The following email was sent today to the MIT community by President L. Rafael Reif.
Dear faculty and staff colleagues,
I write to inform you that I have asked a few members of the senior administration to step up to new responsibilities.
The agenda I laid out in my inaugural remarks included bold aspirations and new initiatives for MIT. Over the past two and a half years, with inspired leadership from our faculty, we have made progress in many areas. To accelerate our progress as we prepare for a major capital campaign, I believe we need a slightly different structure, so I am making the following changes, effective today:
Vice President Kirk Kolenbrander will adjust his portfolio to take on new responsibilities, working closely with our senior academic leadership -- Provost Marty Schmidt, Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart and Vice President for Research Maria Zuber -- to implement MIT's emerging initiatives. He will continue to advance our current strength in communications and marketing and will oversee Institute events. Since 2006, Kirk has served MIT with distinction as Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation, and I have come to count on him personally for his judgment, dedication and deep understanding of MIT, developed over 25 years at the Institute. I am grateful that he has agreed to take on these new challenges to advance our agenda.
Greg Morgan, currently Vice President and General Counsel, will assume new responsibilities as Senior Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation. Greg will help me coordinate strategic efforts across the central administration, serving in effect as a "chief of staff," while supporting the work of the MIT Corporation. Greg and Kirk will work closely together. A member of the MIT community since 2007, Greg established the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and set the standard of excellence that now defines it. In that time, he has served MIT with extraordinary thoughtfulness and skill on an array of strategic issues. His personal wisdom, institutional insight and instinct for action will be invaluable as we enter this next phase.
Mark DiVincenzo, now deputy general counsel, will step into the role of Vice President and General Counsel. We are extremely fortunate to be able to make this promotion. Since 2001, Mark has provided MIT with expert counsel on a broad range of topics, from complex litigation to the most sensitive human issues. A trusted advisor to faculty and staff leaders across the Institute, Mark is ideally prepared to make a seamless transition to this role. (You will find more about Mark here.)
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From the start, MIT's success has depended on brilliant faculty, students, postdocs and staff, free to explore, create, question and collaborate. It has been the privilege of each MIT administration to unite and empower them with the right support. The staffing changes I announce today will help us preserve our values, fulfill our aspirations and extend our success.
Sincerely,
L. Rafael Reif
