Campus Honor for NYU President Emeritus John Sexton

December 12, 2021

Dear members of the NYUAD community,

I am delighted to let you know that our central campus plaza has been named John E. Sexton Square, in recognition by Abu Dhabi of the foundational role of our NYU President Emeritus in the creation of NYUAD.

A newly installed plinth in the plaza bears the inscription: “Dedicated to John E. Sexton, NYU President Emeritus, the pioneering educator whose vision for global education continues to inspire NYU Abu Dhabi.”

NYU Abu Dhabi was founded in 2007 thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and of John, to create a new model for global higher education and a world-class liberal arts and research university in the UAE.

John, who is also Dean Emeritus of NYU Law School and the Benjamin Butler Professor of Law, joined the Law School faculty in 1981. He was named the School’s Dean in 1988 and served in that capacity for 14 years. He was named the University's President in 2001 and served in that capacity until January 1, 2016.

All of us at NYU Abu Dhabi owe John an immeasurable debt of gratitude for his vision, his leadership, and above all the profound humanity he brings to his life as a teacher. For more than 60 years, he has inspired thousands of students of all ages to play that other octave on the piano, to see the best in others, and to help our fellow citizens of the planet in any way we can.

Please join me in congratulating John on this signal honor, which will forever remind us of the special place this country and NYUAD have in his heart, and the one he holds in ours.

Mariët