MIT’s 17th president was selected according to a process set forth in the bylaws of the MIT Corporation, which state that the Corporation’s Executive Committee shall recommend to the Corporation the names of candidates for president. On May 16, 2012 the members of the Corporation elected L. Rafael Reif as the 17th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In order to ensure a rich pool of candidates, a search committee was appointed and included representation from faculty and the Corporation. This committee received input from faculty, students, staff, alumni and other members of the MIT community. James A. Champy '63, SM '65, a member of the Executive Committee, chaired the search committee; he also served in this role during the previous search in 2004. Additionally, a six-person student committee was created to serve in an advisory capacity.

View The Tech's March 2, 2012 article and the MIT News Office's May 8, 2012 article about the search process.

Faculty, students, staff, administration and alumni were encouraged to offer their thoughts on the issues and challenges facing MIT in this decade and on the experience and personal qualities they should be looking for in a new president. Nominations of individuals who might be considered for the presidency were also welcome. Hundreds of community members visited and utilized this website since its launch on May 8.