Presidential transition

Frederick Lawrence to step down as president of Brandeis

Frederick M. Lawrence, the eighth president of Brandeis University, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, announced today that he would be stepping down as president effective at the end of the current academic year. Lawrence was named president of Brandeis on Jan. 1, 2011, and is currently serving in his fifth academic year as president.

In a letter to the community, Lawrence indicated he was “tremendously proud of the ways Brandeis has grown and thrived” during his tenure, but that he is “looking forward to returning to full-time scholarship and teaching as a senior research scholar at Yale Law School.” Prior to becoming president of Brandeis, Lawrence had served as dean and Robert Kramer Research Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School from 2005 to 2010.

During the course of Lawrence’s tenure, Brandeis, one of the nation’s leading research universities, has achieved marked growth in applications, the endowment, and financial aid and scholarships, and has built on its strong history of attracting extraordinary teachers and scholars to its faculty.

Perry M. Traquina, chairman of the Brandeis Board of Trustees, thanked Lawrence, saying he “has worked tirelessly to move our university forward and has the results to show for it — including making significant progress in balancing the university’s budget, a record endowment, the fundraising of $225 million in gifts, and a 35 percent increase in applications under his stewardship. Fred has also brought an unbridled energy and enthusiasm to our campus, and our students have benefited greatly from Fred’s hands-on approach to their education and student experience.”

Lawrence expressed his appreciation to the Board of Trustees and the Brandeis community for the opportunity to serve as president. He added, “Brandeis is a strong, vital, and dynamic institution, and I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside so many extraordinary students, faculty, alumni, staff, parents, and friends of the university.”

Lisa Lynch, the university’s current provost and the former dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis, has been named interim president, effective July 1, 2015. Traquina commented that, “Lisa Lynch is an internationally renowned economist who brings experience and success in senior leadership positions in academia and the government. The Board is very confident in her ability to lead the university.” The Board of Trustees will now begin an international search to identify a new president to succeed Lawrence.