TMCnet News
AAU Elects University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann as New Chair(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 -- The Association of American Universities issued the following news release: The Association of American Universities today elected University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann as chair of its board of directors. Her one-year term begins today, the final day of the association's semiannual meeting in Washington, D.C. AAU is a nonprofit association of 60 U.S. and two Canadian leading public and private research universities. The organization focuses on national and institutional issues that are important to research-intensive universities, including funding for research, research and education policy, and graduate and undergraduate education. Penn is one of the 14 universities that founded AAU in 1900. "It is an honor to assume leadership of the AAU at a time when our nation, and, indeed, the world are in ever greater need of the creative knowledge and innovative discoveries produced by America's research universities," said Gutmann. "I look forward to working with our partner institutions as we constructively address the most important issues confronting higher education today." Gutmann succeeds Bill Powers, president of the University of Texas at Austin. She served during the past year as vice chair of AAU. Lou Anna K. Simon, president of Michigan State University, was elected today as vice chair for the 2014-2015 term. As AAU chair, Gutmann will serve as a spokesperson for the association, particularly on issues of special concern to research universities. She will represent AAU in meetings with national policymakers and help to develop national policy positions on issues that relate to university research and graduate, professional, and undergraduate education. As chair of AAU's Board of Directors, she will play a significant role in determining the association's direction during the coming year. "We are very pleased that Amy Gutmann will serve as our chair for the coming year," said AAU President Hunter Rawlings. "She is extraordinarily articulate in explaining the value of research universities to communities and the nation. Moreover, she has demonstrated the kind of leadership for Penn and for the city of Philadelphia that serves as an example for all of our universities as they seek to fulfill their missions of undergraduate and graduate education, groundbreaking research, economic development, and community service." Gutmann, 64, has served as president of the University of Pennsylvania since 2004. In addition, she is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Professor of Communication in the Annenberg School for Communication. She served previously as provost at Princeton University, where she was the founding director of the University Center for Human Values. Gutmann is a graduate of Harvard-Radcliffe College and earned her master's degree and doctorate in political science from the London School of Economics and Harvard University, respectively. [Category: Education] TNS 18EstebanLiz-141022-30FurigayJane-4907654 30FurigayJane (c) 2014 Targeted News Service |