Anantha Chandrakasan named MIT’s new provost
As dean of the School of Engineering and Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, Chandrakasan has contributed to the launch of many MIT initiatives
On June 16, Anantha Chandrakasan, the dean of the School of Engineering, was named MIT’s next provost, effective July 1. Chandrakasan will succeed Cynthia Barnhart SM ’86, PhD ’88, who will return to the faculty after a sabbatical. Chandrakasan has served as the Dean of Engineering since 2017 and became the Institute’s first Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer (CISO) in 2024. He was the department head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from 2011 to 2017. Chandrakasan has been a faculty member at MIT since 1994.
According to the Office of the Provost website, the provost serves as MIT’s “chief academic and budget officer, promoting excellence in academics and research.” The provost serves on Institute boards and committees, directs academic deans, and oversees finances and faculty.
In a letter to the MIT community, President Kornbluth commended Chandrakasan for his “exceptional record of shaping and leading important innovations for the Institute.” As dean, he has launched various interdisciplinary programs that bridge academia and industry, including the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and the MIT-Takeda Program. He also oversaw the opening of the Schwarzman College of Computing in 2018. More recently, Chandrakasan has contributed to the development of new Institute-wide initiatives in his role as CISO, such as the MIT Health and Life Sciences Collaborative (MIT HEALS) and the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium.
Chandrakasan stated in an email to the School of Engineering community that he feels honored to serve as dean and looks forward to becoming provost. “Across departments, labs, centers, initiatives, and programs, there is a shared drive to make the world a better place,” Chandrakasan wrote. “I continue to be in awe of your dedication, ingenuity, and impact — both in the lab and in the classroom.”
Professor Maria Yang ’91 of the Department of Mechanical Engineering will serve as interim dean for the School of Engineering and vice provost for faculty. Institute Professor Paula Hammond ’84, PhD ’93, current vice provost for faculty, will become the executive vice provost.