The George Washington University named JHU Provost Steven Knapp to be its 16th President, effective Aug. 1, 2007.
Knapp was unanimously chosen by GW's presidential search committee to succeed current President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg.
Knapp expressed great enthusiasm in this appointment at GW, where he said he hopes to pursue the same priorities that he had here at Hopkins.
"It's an exciting opportunity to continue [at GW] what I've worked on here," Knapp said.
Working closely with President Brody, much of his work here has focused on undergraduate student life, and Knapp expects to address some of the same concerns in GW.
Among all his achievements at Hopkins, Knapp expressed that he was most pleased with the team of deans he has recruited during his career as provost. He further commented that they have all worked well together as a collaborative group, raising substantial funds and at the same time remaining attuned to the culture within their respective schools.
"Recruiting some excellent deans and strong leaders is one of the most important achievements of Provost Knapp," Paula Burger, vice provost, said.
"Dr. Knapp has a great understanding of the correlates of academic quality, and he will provide excellent leadership to an institution interested in further enhancing its already impressive academic stature As a distinguished faculty member, he has a deep personal commitment to the highest standards of academic excellence and a real appreciation for the highest quality of research and teaching," she added.
After 16 years as faculty in the Department of English at the University of California, Berkeley, Knapp began his career at Hopkins in 1994 as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and became provost in 1996.
Also the senior vice president for academic affairs at Hopkins, Knapp has contributed largely in areas of academic development. One of Knapp's prominent accomplishments is the establishment of the Commission on Undergraduate Education along with Brody. Launched early in 2002, the program aimed to enrich the undergraduate experience at Hopkins while maintaining the research-intensive tradition.
Knapp's passionate interest in the academic development was reflected in his endeavors to advance the University's academic vitality. Knapp took part in the establishment of the bioethics institution as well as the undergraduate program in neuroscience to keep up with the current priority on interdisciplinary work. Incorporating the Mattin Center for arts on Homewood Campus also reflected his ideal of enriching the undergrad experience.
Taking his role as provost further, Knapp also worked on integrating Hopkins' role in the community both nationally and internationally. The Urban Health Council and the Urban Health Institute were formed to help Hopkins contribute more actively in areas of urban health and emergency preparedness and response in inner-city Baltimore. The Charles Commons project combined with the Barnes & Noble bookstore was a step toward opening up Hopkins to the community, administrators said.
In addition, Knapp was also one of the key players in integrating diversity on campus. Working through Diversity Leadership Council and the University Committee on the Status of Women, he has successfully opened and drawn from different communities.
Internationally, Knapp has focused on setting up research institutes in China and Singapore. There are also current efforts dedicated to renewing facilities in Bologna, Italy and Berlin as part of Hopkins' reach to alumni in Europe.
Knapp looks forward to shaping GW by drawing from the wealth of cultural resources in Washington.
"Just as we have worked with resources of research at Hopkins, I'd like to make use of GW's resource of Washington," Knapp explained.
His goals include contributing more extensive international as well as working with students and faculty to explore this process.
