Columbia University Names George Rupp as New President

Contact: Michael Berryhill
Phone: (713) 527-4943

Columbia University Names George Rupp as New President

Rice University president George Rupp was named
president of Columbia University, Columbia officials announced
Monday in New York.

Rupp, 50, will be Columbia’s 18th president, replacing Michael
I. Sovern, who announced last summer he was stepping down from the
post for personal reasons.

Rupp announced in November he would leave Rice at the end of the
fiscal year, June 30. His decision to leave the university was
designed "to allow an immediate search for my successor," he said at
the time.

In response to Columbia’s announcement, Charles Duncan, chairman
of Rice’s board of governors, issued a statement saying:"President Rupp’s administration has left an indelible stamp on
the university. The number and the quality of faculty have
increased. The students, who are applying in increasing numbers, are
better than ever. Rice has added two major buildings, one for music
and one for bioscience and bioengineering, and both have been
nationally recognized for their excellence. These improvements and
many others were achieved during the administration of President
Rupp.

"This momentum built is not going to be lost. The board will
continue to work with all members of the university community during
the next several months while Rice looks for a new president. The
search to find a successor for George Rupp is proceeding smoothly
under the direction of [board of governors member] Kent Anderson and
the search committee comprised of members of the board of governors,
alumni, students, faculty and staff."

Rice Provost Neal Lane praised Rupp’s tenure in office.
"George Rupp has, by any measure, been a truly outstanding
president," Lane said. "By providing strong intellectual leadership,
enhancing the quality of the faculty, staff, students and programs,
strengthening interdisciplinary education and research, improving
teaching and research facilities and emphasizing outreach, he has
made this excellent university even better.

"The faculty, staff and students greatly appreciate what
President Rupp has done for Rice, and, I know, wish him well in his
new challenge."

Columbia’s 238-year-old campus is located in New York City. The
school has 2,300 full-time faculty members and 19,900 students.

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