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Stanford University announced Thursday morning that Jonathan Levin, current dean of the Graduate School of Business, will be the new university president starting in time for the fall term.
Levin will succeed Richard Saller, who has been serving as president on an interim basis since September 2023. Saller took over for Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who resigned as president last summer after a panel of experts found significant flaws in numerous studies that he had supervised more than a decade ago.
The resignation of Tessier-Lavigne, a neuroscientist, was sparked by a series of articles that the student newspaper, The Stanford Daily, had published about Tessier-Lavigne’s research, which included allegations that some of the papers included falsified data.
In response, Stanford appointed a panel of scientists and other experts to review 12 of the papers that Tessier-Lavigne and his team had published. The panel concluded that there were “serious flaws in the presentation of research data” and that at least four of the five papers in which he was a principal author had “apparent manipulation of data by others,” but it did not conclude that Tessier-Lavigne had knowledge of the manipulation.
While Saller served as interim president, the university had a 20-member committee search of his successor. The Presidential Search Committee had spent seven months recruiting and assessing candidates, according to the university.
Jerry Yang, president of the university’s Board of Trustees, announced on April 4 that Levin was the unanimous choice of both the search committee and the trustees.
“Jon brings a rare combination of qualities: a deep understanding and love of Stanford, an impressive track record of academic and leadership success, the analytical prowess to tackle complex strategic issues, and a collaborative and optimistic working style,” Yang said in the news release announcing the appointment. “He is consistently described by those who know him as principled, humble, authentic, thoughtful, and inspiring. We are excited about Stanford’s future under Jon’s leadership.”
Levin joined the Stanford faculty in 2000 and has also won awards for his work in economics. He is a member of President Joe Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and has served as dean of the business school for the last eight years, according to the university.
“I am grateful and humbled to be asked to lead Stanford — a university that has meant so much to me for more than three decades,” Levin said in a statement.
Dr. Bonnie Maldonado, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee, described Levin as “a leader who drives change in a way that engages faculty, students, and other stakeholders.”
“Moreover, Jon’s academic background, analytical skills, and experience have provided him with the skillset and ability to oversee this incredibly complex institution,” Maldonado said in the statement.
Levin, 51, attended Stanford as an undergraduate, completing a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1994. He later went on to earn a master’s degree from Oxford University and a doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“When I was an undergraduate, Stanford opened my mind, nurtured my love for math and literature, and inspired me to pursue an academic career,” Levin said in a statement. “In the years since, it has given me opportunities to pursue ideas in collaboration with brilliant colleagues, teach exceptional students, and bring people together to achieve ambitious collective goals around the university.”
Editor’s note: This version clarifies the Stanford-appointed panel’s conclusions.
