David Darmofal SM ’91, PhD ‘93 appointed as next vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education
Nobles: “His thinking is also informed by a rare breadth and depth of first-hand knowledge of our community.”
In an email to the MIT community on Feb. 3, Chancellor Melissa Nobles announced David Darmofal SM ’91, PhD ’93, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, as the next vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education. Darmofal’s role will formally begin on Feb. 17 under the supervision of Chancellor Nobles. Darmofal succeeds Ian Waitz, who stepped down in May 2024 to become vice president for research, and Daniel Hastings, the interim vice chancellor.
As vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education, Darmofal is responsible for overseeing the undergraduate and graduate academic offices. These offices include undergraduate admissions and financial aid, as well as undergraduate advising and the Career for Academic and Professional Development. Furthermore, Darmofal will act as the primary liaison for major student organizations such as the Undergraduate Association and Graduate Student Council.
Darmofal joined the MIT faculty in 1998. Per his website, his research focuses on “computational methods for partial differential equations.” From 2008 to 2011, Darmofal served as the associate and interim department head in Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro). As department head, Darmofal made extensive changes to the graduate program and AeroAstro curriculum. During the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, Darmofal was the AeroAstro director of digital education.
Outside of the AeroAstro department, Darmofal also served as co-chair on two Institute-wide committees that aimed to improve career exploration and professional development for students. He introduced the idea of the graduate student professional development requirement, and served as a faculty advisor to the Fall Career Fair. Furthermore, he created a first-year advising seminar about career exploration. Darmofal and his wife Claudia are also the heads of house at the Warehouse, an MIT residence for first-year graduate students.
“His thinking is also informed by a rare breadth and depth of first-hand knowledge of our community — as a leader in his department, a current head of house, a recent MIT parent, and an alum,” Nobles said.