Susan Hockfield to step down
Susan Hockfield, the 16th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, announced today her intention to step down from her position. Hockfield has served as president since December 2004 and will continue to serve until the next president takes office. Hockfield’s tenure has been marked by her energetic response to two seemingly competing imperatives: to keep MIT at the forefront of research universities by continuing its history of bold action, to the benefit of its students and in service to the nation and the world; and to preserve MIT’s financial resources in the midst of the most pronounced economic downturn in United States history since the Great Depression. Despite the difficult global economic context, Hockfield’s presidency has featured the most successful period of fundraising in MIT history, during which MIT has raised nearly $3 billion.In a letter to the MIT community, Hockfield explained that she had thought carefully about the...