Trustee Antoinette “Tonie” Leatherberry (ENG’85) will head the search for BU’s next president. Photo by Tony Valdez Photography

University News

Search Committee Begins Process of Finding Next BU President

Trustee Tonie Leatherberry (ENG’85) to chair the committee, with students, faculty, staff asked for input

Wednesday’s announcement by Boston University President Robert A. Brown that he will step down at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year has set in motion the process of choosing his successor, which will be led by BU trustee Antoinette “Tonie” Leatherberry (ENG’85), who was selected by the Board of Trustees to chair the Search Committee. The goal is for the committee to recommend a new president by next spring.

In a letter sent to the BU community Thursday, Kenneth Feld (Questrom’70), chair of the Board of Trustees, and Ahmass Fakahany (Questrom’79), the chair-elect, outline some of that process: “In the coming weeks, Tonie will begin a comprehensive search process, which will include consultation with faculty and other stakeholders, including students, staff, and alumni.”

Leatherberry and the board will select a formal Search Committee and share the list of people on it by the end of September, their letter says. “The Search Committee will solicit nominations, applications, and inquiries from the community both online and in person as a prelude to interviewing candidates and advancing a nominee to the full Board next spring.” 

Since BU’s first president, William Fairfield Warren, was named in 1873, the University has had only 10 presidents. Brown’s 17 years as president is the fourth-longest tenure, behind Warren (1873-1903), Daniel Marsh (STH’08, Hon.’53) (1926-1951), and John Silber (Hon.’95) (1971-1996). 

Research on the tenures of college presidents has shown a downward trend in longevity. A 2017 report by the American Council on Education found that college presidents at that time served an average of six and a half years in the role, a decline from seven years in 2011 and from eight and a half years in 2006. 

In tapping Leatherberry to lead the search, the trustees picked an engineer, like Brown. Leatherberry, who joined the BU Board of Trustees in 2020, graduated from the College of Engineering in 1985 and has held senior roles at Digital Equipment Corporation and Deloitte & Touche. She has led numerous CEO-level searches and placements in corporate and academic circles. At BU, she has served on the University Advisory Board, the College of Engineering Advisory Board, and the Black Alumni Leadership Council. 

“Boston University is seeking a president with the vision, energy, and leadership skills to maintain our current momentum and advance BU’s position as a center of excellence in research, scholarship, and teaching, and a global leader in multidisciplinary and convergent research,” the two trustees write in their letter. “The ideal candidate will also be deeply committed to building and maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.”

Brown’s news comes amid a surge of similar announcements from college presidents around the country in the last year. Larry Bacow announced earlier this year that he will step down as Harvard’s president. Biddy Martin, the president of Amherst College since 2011, retired this summer. L. Rafael Reif, MIT president, announced he will retire at the end of the year. Morton Schapiro, Northwestern’s president, said his tenure will end in 2022. Rev. Joseph M. McShane retired in June as president of Fordham University. Laurie Leshin left Worcester Polytechnic Institute earlier this year.

According to a July Boston Globe story: “In Massachusetts alone, 11 institutions have or will have open presidencies in the coming year, ranging from big-name institutions like Harvard to liberal arts colleges like Smith and public schools like the University of Massachusetts Amherst.”

That means BU’s search committee won’t be alone in seeking its next leader.

“The Search Committee will be in the enviable position of having the strong platform and momentum of a thriving, world-class university whose scholarship, research, and financial strength have enjoyed an upward trajectory for the past 17 years under Bob Brown’s leadership,” Feld and Fakahany’s letter says. “Working with Bob, the Board of Trustees has approved the comprehensive 2030 Strategic Plan, with a clearly defined and shared vision of future priorities and strategies. All that puts a great deal of positive energy behind our efforts and will allow us to recruit another excellent president.”