John Douglas Simon

John D. Simon (born Feb. 11, 1957) is the 14th President of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.^[1] He became Lehigh’s president on July 1, 2015.^[1] An internationally renowned scholar, researcher and academic leader, Simon formerly served as executive vice president and provost at the University of Virginia.^[1]

Background

Education

Born in 1957, Simon received his B.A. in Chemistry from Williams College in 1979 and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1983.^[2] After a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA, he joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California-San Diego in 1985, and then moved to Duke University as the George B. Geller Professor in 1998.^[2]

Research career

Simon’s research interests for the past decade have been focused on understanding the structure and function of human pigmentation.^[1] Most recently, he has been collaborating with scientists from around the world to study the only known intact pigments recovered from the Jurassic period.^[1]

Personal life

Simon is married to Diane Szaflarski, an associate professor in Virginia’s School of Nursing.^[2]

Presidency of Lehigh University

Simon was officially installed as Lehigh's 14th president during the university's annual Founder's Day ceremony in early October, 2015. The historic celebration also marked Lehigh's Sesquicentennial.^[3]

In his installment speech, Simon said he was advancing an ambitious agenda with the support of the Board of Trustees, who committed to an investment of $250 million in institutional resources in the areas of teaching, learning, research and student life. This investment will support a comprehensive plan that will strengthen Lehigh, allow the university to leverage core strengths and build a university that will serve the needs of students and society of the future.^[3]

Simon said the funds will be used to:

• assure that Lehigh’s financial and merit aid packages attract the best students to the university, regardless of their financial situation;
• re-imagine the University Center, and address the university’s aging physical plant, especially its laboratory and technical infrastructure;
• deepen the university’s commitment to the hallmarks of a Lehigh education, one that stresses innovation, integration, and entrepreneurship at all levels; and
• globalize Lehigh’s campus, to assure the university’s graduates are educated about the world, acquiring the knowledge, skills and experiences to prepare them to lead in tackling the complex global issues of their generation.^[3]

The selection of John D. Simon as Lehigh’s 14th president was announced in October, 2014, by Brad Eric Scheler, chair of Lehigh’s Board of Trustees.^[4] The announcement followed the departure of Alice P. Gast, who was named president of Imperial College, London, earlier that year.^[5] Simon was immediately preceded at Lehigh by Kevin L. Clayton, a member of the Board of Trustees, and retired director and former principal of Oaktree Management, a global investment organization.^[6] Clayton served as Lehigh’s interim president from August 2014 to June 2015.^[6] At the time of the announcement, Simon described Lehigh as “an exceptional university with an outstanding reputation” and said he was “humbled and honored to have been selected as its next president.” ^[4] Familiar with Lehigh’s reputation for excellence before the search process began, his already positive impressions of the university only grew stronger throughout the search process, as he came to learn more about the university’s strengths — its excellence in teaching and research, its interdisciplinary approach and the close ties between its four colleges, its exemplary record of student outcomes, its expanding global reach, and its strong role in the community.^[4] “Having had the opportunity to visit Lehigh’s campus and learn more about its remarkable history and unique strengths during the search process, I have begun to understand what a truly special place this is,” Simon said. “I know that Lehigh is deeply committed to advancing knowledge and understanding and in the practical application of that knowledge. I look forward to working with leaders across the university to support the individual and collective objectives of the four colleges and the various disciplines and to contribute to this great community of scholars.”^[4] Simon began chronicling his experiences as Lehigh’s 14th president through his Instagram account^[7]

Innovation and Success

During his tenure at Virginia, Simon spearheaded a number of global initiatives, including the establishment of a new major in global studies and the opening of a physical presence for the university in Asia.^[4] He played a leading role in the launch of the University of Virginia’s cutting-edge Data Science Institute as well as its Advanced Research Institute, and in creating the university’s Endowment for the Arts.^[4] He also appointed several of the University of Virginia’s deans and oversaw the hiring of several hundred faculty.^[4] Describing Simon as a talented scientist and administrator who has earned widespread respect and admiration, Teresa A. Sullivan, president of the University of Virginia, said: “John has an abiding commitment to academic excellence. Working in close collaboration with the faculty, staff, students and academic leadership, his support of our mission of teaching, research, patient care and service has positioned the university for even greater success. We are extremely grateful for his leadership and contributions, and we wish him the very best as he assumes the presidency at Lehigh University. He and Diane will be missed.”^[4]

A Profile in Leadership

In an article published in the Washington Post, John Simon was credited with courageous leadership during a crisis set in motion by the sudden announcement that current University of Virginia President Theresa Sullivan was stepping down.^[8] The article described Simon as “angered and baffled by the decision, but it was unclear where this brewing crisis was headed and whether he could do anything to change its course. The stance he took, and the words he spoke, were risky and bold. They would, in the end, solidify his reputation with the faculty and add momentum to the movement that eventually swept Sullivan back into the presidency.”^[8][9]

Academic career

Prior to his time at the University of Virginia, Simon served as vice provost of academic affairs at Duke University from 2005 to 2011. At Duke, he guided the university’s strategic planning process and drove initiatives aimed at connecting the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.^[4] He was chairman of Duke’s department of chemistry from 1999-2004, and also held appointments in the Duke University Medical Center in both biochemistry and ophthalmology.^[4]

Awards and achievements

Simon has been the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards for his scientific work, including the Presidential Young Investigator Award, Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award, and the Fresenius Award. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society, and has authored or co-authored nearly 250 academic papers and four books.^[4]

Additional references

Web. John D. Simon, Duke Scientist and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, To Become University of Virginia's Executive Vice President and Provost University of Virginia, retrieved August 24, 2011. Web. John D. Simon, Executive Vice President & Provost University of Virginia, retrieved August 13, 2012.

References