Search Progress Noted

Presidential Search

Progress Noted 

By Robert M. Solow

Institute Professor

The search for Paul Gray's successor has not been going on forever. It 
only seems like forever. The Faculty Search Committee thought it had 
sent its last communication to our colleagues. Not quite.

The two committees went back to work at the beginning of March. After 
reflection, we made two decisions. The first was that we would not 
restrict ourselves to the pool of candiates that had figured in the 
earlier phase of the search. We thought it better for the Institute and 
for the process if we took the time to enlarge the list by adding both 
from inside MIT and from outside. We have done this successfully, and 
the committees are now working with a promising pool of potential 
presidents, new and old, inside and outside.

The second decision was more or less implied by the first: We would not 
impose any tight deadline on the search. The Corporation said as much in 
asking us to resume our work, and we had and have every intention of 
sifting through our enlarged list carefully.

Obviously it would be a great convenience, not to say a relief, if we 
could have our new president signed and sealed, even if not yet 
delivered, by the end of June. As of now that seems possible. We will 
know more as interviews and discussions continue.

(This article appeared in the May issue of The MIT Faculty Newsletter 
and is reprinted here with the author's permission. Professor Solow is 
chairman of the Faculty Advisory Committee on the Presidency.)