cognitive and Brain Health and Experiential AI, and shaped an AI strategy for the university.

David played a critical role in expanding the academic enterprise across Northeastern’s global university system, including the merger with New York’s Marymount Manhattan College—a partnership that is poised to provide unparalleled teaching and research opportunities for faculty.

Experience Unleashed has relentlessly focused the university on impact and leadership. In that context, David has led the creation of Impact Engines, incubators for bringing to life groundbreaking ideas by our faculty colleagues.

I want to thank David for his unwavering dedication to the mission of Northeastern and for his leadership across our teaching and research enterprise. On a personal note, I am grateful for his friendship and partnership at this exciting time in the history of our university.

During the months ahead, we’ll all have a chance to thank David for what he has helped us accomplish. In the meantime, a search committee representing a broad cross section of faculty will be selected to assist in the recruitment of our next provost.

Sincerely,

Joseph E. Aoun
President