Welcome Message from Provost Lutchen
From Dr. Kenneth Lutchen, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer ad interim
Dear Boston University Colleagues,
As we begin a new academic year, I want to welcome you back and extend my best wishes for a productive and exciting year working together to advance Boston University’s educational and research missions.
I am thrilled to be joining you this year as BU’s new University provost and chief academic officer ad interim. Boston University is an incredibly special place. I’ve had the privilege of spending my entire academic career here and have witnessed firsthand the growth in our excellence, the tremendous sense of community among our faculty and students, and our rise in stature as a premier global research institution.
My first few months in this role have only reinforced my excitement and faith in this university and its potential. They have also been a reminder that our continual progress comes down ultimately to one thing: talented, committed people. They are the faculty who each day find exciting new ways to connect with students and deliver knowledge that in turn sparks further inquiry and discovery; they are our facilities, operations, technological, and support staff who keep our lights on, our community safe and engaged, and our great research enterprise rolling; and they are our diverse, academically accomplished students whose curiosity, personality, and intellect each fall breathe new life and possibility into all that we do.
As provost, I intend to nourish the unique collaborative culture of Boston University, to support faculty and students in working across disciplines to address society’s great challenges, and to thoughtfully approach the emergence of transformative issues (from social justice to artificial intelligence) and their impact on our community. These are big issues – and opportunities – and I look forward to working closely with you to tackle these and other important matters openly and candidly.
As we work together, I encourage you to reach out, ask questions, and network with each other and with us in this office. To this end, I will be looking for you to help me and our community continue moving this great institution forward.
I want to thank all of you for your continuing commitment to excellence in what you do and to again wish you a safe and successful start to the fall semester.
Regards,
Kenneth Lutchen
University Provost and Chief Academic Officer ad interim