Daniel Diermeier, who has been provost of the University of Chicago since 2016, and is the David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy and the College, has been appointed to serve as the ninth chancellor of Vanderbilt University, effective July 1.
In a message to campus, President Robert J. Zimmer thanked Diermeier for demonstrating “extraordinary leadership with exceptional impact” across the numerous academic, financial and administrative issues the provost must confront.
“I am deeply grateful for Daniel’s many contributions to the University, and for the energy and insight that he has brought to a wide range of priorities,” Zimmer wrote. “His work produced a positive legacy of academic eminence that will continue to benefit faculty, students, staff and the University as a whole for years to come.”
Diermeier wrote in a message to faculty that it has been a distinct honor to serve the University.
"The values that originally defined the founding of the University of Chicago still govern its daily life,” Diermeier said. “They provide a sense of lasting identity that allows the University to evolve, grow and reinforce its fundamental values. Having served this wonderful institution, first as dean of the Harris School and then as provost, has been a great honor and a profound responsibility. I look forward to following the continued success of this great University."
Diermeier joined UChicago in 2014 as dean of the Harris School, and led the school at a time of rapid growth and continued rise in eminence. He was appointed provost in 2016. During his tenure as provost, Zimmer wrote, Diermeier “worked to uphold and advance the University of Chicago’s enduring values of open inquiry, intellectual challenge and free expression. This has gone hand in hand with his work to support diversity and inclusion in all aspects of University life.”
Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Diermeier taught at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and taught for 17 years at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He has published two books and more than 100 research articles, primarily in political science, economics and management, as well as in areas ranging from linguistics to psychology and computer science. He was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2013 as a political scientist and game theorist.
Zimmer said he would move quickly to seek faculty input on Diermeier’s successor, with the announcement of a new provost early in the new year.
—Prof. Chuan He
