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Edward W. Ahart ’69, chair of Lafayette’s Board of Trustees, announced the membership of a committee formed to conduct a search for the next president of Lafayette.
Trustee Alan R. Griffith ’64 will chair the Presidential Search Committee, which is made up of six trustees, all of whom are graduates of the College; three faculty members; two alumni; one administrative staff member; and a student. Trustee Elisabeth Hughes MacDonald ’81 will serve as vice chair.
The other trustees are James R. Birle Jr. ’83, Judson C. Linville ’79, Robert E. Sell ’84, and Sylvia Daniels Weaver ’75.
Faculty members are Mary A. Armstrong, associate professor of women’s and gender studies/English and chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies program; Robert L. Cohn, professor of religious studies, Philip and Muriel Berman Professor of Jewish Studies, and chair of the Jewish Studies program; and Dru Germanoski, Dr. Ervin R. VanArtsdalen ’35 Professor of Geology and Environmental Geosciences and head of the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences.
Additional alumni on the committee are Pamela Gaary Holran ’88 and Alex Karapetian ’04.
The administrative staff member is John F. McKnight, dean of intercultural development.
The student member is Evan R. Gooberman ’13, a biology major from Haddonfield, N.J.
James F. Krivoski, executive assistant to the president and administrative secretary to the Board of Trustees, will serve as secretary to the committee.
“The College is fortunate to be represented by such a talented, diverse, committed, and broadly experienced group of individuals to lead this important process. I am grateful to each of them for agreeing to serve, and I also thank so many other members of our community who have offered to help and are serving the College in a variety of important ways,” Ahart said.
Lafayette president Daniel H. Weiss announced May 1 that he will complete his service as president at the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year, having served eight years in the position. He will become the president of Haverford College July 1, 2013.
“The Board of Trustees remains firmly committed to the vision for Lafayette set forth in the College’s strategic plan. We are resolved to build on the strong momentum that has been established toward achieving the plan’s goals and enhancing Lafayette’s position as one of America’s premier small colleges that is academically distinguished in the liberal arts, sciences, and engineering with an international reach and presence,” Ahart said.
“We are confident that the College will attract a very strong candidate pool and that the Presidential Search Committee will find an exceptional leader who will continue our momentum on all fronts. Our objective is to conclude the search and announce a new president at or close to the end of this calendar year.”
Ahart is a partner in and chairman of the law firm of Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP, Florham Park, N.J. He holds a J.D. degree from Cornell University Law School. A member of the board since 1992, he began his term as chair July 1, 2010, succeeding Griffith. The College awarded Ahart an honorary doctor of laws degree at the 175th Commencement in 2010.
Information on the committee members follows:
Trustees
Alan R. Griffith, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, is the former vice chairman of The Bank of New York and The Bank of New York Corporation, Inc., New York City. He holds an MBA from Baruch College of the City University of New York. A trustee since 1994, he served as the board’s chair for nine years, 2001-02 through 2009-10. He currently is a member of the board’s Steering Committee, Executive Committee, and Committee on External Affairs. The College awarded Griffith an honorary doctor of laws degree at the 166th Commencement in 2001.
Elisabeth Hughes MacDonald ’81, vice chair of the Presidential Search Committee, is the former managing director, Global Investment Banking, Chase Securities Inc., New York City. She holds a master’s degree in management from Northwestern University. A trustee since 1999, she is chair of the board’s Committee on Audit, vice chair of the Committee on External Affairs, and a member of the Executive Committee.
James R. Birle Jr. ’83 is a senior managing director at the investment banking advisory firm Evercore Partners, New York City. He holds an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2011, having served previously on the Lafayette Leadership Council, and is a member of the board’s Committee on Financial Policy.
Judson C. Linville ’79 is chief executive officer of Citi Cards, Citigroup, Long Island City, N.Y. He previously had a 20-year career at American Express, serving most recently as president and chief executive officer of U.S. Consumer Services. He holds a doctorate in psychology from Hahnemann Medical College. A trustee since 2010, he is a member of the board’s Committee on External Affairs. He also is the parent of a current Lafayette student.
Robert E. Sell ’84 is group chief executive of the Communications, Media, and Technology Operating Group of Accenture, New York City. A trustee since 2006, he is vice chair of the board’s Committee on Student Life, a member of the Committee on Information Technology, and chair of the Nominating Committee. He served as president of the Alumni Association from 2004-05 through 2005-06.
Sylvia Daniels Weaver ’75 is president of Sensei Leadership Development, Belle Meade, N.J. She formerly was vice president for quality assurance and process excellence in the Networking and Computing Services Division of Johnson & Johnson Services. She holds an M.S. in telecommunications and computing management from Polytechnic University. A trustee since 2008, she is vice chair of the board’s Committee on Educational Policy and vice chair of the Committee on Information Technology.
Faculty
Mary A. Armstrong has served as chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies program since joining the Lafayette faculty in 2009. She holds a doctorate in English and graduate certificate in women’s studies from Duke University. She is the recipient of the College’s James E. Lennertz Prize for Exceptional Teaching and Mentoring.
Robert L. Cohn, a member of the Lafayette faculty since 1987, was named to the Berman Chair in 1994. He holds a doctorate from Stanford University. He is the recipient of the College’s Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Award, for superior teaching and scholarly contribution to his discipline, and Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Lecture Award, in recognition of excellence in teaching and scholarship.
Dru Germanoski, a member of the Lafayette faculty since 1987, was named VanArtsdalen Professor in 2004. He holds a doctorate in earth resources-geology from Colorado State University. He is the recipient of the College’s Marquis Distinguished Teaching Award, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Lecture Award, in recognition of excellence in teaching and scholarship, and Mary Louise Van Artsdalen Prize, for outstanding scholarly achievement.
Alumni
Pamela Gaary Holran ’88 is a former associate in the communications and engineering law firm Lukas, Nace, Gutierrez & Sachs, Washington, D.C. She holds a J.D. degree from George Washington University. On July 1 she will conclude a two-year term as president of the Alumni Association and board associate. This service followed a five-year term as an alumni trustee, 2005-06 through 2009-10, during which she was a member of the board’s Committee on External Affairs.
Alex Karapetian ’04, director of sales and marketing for Acopian Power Supplies, Easton, Pa., is president-elect of the Alumni Association. He holds an MBA and M.S. from the Stern School at New York University. He was co-chair of the Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Committee from 2008-09 through 2010-11 and has been chair since 2011.
Administrative Staff
John F. McKnight joined the College in 2009. Before being named dean of intercultural development, he served first as associate dean of the College and the class dean for first-year and second-year students and then as associate dean of students and director of intercultural development. He holds an M.S. in higher education administration from Indiana University.
Student
Evan R. Gooberman ’13 has held leadership positions in a number of campus organizations, including Hillel Society, Kaleidoscope, Landis Community Outreach Center, LEAP (Lafayette Environmental Awareness and Protection), and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, among others.
Secretary
James F. Krivoski became executive assistant to the president and administrative secretary to the Board of Trustees in 2010, following nearly 11 years of service as the College’s senior student affairs officer. A member of the administrative staff since 1985, he holds a doctor of education degree in higher and adult education from Columbia University.