Two weeks ago on Jan. 16, the University’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to reappoint President Ronald J. Daniels to his post. Now that his contract with Hopkins has been extended, Daniels will hold his position until 2019.
During his time at Hopkins, President Daniels has focused on pushing the University into the topmost tier of national universities. In his inaugural speech in 2009, he made his vision clear.
“It is our duty to craft an environment that attracts the most talented faculty, staff and students,” Daniels said in his speech. “Once they are here we must ensure that they can fully realize their promise.”
Since 2009, Daniels has promoted the potential of the Hopkins community as well as united the community under one identity.
“The sum of our University must be greater than its constituent parts,” Daniels said. “We must knit together a University identity, a shared vision of Johns Hopkins that draws upon and enriches the identity of each of our schools, the health system and the applied physics laboratory.”
Daniels is the 14th president of Hopkins; he succeeded former President William R. Brody in 2009. Daniels also serves as chair of the Executive Committee for Johns Hopkins Medicine and continues to work to bring together the University and the medical institutions.
Notably, Daniels spearheaded the Rising to the Challenge campaign, the largest fundraising effort in the Universities history. He also set high aspirations in his Ten by Twenty Plan, which outlines how Hopkins aims to improve for the remainder of the decade.
Daniels has also worked to put together the Gateway Science Initiative, a program designed to improve the science curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students. It gives grants to faculty members who explore trying to improve the science curriculum so that students are allowed to be more innovative and reach higher and more complex levels of the sciences more quickly.
Daniels has made an effort to increase the financial aid budget as well.
“We must also have an admissions and financial aid program that ensures its student participation in our community is governed by the ideals of merit and not by the accident of privilege,” Daniels said in 2009.
Under his leadership, the University’s financial aid budget has risen by approximately 10 percent every year.
Additionally, Daniels has worked to improve the University’s relationship with the city of Baltimore. He launched the “Johns Hopkins Takes Time for Schools Initiative,” which gives faculty members paid time to work in Baltimore public schools. Daniels has also been deeply involved with East Baltimore Development Inc. which is working to improve the urban development of East Baltimore.
Daniels has also tried to connect with undergraduate groups on the Homewood Campus. Junior Class Senator Mahzi Martin, who also serves as chairman of the Appointments and Evaluations Committee, believes that Daniels has been doing a good job.
“We feel that he is fairly approachable as far as presidents go,” Martin said. “He is very receptive, enthusiastic and very good at communication.”
Daniels consistently meets with the executive board, holds annual dinners and sits in on one SGA meeting every semester to be updated on student affairs and give assistance to the organization with regards to what they need to move forward.
“As far as the faculty we work with, the deans are very willing and helpful,” Martin said.
Senior Will Szymanski, an executive director of the Foreign Affairs Symposium (FAS), said that Daniels has worked well with the organization.
“In my opinion, President Daniels and the Office of the President play a large role in the execution of our symposium and we have an ongoing dialogue with President Daniels and his staff throughout the year,” Szymanski wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “There is no doubt in my mind that President Daniels has been involved in FAS a great amount — he has even been a great resource and a mentor when we have question and I am glad he was asked to come back for another term.”
Both Martin and Syzmanski were appreciative of Daniels’ interactions with the student body, but Martin believes that as helpful and involved as Daniels and his administration are, there is still room for improvement in other areas.
“There could be more diversity,” Martin said. “This school attracts a lot of international attention and that should be reflected in its leadership.”
In any case, with at least five more years as president, the University community can expect the administration to stay the course Daniels set in 2009.
