Jump to:
To open and close this bar, use alt+/
New York University Abu Dhabi Home

Provost Search Committee

November 13, 2019

I write to let you know that I have constituted the Search Committee that will assist in selecting the next provost of NYU Abu Dhabi.

The committee will be tasked to identify and recommend candidates of the highest academic caliber and outstanding leadership ability for my consideration. As the provost of NYUAD serves as chief academic officer and dean of the faculty, the position is critical to our success. The provost is a strategic academic partner to me, and will nurture and drive continued excellence across our educational and research enterprise while building on the outstanding foundation established by Fabio Piano, who over the past ten years has set the bar very high.

To ensure robust representation from Abu Dhabi and New York, I have asked our Dean of Science Marta Losada and NYU Professor of Economics Yaw Nyarko to co-chair the committee. Marta, who joined NYUAD this academic year, will bring a fresh perspective and vast international academic experience to the process. Yaw will bring a deep and rich NYU history and frame of reference to the search, as he was recently on the Vice Chancellor’s search committee and was very involved in the establishment of NYU Abu Dhabi as well as the expansion of NYU’s global network of academic sites. He has led a research center at NYUAD and teaches frequently in the Economics program.

The full committee membership is listed below. This strong group will not only be able to evaluate candidates of the greatest academic distinction and leadership ability, but also project to the candidate pool just how fine a university we have become in a short period.

In order to ensure a comprehensive and effective global search, we have engaged the search firm Perrett Laver, based in London. The committee will begin meeting this month and will seek to create opportunities for broad community consultation.

We have created an email address nyuad.provost.search@nyu.edu for the search, and would appreciate your input, in addition to specific names that you think we should pursue. Confidential nominations of candidates are most welcome.

As you know, we hope to have a new provost in place by September 2020. I am pleased to reiterate, however, that Fabio Piano has generously agreed to stay on until his successor can be in place. I appreciate his generosity in ensuring a smooth transition process.

I want to thank Marta and Yaw, as well as the entire membership of the committee for their willingness to serve.

Yours,
Mariët Westermann

 

NYU Abu Dhabi Provost Search Committee

Co-Chairs

  • Marta Losada — Professor of Physics and Dean of Science, NYUAD
  • Yaw Nyarko — Professor of Economics, FAS, and Director of NYU Africa House

Other Faculty

  • Justin Blau — Professor of Biology and Neural Science and Chair of Biology, FAS
  • Rosemary Byrne — Professor of Legal studies, NYUAD
  • Reindert Falkenburg — Visiting Professor of Early Modern Culture and Special Academic Advisor, NYUAD
  • Nelida Fuccaro — Professor of Middle Eastern History and Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities, NYUAD
  • Sehamuddin Galadari — Professor of Biology and Senior Vice Provost of Research, NYUAD
  • Sunil Kumar — Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, and Interim Vice Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, NYUAD
  • Ann Morning — Associate Professor of Sociology, FAS, and Academic Director of 19 Washington Square North
  • Joanna Settle — Associate Arts Professor of Theater, NYUAD
  • Bryan Waterman — Associate Professor of Literature and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Development, NYUAD
  • Denis Zorin — Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics and Chair of Computer Science, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences

NYUAD Staff Council Representative

  • Bianca Arkeen — Center Manager, Center for Prototype Climate Modeling, and Chair of the Staff Council

NYUAD Academic Staff

  • Beth Russell — Head of the Center for Digital Scholarship and Associate Academic Librarian
  • Susan Wei — Director of Academic HR Affairs 

NYUAD Student Representative

  • Motoi Oyane, Class of 2020 — Mathematics major, Economics minor, and Treasurer, Student Government

Jessica Sederquist — Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice Chancellor, is serving as Coordinator to the Search Committee